University Housing Accessibility and Accommodation Processes

Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity

About VCU 5900 beds ~3600 Students Registered with SAEO 300+ housing requests for 24-25 already Examples of accommodations ESA Mobility Room type Restroom Access Refrigerators, etc.

Legal Underpinnings ADA Amendments No distinction between accommodation & modification Different sections apply to public vs. private Fair Housing Act Accommodation: reasonable adjustments to rules, policies, services, etc. Modification: Change to the physical space - generally at expense of person with disability occupying the space

Relevant Cases United States v. Univ. of Neb. at Kearney, (2013) Affirms that university housing should be understood as a dwelling Pennsylvania State University (OCR 03-18-2103) Universities cannot require students to request service animals as accommodations - must be granted access under the law United States of America v. Kent State University, et al. (2016) Ruled that the university could not have a policy universally denying emotional support animal requests

Examples Multiple ESAs Taking beds offline Live in attendants Bidets Scooters

Definitions Reasonable Accommodation Service Animal vs ESA Approved versus assigned Interactive process Housing funding source

Approval Process Submissions Who receives the initial request Individual versus committee Committee make-up Notification Who notifies the students What happens next?

Housing Accommodations Request Committee Director of Student Health Director of the Counseling Center Associate Director of Student Success and Educational Opportunity Director of Admin Services for Housing

Process 1. SAEO receives a request 2. Request is cataloged and sent to the committee for review 3. Committee meets and reviews the request 4. A decision is made 5. SAEO send an outcome letter to the student

Sample Approval Letter Hello Jane Doe, The purpose of this email is to update you on the status of your request for housing accommodations. We have reviewed your request and any supporting documentation and the housing committee has approved you for the following accommodations: Room Type: Single in an Apartment/Suite Please keep in mind that for a housing accommodation to be applied you must also be granted access to a housing assignment and an appropriate space must be available. While VCU has approved these accommodations, housing availability is determined through a separate process and is not guaranteed. If you have received a campus housing assignment and would like to explore options for the approved accommodations listed above, please contact Kevin Wade (krwade@vcu.edu) in Residential Life and Housing to discuss possible arrangements. Sincerely,

Sample Denial Letter Hello Jane Doe, The purpose of this email is to update you on the status of your request for a Single Room. We have received and reviewed your Housing Accommodation Request Form and the documentation you submitted. Based on the information you provided, we are not able to approve your request. The Housing Accommodations Request Committee determined that there was not sufficient information provided in your documentation establishing a disability-related need for these accommodations in order to ensure access at the university. If you would like, you can submit additional documentation in support of the accommodations you are seeking and the committee would review your request, again. You can find more information about what we are looking for on the Housing Accommodations page of our website, under Documentation Guidelines (https://saeo.vcu.edu/requests/housing-accommodations/). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to discuss options with you. Sincerely,

Housing Logistics Review of Expectations Notification of Roommates Notification of Building Notification of Hall Staff Emergency Contact

Questions