Housing and Residential Life Study Notes
Housing and Residential Life Overview
Speaker: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.
Dr. Burgstahler is the founder and director of the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center and an affiliate professor at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on promoting the use of universal design principles to ensure equitable access to education and technology for individuals with disabilities.
Content Adapted from: Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life.
This comprehensive guide provides best practices and strategies for creating inclusive residential environments, emphasizing a proactive approach to accessibility that benefits all students, not just those with disabilities.
Importance of Housing Facilities
College and university housing is vital for students’ education, particularly for those with disabilities.
On-campus housing offers more than just a place to sleep; it integrates students into the campus community, fosters independence, and provides convenient access to academic support, social events, and campus services that are crucial for overall student success and retention.
Living on campus helps access academic programs and campus activities.
Proximity to classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and student organizations reduces transportation barriers and facilitates engagement in extracurricular opportunities, study groups, and faculty interactions. For students with disabilities, this minimizes commute challenges and maximizes their ability to participate fully in college life.
This resource aids housing staff by addressing disability access issues.
It provides practical guidance, legal context, and best practices to help housing professionals create and maintain accessible living environments and services, ensuring compliance and fostering an inclusive community.
Legal Framework
Key Legislation
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973:
Prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally funded programs and activities. This means that any college or university receiving federal financial assistance must provide equal access to its housing programs for students with disabilities, including reasonable accommodations.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990:
Ensures no qualified person with a disability is excluded from programs or activities due to their disability. The ADA extends Section 504's reach to both public and private entities, requiring accessible facilities, programs, and services in higher education residential life. This includes ensuring effective communication and making reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures.
Fair Housing Act:
Ensures accessibility in housing programs. This act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. It requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services and to allow reasonable structural modifications necessary for an individual with a disability to use and enjoy the dwelling.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):
Protects the privacy of student education records. Housing staff must understand FERPA when handling disability documentation and communicating about student accommodations, ensuring that sensitive information is kept confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis with appropriate consent.
Compliance and Guidance
College housing must be accessible to qualified nondisabled students.
This principle implies that residential facilities must offer an equitable living experience for students with disabilities, meaning they must have access to the same range of housing options, communal spaces, and services as their nondisabled peers, often through reasonable accommodations or accessible design.
For legal advice, contact campus legal counsel or ADA/504 compliance officer.
These individuals are the primary resources for interpreting complex regulations, making decisions regarding reasonable accommodations, and ensuring institutional compliance with federal and state disability laws.
Engage with the regional Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for clarity on legal obligations.
The OCR investigates complaints of discrimination and provides technical assistance and guidance on federal civil rights laws, including Section 504 and the ADA, ensuring institutions understand and meet their obligations.
Facilities and Programs for Accessibility
Housing Types and Services
Facilities that must adopt accessibility policies include:
Single undergraduate residence halls and apartments.
This includes living units, common areas such as lounges, study rooms, laundry facilities, and social spaces.
Graduate and family housing.
Policies must address the needs of graduate students and families, which may include larger units or specific family-oriented amenities.
Academic theme or special interest houses.
These unique living-learning communities must also be accessible, ensuring students with disabilities can participate in specialized programs.
Off-campus housing referral services (including disability access information).
Universities often provide lists or databases of off-campus housing. These services must provide accurate accessibility information about listed properties (e.g., if units are wheelchair accessible, have roll-in showers, etc.) to help students with disabilities find suitable housing.
Cafeterias, meeting rooms, recreational facilities, restrooms, and computer labs.
These ancillary services within or associated with housing must also meet accessibility standards, including accessible routes, entrances, usable space, and appropriate hardware (e.g., accessible workstations, grab bars in restrooms).
Childcare facilities and transportation services.
If provided or significantly affiliated with residential life, these services must also be accessible to residents, including those with disabilities and their families.
Housing leased from off-campus landlords must include accessibility provisions.
When institutions lease properties for student housing, they are responsible for ensuring these properties meet accessibility standards and provide necessary accommodations, often requiring specific contractual clauses with landlords.
Individuals to Consider for Access
Access is needed not only for students but also for:
Spouses, partners, children, or family members with disabilities.
For example, a student living in family housing with a child who uses a wheelchair, or a married student whose spouse has a visual impairment.
Friends with disabilities visiting students.
Ensuring common areas, guest rooms, and event spaces are accessible allows students to host friends, promoting social inclusion.
Prospective students and their families touring the campus.
When visiting campus for orientation or tours, both the prospective student and their family members (who may have disabilities) should experience accessible housing options and facilities.
Participants in programs or events using campus housing.
This includes conference attendees, summer camp participants, or guests attending university-sponsored functions housed in residential facilities.
Coordination with Disabled Student Services
Collaboration between housing and disability services is crucial for addressing disability-related housing concerns.
