Medical Requests and Special Needs Policy (PDF)

University Housing at the University of Iowa is committed to equal educational opportunity and full participation for students with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Students with sensory, mobility, learning, mental health disorder, and other disabilities or chronic health conditions are welcome in the residence halls and University Apartments. We believe that the University is a place to develop and nurture new ideas and opinions, to learn about new people and cultures - all accomplished in an atmosphere of respect, understanding, and mutual support.

We maintain a perspective that all individuals with the same disability do not necessarily have the same needs, and that there are many disabilities with varying needs. We wish to discuss your needs for your living accommodations in order to assist in making you as comfortable as possible with your surroundings as you begin your academic life at the University of Iowa.

University Housing has been continually developing its facilities to be as accessible as possible. Of the ten residence halls, five have rooms that have been specifically modified for wheelchair accessibility. Visual alarms/indicators for the hearing impaired are installed as needed. As common restroom facilities are renovated, accessible showers and toilets are being added. University Apartments has apartments that are wheelchair accessible.

To ensure that you receive accommodations that meet your particular needs in a residence hall, it is important that you apply for housing as soon as you are admitted to the University. Housing availability is based on the date housing applications are received. Accommodations for disabilities take time to arrange and University Housing must take into consideration a full range of such requests from many students, which can affect the allocation of resources. For these reasons, it is important that accommodation requests for disabilities or chronic health conditions be made at the time of application. We may not be able to house all students who apply or accommodate all requests if applications are not made in a timely manner. We recognize that disabilities or chronic health conditions are not always apparent. University Housing is not responsible for accommodating disabilities or conditions which are not disclosed.

When submitting your Housing application, please provide information regarding your disability or chronic health condition and submit the University Housing Request for Medical Accommodation for On-Campus Housing form, attaching supporting medical documentation from the treating healthcare practitioner.

The form asks for the treating healthcare practitioner to give the date of the initial and most recent contacts and, on professional letterhead, the diagnosis, functional limitations, recommendations regarding accommodation needs, and the justification for same. We will evaluate the information and recommendations in the submitted documentation, consulting as needed with the University's Student Disability Services, Student Health Service, Student Counseling Service, or other University departments that have considerable expertise in working with students with disabilities. If you are registered with Student Disability Services, you may arrange for a release of that information to the Manager of Contracts & Assignments. Submitting the above documentation is not a guarantee of receiving the requested/recommended accommodations. The information provided will only be shared with appropriate staff that is charged with reviewing and implementing requests for an accommodation. This information will have no bearing on your general eligibility for housing.

Students with disabilities are assigned roommates in the same manner as all other residence hall applicants; unless they specifically request a single and one is available at the time their application is processed.

Over 80% of residence hall rooms are air-conditioned. Every effort will be made to accommodate documented medical requests for air-conditioning, based on the date the housing application was received. Slater Residence Hall on the Iowa campus is not carpeted, and accommodations for students with specific allergies can be made on this building.

Each of the residence halls have rooms that have or can be equipped with strobe light alarms/indicators for door signals, fire alarms, and smoke detectors. University Housing will also work with individuals who own equipment who need it installed in their residence hall room.

A number of rooms and bathrooms in the residence halls have been modified to accommodate persons who use wheelchairs. If you have a significant mobility limitation that requires accommodation, please contact the Contracts & Assignments office at 319-335-3009 or reshallhousing@uiowa.edu as soon as possible to discuss your accommodation needs and preferences. Tours of some of the halls and rooms can be arranged. Very few residence hall rooms have private bathrooms.

Trained guide dogs are permitted in University Housing if your guide dog has certified training papers which are submitted with your Housing application. You are responsible for your dog's care, including clean-up. Possession or use of a guide dog may limit accommodations available in the residence halls; this limitation is based on the community aspects of residence hall living. Visual equipment can take up a significant amount of space, so we want to ensure accommodations you may request have adequate space and an optimum campus location.

If you have accommodation needs for chronic health conditions or other disabilities (physical or mental) we will need medical documentation and recommendations from the appropriate health care practitioner in order to provide the most appropriate accommodation for you. Please feel free to talk confidentially with a Contracts & Assignments staff member about your specific needs.

Residential Dining does make a concerted effort to accommodate the individual nutritional and dietary needs of all of our residents. The Burge and Hillcrest Market Places provide a wide range of foods, featuring daily offerings of vegan, vegetarian, and organic foods. Some of the more common food allergies, such as Celiac, lactose intolerance, and nut allergies may also be accommodated after meeting with the Market Place Manager, who may consult with the registered dietitian on staff. As with other chronic health related conditions, detailed information from a professional health care provider will be essential in addressing individual needs. Be assured, all such information will be held in strictest confidence.

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