Residence Life and Housing is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to on-campus living. In accordance with the Fair Housing Act: Fair Housing Act, a reasonable accommodation is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service that is necessary to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.
Applying for Accommodations at Otis College
All students seeking housing accommodations are required to complete the three step accommodation process listed below:
- Apply for Housing Accommodations Students must complete and submit the Disability Services Accommodation Application using the following link: Disability Services Accommodation Application
- Upload Documentation Documentation supporting the housing accommodation request must be uploaded as part of the application. This documentation should clearly verify the nature of the student’s disability and specifically address the need for housing accommodations.
- Schedule an Intake Meeting After submitting a complete application and documentation, students must schedule an intake meeting with Disability Services using the following link: Schedule a meeting
Please note: Housing accommodation requests are reviewed by a committee, and students will typically receive a decision approximately one week after their intake meeting. Due to limited availability, single rooms and ADA-compliant rooms are prioritized for returning residents and those with the most significant documented medical needs. The threshold for approving housing accommodations at Otis College is high; students must demonstrate clear medical necessity. Having a documented disability does not guarantee approval of a housing accommodation.
Renewing Housing Accommodations at Otis
If you have previously been approved for housing accommodations through our office and would like to renew your accommodations for the upcoming academic year (or semester for extension students), please click on the link below and complete the Disability Services Accommodation Renewal Form. If you are a new student and have not yet worked with our office, please submit a new Disability Services Accommodation Application instead. Please note that in some cases, updated documentation may be required to support the housing accommodation renewal request.
Types of Housing Accommodations
Residents with proper documentation through Disability Services may be permitted to have one service animal or support animal in their suite or apartment. Pets are not permitted in housing and Service/Support Animals may not reside in housing without prior written approval. There is only one animal allowed per student with appropriate documentation.
The following important information can be found in The Student Handbook in regards to Service/Support Animals:
- Procedures for Approval (including specific documentation requirements)
- Responsibilities of the Owner
- Areas Off Limits to Service and Support Animals
- Removal of Support Animal
- Frequently Asked Questions
Residents with proper documentation through Disability Services may be eligible for a medical single room in the Residence Hall. Medical singles are not available at any other housing location. There is a limited number of single rooms for medical accommodations and is based on medical need.
If you are approved to live in a medical single you will have a private bedroom and no direct roommate. Some medical singles are within a suite and you may have suitemates, but no direct roommate. If medical singles are not available we do our best to assign you to a bedroom with only one direct roommate and no suitemates
Residents with proper documentation through Disability Services may be eligible for an ADA compliant room in the Residence Hall. ADA Compliant rooms are not available at any other housing location. There is a limited number of ADA compliant rooms for medical accommodations. Please be specific on your Disability Services application when describing your ADA needs.
Prior to requesting a meal plan accommodation through Disability Services students are required to meet with Bon Appetit’s General Manager to discuss specific dietary needs. If Bon Appetit cannot reasonably accommodate your medical needs then students will need to submit proper documentation through Disability Services to be eligible for a meal plan accommodation.
To set up a meeting with the General Manager, contact:
- Daniel Bustamante | Daniel.Bustamante@cafebonappetit.com
- Or visit the Bon Appetit website
How to Request a Housing Accommodation
Use the steps below to submit a Disability Services application on the Owl Care Portal:
- Step 1 - Gather appropriate documentation
-
Read the Guidelines for Documentation for general information
-
For Service and Support documentation details, read The Student Handbook section titled, “SERVICE/SUPPORT ANIMALS IN THE RESIDENCE HALL/AFFILIATED-HOUSING”
-
- Step 2 - Open the Owl Care Portal to access the application
- Owl Care is located on your student dashboard.
- Step 3 - Click Application under the Accommodations Tab
- Step 4 - Complete the Disability Services application and upload documentation
- Be sure to thoroughly complete the application and be specific on the type of accommodation you are seeking
- Service Animals is a menu item to select, but all other housing accommodations must be added under the “Other Requested Accommodations” box
- Here are several examples of accommodation requests to include:
- Emotional Support Animals
- Single Room
- ADA Room
- Meal Plan
- Step 5 - Contact Disability Services to set up a meeting
- Directly after you submit the application be sure to email or call Disability Services to set up a meeting. To clarify, there is no notification to complete this step and it is your responsibility to set up an appointment to complete the application process.
- Michelle Obergfoll: ds@otis.edu