Disability-Related Housing Accomodations
Continuing Students
Barnard students with diagnosed disabilities who may need some form of housing consideration (accessible housing, access to a private bath, single room assignment, etc.) must contact Susan Quinby, Director of Disability Services, in 105 Hewitt (squinby@barnard.edu or 212-854-4634) and complete a Disability-Related Housing Request (DRHR). The procedure includes a written statement describing the disability and related needs; an in-person interview with Susan Quinby; and the submission of a clinician's statement certifying the disability using the ODS Disability Documentation Guidelines.
Note: Students who have received accommodations in the past must re-apply each year to be reconsidered.
All DRHRs for continuing students for the 2010-2011 school year (including the submission of a clinician's statement and completion of the in-person interview) must be completed & submitted to the Office of Disability Services no later than 4pm on Friday, February 12, 2010. Requests will be reviewed by the Disability-Related Housing Committee and decisions will be communicated to students no later than 5pm on Monday, February 22. If you are granted a disability-related housing assignment, you will not need to register for the Room Selection process.
Students going through the readmission process should submit their request for disability-related housing accomodations (in additional to a Housing Application) no later than July 1 for the Fall and December 1 for the Spring semesters. Students who are returning from a Study Leave in the Fall should submit their request (in additional to a Housing Application) no later than December 1 for the Spring semester.
- How does ODS define "disability"?
- Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a disability is defined as "any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." Please remember that one of the key words here is “substantial.” If you are unsure whether your particular illness or impairment qualifies as a disability, please contact ODS directly, well in advance of the deadline.
- Must I be registered with ODS to apply for disability-related housing?
- Yes. If you have not previously registered with ODS, you must do so when you apply for disability-related housing. All disabled students requesting disability-related housing consideration must follow the three-step procedure outlined above. ODS often finds that when students come in to discuss their disability-related housing concerns that there may be other types of needs (especially for students with chronic illnesses) for which ODS registration might be helpful in the future.
- What are my housing options if I apply for disability-related housing? Are there specific rooms that are set aside? Or do I have the full range of housing options available through the regular Room Selection process?
- The Disability-Related Housing Concerns Committee reviews requests for disability-related housing consideration on a case-by-case basis. Accessibility information may be found on each residence hall's webpage at http://barnard.edu/reslife/residencehalls/. Room assignments are made based on individual student needs and room availability. There are room in Hewit reserved for ODS students, which have with individual in-room sinks and an adjoining private bath with roll-in shower); and rooms in Sulzberger Tower with access to a shared wheelchair accessible bathroom.
Do I need to go through the regular lottery if I am applying for disability-related housing?- The deadline for Disability-Related Housing Requests (February 12, 2010) is in advance of the dates for Room Selection registration online (March 3-10, 2010). If a student is not granted her disability-related housing request (or if she chooses not to accept the room offered), she may register for Room Selection and choose a room at her assigned appointment time.
- I have a disability and I also want to go in a suite-style residence hall. How does that work?
- In general, students with disabilities should register for and go through Room Selection in order to attempt to select a suite as part of a group, carefully researching any access issues re: their disability-related needs. On a case-by-case basis and depending on need and room availability, students may be granted an assignment to a room within a suite-style space and be permitted one “pull-in” space for a friend if the request to be in a suite-style space is disability-related.
- I have a respiratory disability and need air-conditioning. What are my options?
- Central air conditioning is available in Sulzberger Tower, Elliott, Plimpton, and Cathedral Gardens only and is primarily a summer housing feature. Please note that air-conditioning in these locations is usually turned off in early September and is not turned on again until late May.
If you have any questions, please contact Susan Quinby, Director of Disability Services, in 105 Hewitt (squinby@barnard.edu or 212-854-4634).
