Wilson College is committed to serving all students with disabilities in all aspects of their college life. Occasionally, a student, due to a medical or psychological (permanent or temporary) disability may need a reasonable housing accommodation.

A student seeking reasonable housing accommodations must qualify as a student with a disability in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.

Wilson College recognizes the importance of providing accommodations in its housing policies and practices where necessary for individuals to use and access college housing. Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student’s preference, rather than need, for a particular type of living environment, such as a certain type of room, location, or desire for a quiet place to study will not be honored. Single rooms represent a small portion of available housing options and are granted as accommodations only. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Housing accommodation requests are reviewed on an individual basis. It is important to note that students are not making a request for a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for an accommodation. The Housing Accommodation Committee, comprised of representatives from the Accessibility Services Office and Residence Life, reviews each request and determines an appropriate and reasonable housing accommodation. Based on the type of request, other parties may need to be consulted and/or notified. Students will be notified, in all instances, prior to communication with other departments or individuals.

In evaluating the request, the Accessibility Services Coordinator will receive and review the supporting confidential documentation and consult with the Director of Residence Life to determine whether the requested accommodation is necessary and reasonable. As part of the process, an intake meeting with be scheduled with the student to gather further details of the request. Individuals with a disability who reside in college housing who believe they need a disability related accommodation must complete an Accommodation Request Form.

Please note that Wilson College does not grant accommodations solely based on the recommendations of care providers. The determination is made based on
all information relevant to the documented functional limitations caused by
the disability in relation to the residential program.

Information for the Student:

  • The Housing Committee will consider requests for college housing accommodations. However, if the request for an accommodation is made after the established deadlines have lapsed; it cannot be guaranteed that Wilson College will be able to meet the individual’s accommodation needs during the first semester or term of occupancy.
  • If the need for an accommodation arises when an individual already resides in college housing, the student should contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator as soon as possible. Wilson College cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the accommodation needs during the semester or term in which the request is received.
  • Typically, residence halls are environments in which large groups of students live. This leads to noise, etc. Rooms are not designed as academic spaces; as such, students needing a quiet study space should use the library or other quiet spaces on campus.
  • If a student seeks accommodations related to more than one disability, more than one professional may need to be involved in providing documentation.
  • In some cases, students may need to choose between their preferences for roommates or room type and the documented special request in order for the Director of Residence Life to make the best housing placement possible. In some cases, students may be placed on a wait list for rooms that meet their need.
  • Requests for housing accommodations must be renewed on an annual basis.

Housing Accommodation Request Process

1. Complete the Accommodation Request Form and submit to the Accessibility Services Coordinator along with supporting documentation from an appropriate health care provider.

Please use the following verification form to facilitate the documentation process. The office of accessibility requests and prefers documentation to be on the Wilson forms. *The provider completing the request 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)

Disability Documentation - Housing

Disability Documentation - ESA - Housing

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

  • Hand deliver to Office 205 in the Academic Support Center, second floor John Stewart Memorial Library
  • Email: michael.bloomford@wilson.edu
  • Fax: (717) 262-4845
  • Mail to: Accessibility Services Coordinator, Academic Support Center, 1015 Philadelphia Ave. Chambersburg, PA 17201

If the third party returns the Verification Form without sufficient information for the Accessibility Services Coordinator to determine whether an accommodation is necessary, the Accessibility Services Coordinator will inform the individual in writing of the verification’s insufficiency and may request additional information, including the individual supplying the third-party verification, within ten (10) business days of receiving the verification.

2. After the request form and appropriate documentation/Verification Form have been submitted, the student requesting the accommodation will be contacted to arrange an intake meeting with the Accessibility Services Coordinator.

Please note that during the semester, the Housing Accommodations Committee will meet biweekly to discuss current room requests. Exceptions will be made for emergency situations only.

3. After this meeting takes place, the Housing Committee will communicate approval (or denial) of the requested accommodation to the student.

4. In accordance with applicable law, the Accessibility Services Coordinator may deny the requested accommodation if it is determined to be unnecessary, a desire or convenience over a true need, and/or unreasonable.

Deadlines and Submissions:
In order to ensure that you receive appropriate accommodations, you must complete the above steps by the deadline below. After the deadline has passed, housing accommodations cannot be guaranteed for the semester which you are applying for.

Returning Students: March 20 (Fall semester requests)
Returning Students: November 20 (Spring semester requests)
Incoming New Students (Fall Start): July 20
Incoming New Students (Spring Start): January 20