Campus and Housing Accessibility

Our role in student housing is to verify the need and determine reasonable accommodations for a disability to provide access to a campus residential environment. Housing assignments are determined by Residential Life & Housing as part of a collaborative process with our office. We cannot guarantee assignment to a specific room or residence hall and accommodations are not contigent on other students. Please know that reasonable accommodations are sought for students within the context of the three year on campus residential policy. We do not approve off-campus requests as an accommodation for a disability.

To ensure that approved accommodations can be fulfilled, the accommodation process needs to be completed by February 1 for returning students and June 1 for incoming and transfer students. Accommodations approved after these dates are fulfilled as space becomes available. 

Requesting on-campus housing accommodation(s) for a disability includes:  

• If you have never worked with DAR before, submit a Request for Access.
• If you have previously been approved for housing accommodations, please sign into Accommodate with your 1Hope User ID and password and submit a semester request (for Fall and Spring semesters) for the housing accommodations you will be requesting for the following academic year. 
• Face-t0-face meetings with DAR staff are required for all new requests. If you are a returning student requesting the same accommodations, a meeting may not be necessary. We will contact you with next steps.  
• For incoming freshman, we will contact you to review your request by email and/or Google Meet. 
• If needed, you will be asked to submit documentation supporting the request for housing accommodations. All documentation will be considered confidential.

ARCHITECTURAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Architectural accommodations are for students who may require physical change(s) to a residence hall, cottage or apartment. Architectural accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

• Visual fire alarms
• Grab bars
• Shower benches

ASSIGNMENT ACCOMMODATIONS

Requests for accommodation involving assignment to a specific room (e.g., single room) or hall type (but not requiring a physical change to a room) must be made through the process outlined here. Roommate assignments for ADA accessible rooms will be made under the established roommate assignment procedures. Students are assigned to spaces on campus that will fulfill the approved accommodations. 

SERVICE OR ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Animals permitted in indoor spaces on campus are needed for a disability. These animals are either service or assistance animals, as defined in the Hope College Animal Policy.