Policies and Procedures

Housing Accommodations for Students with Documented Medical Needs and Disabilities

Undergraduates with a documented temporary or long-term medical disability or medical condition requiring accommodation may request housing accommodations to meet their medical needs. The Medical Director of Tufts University Health Service will assess the nature and severity of the illness or disability and present the request to the University's Health Accommodation and Medical Leave Committee, which will recommend appropriate housing accommodations. Accommodations are granted only when the following conditions are met:

1. The student provides adequate documentation by a qualified clinician, indicating a disability or illness requiring accommodation
2. The Medical Director reviews the documentation and corroborates the medical necessity for an accommodation
3. The proposed accommodations are necessary and reasonable

Possible accommodations might include a special room assignment (e.g., first floor), permission to install air conditioning, or in very rare instances, a single room.

Requests for housing accommodations should be made as early as possible to ensure adequate time to process the request. For entering students, the application deadline is June 15.

On-campus housing is extremely limited at Tufts. For this reason, a single room assignment is only granted to students for whom no other accommodation is deemed reasonable, and only when available. A medical condition alone does not qualify a student for a single room assignment. Examples of conditions that ordinarily do not warrant a single room assignment include:

• asthma
• allergies
• learning disorders
• ADHD
• insomnia and sleep problems
• orthopedic problems
• depression

Some of these conditions may be accommodated in other ways, for example:

• Asthma and allergies: A student with environmental allergies may be given permission to install an air conditioner, or may be paired with or find a roommate who also follows good environmental controls.
• Learning Disorders and ADHD: Students should contact the Academic Resource Center (ARC) for information about educational services available to them, including quiet study areas and other academic supports.
• Insomnia or Sleep Problems: A student may be paired with or find a roommate who will be understanding and respectful of their sleep needs.
• Orthopedic problem of the knee or ankle: The student may be given a first floor room assignment or assignment to a residence hall with an elevator.

Students who are concerned about their living situation are encouraged to be pro-active in identifying a compatible roommate through the use of the first year "Connection" web site for admitted students and other social networking sites.

Procedure:

A student seeking special housing accommodations for a medical reason should use the following procedure:

1. Obtain and complete the "Request for Housing Accommodations" form. This form can be downloaded or obtained at the Office of Residential Life and Learning in South Hall. Students already on campus may contact the Office of Residential Life and Learning if they require assistance in completing the form.
    
2. The completed request should be returned to the Office of Residential Life and Learning. You may mail in the completed form, or fax it to us at 617-627-3929 (the fax is available 24 hours a day). Due date is June 15^th.
    
3. Additionally, the student will need to obtain specific supporting documentation from his/her own treating health care provider. The physician should complete the "Physician Documentation" form. We do not accept documentation from physician parents, and we do not accept a simple statement that a specific request is medically necessary. We require specific and detailed functional information to assess each request.
    
4. The supporting documentation should be sent directly to the Medical Director of Health Services, along with a copy of the "Request for Housing Accommodations Form" that the student has filled out.
   
   Medical Director
   Tufts University Health Service
   124 Professors Row
   Medford, MA 02155
   Fax 617-627-3592, Telephone 617-627-3350
    
5. Depending on the case and the documentation presented, an evaluation by the Medical Director, the mental health staff of the Health Service and/or the Counseling Center at Tufts University, or the Disability Coordinator may be necessary. A simple request from a private physician may be insufficient to authorize accommodations.
    
6. Upon receipt of this information the following will happen:
 
1. The Medical Director of Health Service will review and forward the application to an appropriate evaluating clinician or professional staff member at the university. Depending on the situation, this might be the Disability Coordinator, one of the University's psychologists or psychiatrists, or it might be the Medical Director.
2. You may be contacted to set up an appointment to meet with the evaluating university clinician on campus. If an on-campus visit is not feasible, a discussion via telephone can be arranged.
3. The evaluating clinician will make a clinical assessment of the required accommodation. In arriving at a decision, the clinician may consult with the student's provider and/or the Disability Coordinator.
4. A housing accommodation will be granted only when it is deemed that the student has a bona fide disability or medical condition that requires a housing accommodation, and that the accommodation is necessary and reasonable.
    
7. The evaluating clinician or professional staff member will present the student's request to the University's Health Accommodation and Medical Leave Committee for a decision.
    
8. Upon receipt of the recommendation from the Health Accommodation and Medical Leave Committee, the Office of Residential Life and Learning will make the specific room assignment. This assignment is based not only on these recommendations, but also upon the availability of space in the residence halls.
    
9. The Office of Residential Life and Learning Office will notify you in writing or by telephone.