This partnership ensures a consistent, informed, and compliant approach to student support, leveraging the expertise of both departments to provide effective accommodations.
Development of housing accommodation policies and procedures is recommended.
Clear, written policies should outline the process for requesting accommodations (e.g., accessible rooms, modifications for service animals, emotional support animals, personal care assistant access, specific furniture needs), documentation requirements, review timelines, and appeal procedures.
Consider forming a joint housing and disability committee for reviewing requests.
A committee with representatives from housing, disability services, legal counsel, and potentially students with disabilities can collectively review complex accommodation requests, ensuring equitable and legally sound decisions.
Staff should respect confidentiality regarding students’ disabilities.
Housing staff must be trained on FERPA and other privacy laws, understanding that disability information is highly sensitive and should only be shared with those who have a legitimate educational need-to-know, and only with appropriate consent from the student.
Documentation Requirements
Importance of adequate and timely documentation of disabilities.
Proper documentation helps housing and disability services staff understand the nature of a student's disability and how it relates to their housing needs, enabling them to provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations while preventing fraudulent requests.
Rise in nonvisible disabilities, such as learning disabilities and ADHD.
Housing staff need to be aware that many disabilities are not immediately apparent. Accommodations for nonvisible disabilities might include single rooms to manage sensory overload, specific room locations to minimize distractions, or adjustments to policies for assistance animals for mental health conditions.
Staff training on accommodating diverse disabilities in housing.
Training should cover a wide range of disabilities (physical, sensory, cognitive, psychological), common accommodation requests, effective communication strategies, and an understanding of the impact these disabilities can have on a student's living environment.
Planning, Policies, and Evaluation for Accessibility
Ensure inclusivity in housing by considering:
Representation of diverse groups in housing committees.
Including individuals with disabilities, disability advocates, and experts in universal design on planning committees ensures that a broad range of perspectives and needs are considered from the outset.
Accessibility in procurement and evaluation processes.
When purchasing new furniture, equipment, or technology for residential spaces, accessibility should be a key criterion. Building designs and renovations should be evaluated by accessibility experts during all phases.
Individual review processes for accommodation requests.
Each accommodation request must be considered on a case-by-case basis through an interactive process with the student, focusing on their individual needs and the essential requirements of the housing program.
Policies should address:
Personal care assistants’ needs.
Policies should cover issues such as background checks for PCAs, access to facilities, and defining the roles and responsibilities of PCAs within the residential community.
Service animals’ arrangements.
Clear policies must differentiate between service animals (trained to perform specific tasks) and emotional support animals, outlining registration processes, appropriate conduct, and areas where they are permitted.
Food modifications and meal plan flexibility.
Accommodating severe allergies, dietary restrictions (e.g., Celiac disease, diabetes), or specialized feeding needs (e.g., tube feeding) through flexible meal plans, accessible kitchen facilities, or provision of specialized food preparation services.
Physical Environment Accessibility Standards
Regulatory Compliance
Compliance with state and federal regulations is mandatory for new housing projects.
This includes adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements, and relevant state and local building codes. These standards dictate features such as minimum clear widths for doorways, accessible routes, and requirements for bathrooms and kitchens.
Institutions may opt to exceed requirements for better access, e.g., larger bathrooms and kitchens.
Going beyond minimum legal standards demonstrates a commitment to universal design, creating spaces that are more usable and welcoming for a wider range of individuals and anticipating future needs, potentially reducing the need for costly retrofits later.
Important Features to Implement
Ensure wheelchair accessibility in:
Parking areas, pathways, and entrances.
This includes designated accessible parking spaces, curb cuts, adequately wide and smooth pathways, and automatic door openers at main entrances.
All facility levels via accessible routes.
This implies ramps with appropriate slopes ( maximum), or elevators that serve all floors of a building, ensuring continuous accessible paths of travel.
Restrooms and service counters.
Restrooms need grab bars, accessible stalls, lever handles, and clear floor space. Service counters (e.g., front desk, package pickup) should have a lowered section for wheelchair users.
Elevators with visual and auditory signals, and controls accessible from a seated position.
Visual floor indicators, audible announcements, Braille and raised character buttons, and control panels mounted within reachable range ( inches from the floor) are essential.
Wide aisles, adequate lighting, and unobstructed pathways.
Clear circulation paths (minimum inches wide) are necessary in common areas, combined with good, glare-free illumination to assist individuals with visual impairments.
TTY/TDD services available for deaf individuals.
These telecommunication devices for the deaf should be available at main housing offices, emergency points, and possibly in common areas for residents to make calls.
Staff Training and Preparedness
Training for housing staff on disability communication and accommodation procedures.
Training should cover person-first language, active listening skills, recognizing potential accommodation needs, understanding the interactive process, and responding appropriately to crises involving students with disabilities.
