Housing Accommodations

Housing Accommodations at Wilson College

Wilson College is dedicated to ensuring all students have equal access to campus life, including housing. If you have a medical or psychological disability (temporary or permanent) you may qualify for reasonable housing accommodation.

Who Qualifies?

To be eligible, students must meet the criteria outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973), the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), and the ADA Amendments Act (2008) and the Fair Housing Act.

What You Need to Know

• Accommodations are need-based. Requests for specific room types, locations, or quiet spaces for studying based on a student’s preference, rather than need, are not considered under housing accommodation requests.
• Single rooms are limited and only granted for accommodation needs. Each request is carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Emotional Support Animal requests are only granted with supporting documentation from a mental health provider and there are some restrictions on the kind of animals that can be approved for the residence hall.  Please see the Emotional Support Animal policy for more information
• Service Animal requests are for notification purposes so that appropriate arrangements regarding placement, roommates, etc. can be made. Please see the Service Animal Policy for further details.
• Decisions are made by the Residential Accommodation Committee, which includes representatives from the Accessibility Services Office, Residence Life and other offices as relevent

How the Process Works

1. Student Submits both a Housing Accommodation Request Form and a Disability Verification Form completed by their healthcare provider.  The provider completing the Disability Verification form should be the specialist in the area of diagnosis (i.e. ESA requests need to be completed by a licensed mental health provider with whom the student is already established)
2. Meet with the Accessibility Services Coordinator for an intake appointment to discuss your needs.
3. The Residential Accommodation Committee reviews requests. Wilson College does not grant accommodations based solely on the recommendations of care providers.  The determination is made based on all information relevant to the documented functional limitations in relation to the residential program.
4. Decisions are communicated to students. If more documentation or adjustments are needed the student will be informed and provided with appropriate deadlines.
5. Annual renewal is required for all accommodations.

Important Details

• Deadlines matter! Submit requests on time to ensure accommodations can be arranged for the upcoming semester.
• If you need accommodations after moving in, notify the Accessibility Services Coordinator ASAP. Late requests cannot be guaranteed for current semester. 
• Residence halls are social spaces. Rooms are not guaranteed to be quiet study areas, students should use campus resources like the library for quiet study environments.
• Requests involving multiple disabilities may require documentation from more than one professional. The Accessibility Coordinator will communicate if additional documentation for other healthcare providers is needed. 
• Roommate preferences may be impacted. The Residence Life Director will work to find the best possible placement, but students may need to prioritize accessibility needs over roommate preferences.

Submitting Your Request

If not uploaded with the Accommodation Request Form, the Disability Verification Form may be submitted by:

• Hand delivery: Office 205, Academic Support Center, 2nd floor, John Stewart Memorial Library
• Email: asctc@wilson.edu
• Fax: (717) 262-4845
• Mail: Accessibility Services Coordinator, Academic Support Center, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, PA 17201

If your verification form doesn’t have enough information, you’ll be notified in writing and given 10 business days to provide additional details.

Deadlines

• Returning Students (Fall requests): March 20
• Returning Students (Spring requests): November 20
• Incoming Students (Fall start): July 1
• Incoming Students (Spring start): January 2