Navigating the housing selection process involves an additional layer for students with disabilities who need specific adjustments for their living environments. Colgate is committed to providing reasonable and appropriate housing adjustments to students with disabilities who require accessible housing. Here are answers to common questions.
What is a reasonable accommodation or reasonable modification?
According to the U.S. Fair Housing Act, a reasonable accommodation/adjustment is a change or exception to a rule, policy, procedure, or service needed to ensure an individual with a disability will have equal access to, and full enjoyment of, their residential space. Examples include, but are not limited to: structural changes such as the installation of a ramp or handrail, ground floor access due to mobility concerns, or waiving the University’s “No Pet” policy to ensure a student’s service animal can assist with their various needs.
How should a student make a reasonable accommodation/adjustment request for housing?
For consistency, transparency, and compliance with Federal regulations, Colgate maintains a specific housing selection process for students with disabilities. The process is intended to be a fair and effective means to address housing needs that cannot be met readily through the general room selection process. It begins with identifying the student’s essential needs and then determining a housing placement that addresses those particular needs.
- Accessible Housing Application: Students will apply for specialty housing by completing the application through Accommodate, the Office of Student Disability Services portal. Please note that this will be a change for those who previously accessed the application through the Residential Life housing portal.
- Supportive medical documentation is required; applications submitted without documentation will not be reviewed.
- Detailed Guidance is provided in the Requesting Accessible Campus Housing Information Guide.
- Application Schedule: For the 2026–27 academic year, the application process will open on Dec. 22, 2025. Complete applications are due early February 2026. Students will receive correspondence via email and Accommodate reminding them when and how to apply for housing adjustments.
- Notification: Complete applications will be reviewed by the Office of Student Disability Services within four weeks of receipt. Students will receive electronic correspondence notifying them of their “approved” or “unapproved” status; the Office of Residential Life receives a copy of this correspondence.
- Annual Application: Students are required to reapply for specialty housing each year; they will receive electronic correspondence with reminders to reapply with specific deadlines and helpful resources.
What is the Service and Assistance Animal Policy for Students with Disabilities?
Colgate University recognizes the need for students with disabilities to use trained service animals and assistance animals. Students who require the use of a service or assistance animal must contact the Office of Student Disability Services, most preferably before the beginning of the upcoming semester because these requests can take 30 to 45 days to process.
- A service animal is defined as an animal specifically trained to perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with a disabling condition. This includes, but is not limited to, guiding individuals with low vision, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching items out of one’s reach.
- An assistance animal — which must be specifically designated by one’s medical provider or clinician — affords the individual with a disability access to one or more major life activities. Assistance animals are often called “emotional support animals” and, unlike service animals, are not specifically trained to perform work or tasks.
What happens if my student needs a new housing accommodation/adjustment after the deadline has passed for the Accessible Housing Application?
During the housing selection process, students with disabilities are housed first to ensure they are housed medically appropriately and safely. Once this process has ended, we then transition to the general housing selection process to make certain our entire student population is housed safely and comfortably. If a student seeks specialty housing after this process has occurred, we cannot guarantee these accommodations /adjustments will be available. That said, please know the University will work with the resources available to ensure the student is housed safely and comfortably.
If my student is having difficulty with their roommate, is applying for a single occupancy room through the Office of Student Disability Services an option?
Experiencing conflict with a roommate is undoubtedly a difficult situation for a college student; however, the Office of Student Disability Services is focused on making programs, facilities, and services accessible to individuals with disabilities.
The Office of Residential Life employs a purposeful process for helping students with roommate difficulties that helps them build life skills through those experiences. Our highly trained residential life professionals, which include Community Leaders and Area Directors, are there to coach the students through communication and conflict resolution.
Can a student’s request for housing accommodations/adjustments be denied?
Yes; if an application is submitted incomplete, or if the supportive documentation does not support the request, the student’s request may be denied.
Does the Office of Student Disability Services issue off-campus housing?
No; the off-campus housing process is managed solely by the Office of Residential Life. For more information, review our University Off-Campus Housing Process.
Do students select their roommate(s) through the Office of Student Disability Services?
No; roommate selection is managed solely through the Office of Residential Life.
—Evelyn Lester is the executive director of disability services for students.
Learn more at Accessible Housing