Staff should be knowledgeable about campus resources for students with disabilities and accessible travel routes.
This includes knowing the location and services of the disability services office, campus health center, counseling services, and being able to direct students to accessible paths of travel, accessible transportation options, and emergency assembly points.
Webmasters and programming staff should prioritize accessible web design.
Ensuring that housing websites, online applications, event registration forms, and digital communication platforms follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, including features like alt-text for images, keyboard navigation, and clear semantic structure.
Accessible Information and Technology
Design and Resources
Ensure accessible design in residential life computer systems.
This includes online housing applications, room selection portals, payment systems, and communication platforms used by residential life, making them usable with assistive technologies like screen readers or voice control software.
Provide captioned and audio-described materials for visually and hearing impaired individuals.
Orientation videos, emergency broadcasts, and educational content shared within residential life should include captions for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals and audio descriptions for visually impaired individuals.
Encourage accessibility inquiries when purchasing technology.
When procuring new software, hardware, or digital content for residential life, staff should ask vendors for Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) to assess compliance with Section 508 standards and other accessibility guidelines.
Include accessibility and accommodation statements in housing publications.
All printed and digital housing materials (brochures, handbooks, websites) should contain a clear statement inviting individuals to request accommodations and providing contact information for the disability services office.
Compliance Standards
Follow the Section 508 Standards and W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for electronic resources.
Section 508 applies to federal agencies but serves as a benchmark for accessible information technology. WCAG (specifically or AA level) provides international guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with a wider range of disabilities.
Ensure printed materials are available in alternate formats.
This includes providing large print, Braille, audio formats, or accessible PDF versions upon request for important documents like housing contracts, policy manuals, or emergency procedures.
Emergency Evacuation Considerations
Collaborate with emergency services for effective policies regarding evacuations for students with disabilities.
Partner with campus police, local fire departments, and emergency management teams to develop and regularly review individualized evacuation plans (IEPs) or emergency preparedness plans. This includes identifying safe refuge areas and ensuring trained personnel are available to assist.
Maintain a list of students who may require assistance during emergencies.
This confidential list, created with student consent, should detail the type of assistance needed (e.g., mobility assistance, visual/auditory cues) and their location, to facilitate efficient and safe evacuation.
Share evacuation responsibilities and procedures with students during training.
Students with disabilities should be fully informed about emergency procedures, their role in personal preparedness, the role of designated responders, and how to utilize emergency communication systems. Regular drills and informational sessions are crucial.
Hosting Events
Ensure events are held in wheelchair-accessible venues.
This means selecting locations with accessible entrances, restrooms, clear pathways, and adequate space for mobility aids. Consider providing accessible seating options (e.g., space for wheelchairs, chairs without fixed arms).
Provide accessible information and transportation options.
Event announcements should be available in alternative formats (e.g., large print, accessible digital files). If transportation is provided, it must be accessible (e.g., wheelchair-lift equipped vans or buses).
Invite accommodations requests in all event promotions.
Include a clear statement on all invitations, flyers, and registration forms (e.g., "Please contact [Name/Office] at [Phone/Email] by [Date] to request disability accommodations") to allow sufficient time for arrangements.
Resources for Further Information
Selected References
Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life: Primary document for comprehensive guidelines on creating inclusive housing environments, covering everything from facility design to policy development.
Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology: Provides technical requirements for federal electronic and information technology to be accessible to people with disabilities, a useful benchmark for university IT.
U.S. Department of Justice, ADA Standards for Accessible Design: Detailed technical specifications for accessible features in newly constructed and altered facilities, essential for architects and builders.
Disability Compliance for Higher Education Newsletter: A monthly publication offering timely updates on legal rulings, regulatory changes, and best practices concerning disability access in colleges and universities.
The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD): A professional organization providing resources, training, and a community for professionals working in disability services in higher education, offering insights into emerging trends and challenges.
Additional Tools for Communication
Listservs for residence life professionals to discuss or seek advice on accessible housing issues.
These online forums allow professionals to share challenges, solutions, and best practices, fostering a collaborative approach to accessibility.
Example policies from various universities regarding disability accommodations.
Reviewing existing policies from peer institutions can provide valuable templates and insights for developing or refining an institution's own accommodation procedures.
Recommendations for Ongoing Development
Consultation for updates on accessibility standards and provisions.
Regularly engage with accessibility consultants, legal counsel, and disability advocacy groups to stay current with evolving legal requirements, technological advancements, and best practices in universal design.
Continuous training for staff and periodic evaluation of existing policies and their impacts.
Implement ongoing professional development for all housing staff to reinforce accessibility principles. Conduct regular audits of physical spaces, digital resources, and policies to identify areas for improvement and ensure effective service delivery.