Student Handbook 2018

DISABILITY HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS PROCEDURES & GUIDELINES BLUEFIELD COLLEGE Bluefield College recognizes that students with disabilities may require a specific type of housing to fully participate in the residential component of the college experience. For these students, Bluefield provides disability housing accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended (ADAAA). Adisability is defined under theADAAAas any mental or physical impairment that substantially limits the individual in a major life activity compared to the average person. The College has established the followingprocedures toensurethatstudentswithdisabilitieshave equal access toBluefield housing. Students must be eligible for College housing in order to be eligible for disability housing accommodations; this mean have guaranteed housing status at Bluefield College. • Studentswith serviceanimalsshould also referto theCollege’sServiceAnimal Policy forcompleteinformationaboutrelatedpolicy,proceduresandexpectations. • Studentswhowish tohaveeither“live-in”orper-diempersonalcareassistants(PCAs) must be approved for this accommodation before bringing theirPCAs to campus. • Bluefield College does not require its student’s to re-apply for disability housing accommodations unless the student leaves the college and then re-applies. Students must follow general housing procedures, and should contact the Office of Student Development for this information. 2. Students must submit a completed Request Form for Disability Housing Accommodations and disability documentation. All required items must be sent to: Bluefield College Office of Student Development 3000 College Drive Bluefield, Virginia 24605 Incompleteapplicationsorthosewithoutdisabilitydocumentationwillnotbe considered. 3. CommitteeReview: Requests are consideredbytheCommittee onDisabilityHousing Accommodations, which is comprised of staff from the offices of Student Development and Academic Success. The committee evaluates, among other things, the student’s disability status, the necessity of the requested accommodations, potential alternative accommodations, andwhat, ifany, housingaccommodationswouldbeappropriatefor the student. Students are informed of the status of their request by e-mail within one weekoftheCommittee’sreview.Thecommitteemeetsasnecessarybasedonrequests. 4. Deadlines: All requests for disability housing accommodations, along with all of the required documentation and forms referenced above, must be submitted by August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. While applications submittedafterthesedateswillbeacceptedandconsidered,Bluefieldcannotguarantee that itwill be able tomeet late applicant’s accommodations needs, including anyneeds thatdevelopduringthesemester. 5. HousingAssignment: Bluefield College undergraduates who have been approved for disabilityhousing accommodations arenot eligible toparticipate in theRoomLottery/ Housing selection process and will receive a housing assignment with the approved period. A student who request disability housing accommodations through this process cannot decline anassignment in favor ofRoomLotteryparticipation. Students requestingto livewitharoommate and/orsuitematemustindicatethison theirRequest Please note the following about the procedures: • Procedures for Requesting Housing Accommodations 1.

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