Requesting Accommodations

Requesting Housing Accommodations

The DSP facilitates reasonable housing accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. The DU Office of Housing & Residential Education (HRE) strives to provide equitable access to housing for all qualified residents with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) of 1968, and other applicable regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. Housing accommodation(s) for students with documented disabilities are determined based on the need for equal housing opportunity and meeting disability-related needs, not a perceived benefit to the student.

To help ensure availability and options, students are encouraged to request housing accommodations before HRE housing assignments are made. Once housing assignments are made, requests may be subject to the availability of housing space to accommodate the identified need(s).

To request housing accommodations, use the Request for Accommodation form. University-owned and operated housing contract or assignment, through HRE, must be renewed each year, and the housing accommodations through DSP must be requested with each new contract. Students who currently have DSP-approved accommodations must renew requests for housing accommodations through the Accommodate Student Portal. Visit the Accommodation Details tab to submit an Additional Accommodation Request form. Students should upload any needed additional documentation to support their request.

Useful Information for Housing Accommodation Requests

• Many residence halls are equipped with elevators. For more information, contact the Office of Housing & Residential Education.
• Requests for single rooms based on a student's desire to have a quiet place to study are generally not approved. By virtue of the shared facilities, resources, and number of occupants in the residence halls, a single room does not provide such a quiet space to any appreciable degree beyond living in a standard room.
• Requests not supported by DSP may still be considered for support from HRE. All non-disability requests are supported at the discretion of HRE.
• Students on housing wait lists do not receive priority on the basis of disability. Once granted a housing assignment, disability-related accommodations may be requested.

Request to Break Housing Contract and/or Meal Plan Requirements

After June 30, students may only request to break the Housing Contract or Meal Plan requirement for the following reasons:

• Graduation from DU
• Official withdrawal from DU
• Significant, unanticipated change in circumstances beyond the student's control, occurring after the date on which the student executed the Contract

Students must complete and submit the Contract Breakage Form and include an explanation of, and adequate supporting documentation for, the significant unanticipated change in circumstances. The University will review the request and inform the student of the decision. Please refer to your Contract for financial responsibilities regarding contract breakage.

For more information, email HREContractRelease@du.edu.

Supporting Documentation Guidelines

• General Guidelines

  In order to establish that an individual is covered under the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and/or other applicable laws, supporting documentation should indicate that the disability substantially limits one or more major life activities. This documentation helps DU to understand the nature of the disabilities and their connection with barriers to full participation in University courses, programs, services, and/or activities, as well as the ways in which accommodations may mitigate these barriers. If you are working with a healthcare or mental healthcare professional to get new or updated documentation, it is often helpful to share the following information with your clinician.

  In general, documentation should include:

  • Credentials of the evaluator(s)
  • Diagnostic statement identifying the disability
  • Diagnostic methodology used, as appropriate to the disability
  • Description of current functional limitation(s)
  • Expected progression or stability of the condition
  • Current and past accommodations, services, and/or medications
  • Recommendations for accommodations and/or services

  For further details, see the DSP Documentation Guidelines.

• Emotional Support Animals

  In an effort to better assist students requesting emotional support animal (ESA) or assistance animals accommodation in the residence halls, the University has developed separate guidelines for ESA documentation:

  • Documentation Guidelines for Emotional Support Animals

  These guidelines are based on the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) best practices for documentation.

• COVID-19

  As things continue to stabilize, evolve, and circumstances vary widely from location to location, the Disability Services Program (DSP) has temporarily relaxed our expectations for supporting documentation in certain situations. We understand that during the pandemic many students and their families may have limited or no access to typically available resources for obtaining supporting documentation to accompany accommodation requests. As a result, we have been accepting a wider array of supporting documentation from both currently enrolled students — including those who find the change to online, hybrid, or hyflex learning presents barriers they have not previously experienced — and students who will be matriculating in the fall of 2020 through the end of the pandemic.

  For Immunocompromised and Other High-Risk Students

  Temporary adjustments may be approved by the DSP for students who are immunocompromised or otherwise determined by a licensed healthcare professional to be at a heightened risk of severe disease or complications from COVID-19. Approved temporary adjustments are provided at no extra cost to the student. Please review the latest communication from the DU COVID Coordinator for up-to-date information on this support.

  Temporary COVID-19 related adjustments may include but are not limited to:

  • Late arrival/early departure from class
  • Preferential seating
  • Housing adjustments
  • Permission to leave class unexpectedly

  Students who are at high-risk but asymptomatic and/or have tested negative for COVID-19 should first work with their academic advisor(s) to determine what course options and delivery methods are available to reduce their exposure and/or best meet their needs. Students who still wish to request further adjustments associated with being high-risk should complete the Request for COVID-19 Related Temporary Adjustments form or the Request for Accommodation form for ongoing disability accommodations. For questions about which is the right form for your circumstances, please contact the DSP for assistance.

  The DSP requires documentation from the student's clinician(s) or licensed healthcare provider(s) for approval.

  Temporary adjustments may remain in place for the duration of the pandemic emergency as determined by the city, state, and/or federal authorities.

  For Currently Enrolled Students

  The DSP may grant temporary accommodations specific to the barriers some students may experience as a result of the transition to online, hybrid, or hyflex learning during the foreseeable academic year. While the DSP will still require some form of supporting documentation, we may approve temporary accommodations based on a summary of information from a counselor, therapist, or another licensed clinician where we would typically expect to receive a more thorough evaluation or report. Student self-reports will remain critical to our understanding and ability to determine eligibility for accommodations.

  Any temporary accommodations made during this time will have an expiration date in the approval notification from DSP. If you need to request an extension of any approved temporary accommodations, please contact the DSP office at 303-871-3241 or dsp@du.edu to request an extension. Requests for extensions are not guaranteed to be approved.

  For Students Enrolling in Future Terms

  Many students enrolling in the Fall may already have supporting documentation that meets our standard DSP documentation guidelines. Students whose supporting documentation and Request for Accommodation form provides sufficient information that meets our adjusted expectations will be approved on an ongoing basis in keeping with our standard process.

  For some students enrolling in the fall or later, this means the DSP may approve temporary accommodations for the first term, so as to allow sufficient time to work with clinicians to obtain either new or updated supporting documentation that meets the DSP requirements. Temporary accommodations may remain in place for up to six (6) months.

  Any temporary accommodations made during this time will have an expiration date in the approval notification from DSP. If you need to request an extension of any approved temporary accommodations, please contact the DSP office at 303-871-3241 or dsp@du.edu to request an extension. Requests for extensions are not guaranteed to be approved.

Law Students

Your first point of contact can be either the DSP or the Sturm College of Law Student Affairs office, which serves as a liaison to DSP for law students who have disabilities. Once approved for accommodation(s) through DSP, law students will work with their Student Affairs office to coordinate the implementation of most accommodations.

What to Expect from Us

After submitting a request, you will receive a confirmation email from the DSP at your DU email address within four (4) business days. If you have not received a confirmation email by then, please email us to let us know.

Once we have received your completed request form and all required documentation, we will contact you within ten (10) business days to discuss the next steps. If you have not been contacted by a staff member within this timeframe, please email us reach out to us for additional information.