Requesting Reasonable Housing Accommodations
In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local disability laws, RIC will make every effort to provide reasonable housing accommodations for students who have a qualifying physical or psychological disability. Only applications that represent a qualifying disability will be considered for housing accommodations. If it is determined that your application does not reflect a disabling condition that requires a reasonable housing accommodation, you will be referred back to the Office of Residential Life & Housing for your housing assignment.
Housing assignments are made based on availability. It is the student’s responsibility to submit their housing deposit and complete all paperwork required by the Office of Residential Life & Housing in accordance with all applicable deadlines. When requesting a reasonable housing accommodation, applicants are expected to have already applied for RIC Housing and have met all eligibility requirements and payment deadlines. Please pay close attention to the deadlines indicated by the Office of Residential Life & Housing, as well as the deadlines for submitting reasonable housing accommodation applications.
All accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis according to documented need and prevailing standards for reasonable accommodations. The Center for Disability Access reviews applications and approvals are sent to the Office of Residential Life & Housing, which then offers assignments based on availability.
In accordance with state and federal law, it is the policy of Rhode Island College that “no otherwise qualified person with a disability…shall, solely by reason of …disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.” The Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, defines the term “disability” to mean a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more Major Life Activities.
Major Life Activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. A Major Life Activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
Your Request for Reasonable Housing Accommodations Application, along with supporting documentation from your healthcare provider will be reviewed by the Center for Disability Access. There may be instances where our office may need to consult with other departments on campus (ex. The Office of Residential Life & Housing, Facilities) during the review process to determine viable methods of accommodation.
You will be notified of the decision via email from the Center for Disability Access. The correspondence will include a decision regarding your eligibility for each housing accommodation requested. The Office of Residential Life & Housing will notify you of your housing assignment according to the notification schedule detailed on their website. You must call the Office of Residential Life & Housing at 401-456-8240 with all inquiries related to features or specifications of the housing assignment that is offered to you. The Center for Disability Access is unable to provide specific information regarding buildings and rooms managed by the Office of Residential Life & Housing. If you have any questions about the process for requesting reasonable housing accommodations, please call the Center for Disability Access at 401-456-2776.
Rhode Island College requires documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that describes the student’s disability and supports the request for a reasonable housing accommodation. The licensed healthcare provider must submit documentation that meets the Center for Disability Access documentation guidelines.
- Low Occupancy Rooms: Double room suites
- Single Rooms: A private sleeping area within a shared suite. All upperclassmen at RIC are automatically eligible for a single room. A request for a single room for a freshman must clearly demonstrate how sharing a sleeping area adversely impacts your ability to live and perform successfully at RIC. The request should include an explanation of how typical roommate adjustments (such as using headphones, using a sleeping mask, or negotiating shared use of a space) would not resolve the concern.
- Proximity to Restroom: If closer proximity to a restroom or semi-private restroom is a critical accommodation for a student with a qualified disability, this must be reflected in the submitted documentation. There are no fully private restrooms in RIC residence halls.
- Physical Modifications: Students who may require physical modification in their living space must indicate their specific needs. Examples of modifications may include a ground level room, wheelchair accessibility, and modifications for students with hearing or visual impairments.
- Furniture: RIC provides student furniture which meets certain space and fire safety requirements. A student with a qualified disability who wishes to bring non-RIC furnishings related to his/her special need must submit a formal request.
- Air Conditioned Room: Some residence halls do not have air-conditioning. If air conditioning is a critical accommodation for a student with a qualified disability, this must be reflected in the submitted documentation.
- When students first enroll at RIC, they are encouraged to submit
- Housing preferences to Residential Life & Housing
- Housing disabilities accommodation needs to the Center for Disability Access
- A housing preference reflects what the student would like to have and what is likely to improve their living space experience even if they have a disability.
- If a student has a housing preference, they should focus their request with Residential Life & Housing.
- A housing need reflects the necessity for the CDA to remove or reduce the impact of a barrier caused by a disability. That barrier prevents the student from engaging in a living space in the same way as a person who does not have a disability. For example, if a student can’t use a standard bathroom shower because they are a wheelchair user, then that shower’s configuration represents a barrier to their being able to wash.
Students should provide completed applications, including all required documentation by the deadlines indicated below:
Returning Students
Please follow the appropriate process, based on whether you have previously received housing accommodations at RIC or not.
Already Eligible and Need to Renew
If you are already eligible for housing accommodations your eligibility will roll over to future semesters, unless you contact the CDA to request changes.
Any eligibility change requests must be received by March 15th for full consideration.
Requesting Accommodations for the First Time
If you need to request housing accommodations for the first time, please follow the Center for Disability Access Request Accommodations process. If you are already registered with the Center for Disability Access, but still need to request housing accommodations for the first time, you can simply login to AIM and submit a New Accommodation Request on the online portal. Priority consideration will be given to completed applications received by March 15th for full consideration.
Please note: Please note: Requests must be received by June 1st for full consideration.
New Students
To request disability-related housing accommodations, follow the Center for Disability Access Request Accommodations process. Documentation to verify the presence of non-observable disabilities and to establish the need for disability-related accommodations is required. Priority consideration will be given to completed applications received by June 1.
Please note: Requests received after June 1 may be limited by available inventory.
