New/Changed Housing Accommodations
Disability housing accommodations require advance planning and documentation of disability. Students requesting housing accommodations for due to a disability must submit a housing request by logging into mySwarthmore and completing the Disability Accommodations form located under the Student menu, along with providing appropriate documentation of disability to Student Disability Services staff. The documentation must verify a disability or significant chronic medical condition that currently limits the student’s ability to participate in a residential environment. This includes a medical necessity for air conditioning. Students must use their official Swarthmore email address for all correspondence.
Please review the Student Disability Service Documentation Guidelines in the Student Section of Student Disability Services website for information about appropriate documentation. Documentation must be from a licensed medical provider (non-family member) qualified in the disability area. It should state and describe the diagnosis and must include a description of any symptoms of the condition that currently cause substantial limitations to the student’s ability to live in campus housing. Recommendations made by the evaluator should include reasonable modifications that would allow the student an equal opportunity to participate in residential life, with a clear rationale and an indication of the level of need for each one. We strongly recommend that you provide a copy of the documentation guidelines to your medical provider well in advance as it can take several weeks for doctors to address documentation requests.
After you make a request and submit documentation, a Student Disability Services staff member will contact you to schedule an Intake Meeting to discuss your new or changed accommodation request. Once accommodations have been approved by the Office of Student Disability Services, Student Disability Services will notify the Office of Student Engagement of the approved accommodations. The Office of Student Engagement will then work with the student to identify housing that meets the accommodation. Please note: The Office of Student Engagement does NOT make any determinations regarding approved accommodations.
Important Dates and Deadlines for New or Changed Accommodations
Class of 2025, 2026 and 2027: Current students who are requesting New or Changed accommodations must submit a Housing Accommodation request to Student Disability Services by logging into mySwarthmore and completing the Disability Accommodations form located under the Student menu by Friday, March 1, 2024. Any new documentation must be submitted to Student Disability Services by Monday, March 18, 2024 . Please review the Documentation Guidelines.
Class of 2028 and New Transfer Students: Information regarding the accommodations process for new incoming students during the late spring/early summer. Students who will be requesting accommodations are encouraged to begin speaking with their medical providers well in advance of the May 1 decision date.
