Non-Academic Accommodations

Salve Regina provides housing and other non-academic accommodations to students with disabilities who require it for equal access to University housing and housing services.

The ADA defines a disability as a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." Eligibility for accommodations is determined individually and is based on documentation received from certifying professionals as well as other current or past relevant information. To be approved, accommodations must be determined to be both necessary for access and reasonable within the context of existing University regulations and policies.

Students who need academic adjustments in addition to housing accommodations must register with the Office of Disability Services. For more information, contact the office at (401) 341-3150 or disabilityservices@salve.edu.

Guidelines for Application and Approval

Step 1. Students (not parents) must complete and submit the housing accommodations form. Please note: Emotional support animals require a separate application in addition to the housing accommodation request form.

Step 2. Submit documentation of the condition for which accommodations are requested. Documentation must be recent enough to accurately describe the student's functioning in the area for which accommodations are sought at the time of entrance to college.

Students must submit either A or B below:

A. Existing medical or other (such as psychological) documentation of the condition for which accommodations are sought. Documentation is only seen and reviewed by professionals directly involved in the determination and provision of disability accommodations. All documentation is protected by both FERPA and HIPPA laws, is considered part of the student's record, and is held in a locked and secure location.

Documentation must include all the following, or their equivalent:

A medical diagnosis directly connected to the condition for which accommodations are sought.
The name, credentials and contact information of the professional who either diagnosed, or is current and primary treating professional, for the condition.
The method and date(s) of diagnosis (such as psychoeducational test battery, medical test results).
A description of the functional/limiting impact of the condition on one or more major life activities, including living and learning at the University.
A statement of the severity and stability of the condition over time, and potential fluctuations.
Description of treatment, treatment plan and current pharmaceutical prescription(s).
Recommendations for housing and/or housing elements (including adjustments to food service) deemed necessary for access to University housing services.

B. Certifying professional form completed in its entirety by a qualified certifying professional.

Step 3. Once all materials have been received, a committee of professionals from Disability Services and Residence Life make a determination of eligibility for housing accommodations based on ADA criteria, the documentation provided and other relevant information.

Step 4. The Office of Residence Life notifies the student of the outcome of the committee's review. This outcome may take one the following forms: approved as requested, approved with modifications or denied with reasons provided.

Step 5. If approved either as requested or in modified form, the Office of Residence Life will determine the student's room assignment based on the student's disability access needs, their year in school, special living and learning communities involved, and available housing inventory.

Appeals and/or Grievances

If a student disagrees with an accommodation decision and believes the decision was made improperly, without vital information or was biased, the student has the right to request an appeal. Learn more about the appeals process.

Housing Accommodations

To request housing accommodations, students should complete and submit the online form. Students must also submit documentation of the disability for which housing accommodations are being requested. Documentation should be mailed to Disability Services c/o Academic Center for Excellence, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport, RI 02840 or faxed to (401) 341-2912.

The Office of Disability Services will review the documentation and determine whether a housing accommodation is necessary for the student to have equal access to the living environment of the University. Recommendations are then forwarded to the Office of Residence Life for housing assignment.

The preferred timeline for new student housing requests is July 1 for the fall semester and Dec. 1 for the spring semester. The preferred deadline for returning students is March 1 for rising sophomores and Feb. 15 for rising juniors and seniors.

Service Animals

The Americans With Disabilities Act defines a service animal as "any guide dog, signal dog or small horse individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability." Service animals may perform such tasks as guiding, alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds, pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments, or assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance, among others.

In accordance with state and federal laws, Salve Regina permits the use of service animals in all areas on campus where students are generally permitted and expected to go, including residence halls, classroom buildings or other buildings, offices or areas on campus, including dining halls. Students are responsible for controlling their animal's behavior and for taking care of its physical needs. If an animal is deemed to pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, the owner may be asked by the University to remove the animal from a given area. The student is also responsible for informing others of the proper conduct expected around service animals, such as not petting.

To request accommodations for a service animal, students should notify the Office of Disability Services as early as possible and submit a housing accommodations request form. When it is not obvious what service the animal provides, the owner will be asked whether the animal is required because of a disability and what task the animal is trained to perform. The owner need not present proof or documentation of the nature of his/her disability or the training or certification of the service animal.

Owners who are in the process of requesting the use of a service animal are not permitted to have the animal on campus until the process is complete.

Emotional Support Animals

Animals designated as emotional support, comfort or therapy animals do not qualify as service animals as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act. However, in some cases they may be permitted in a student's campus residence in accordance with the Fair Housing Act, if shown to be necessary to afford a student with a documented disability an equal opportunity to use and benefit from University housing.

To request accommodations for an emotional support animal, students should notify the Office of Disability Services as early as possible and submit documentation of their disability along with an emotional support animal request form and a housing accommodations request form. Owners who are in the process of requesting the use of an emotional support animal are not permitted to have the animal on campus until approval has been granted.

The preferred timeline to request accommodations for an emotional support animal is July 1 for the fall semester and Dec. 1 for the spring semester.

Documentation must:

Provide a diagnosis and description of a mental health condition by a licensed medical specialist or credentialed mental health professional.
Connect the need for an emotional support animal to the specific diagnosis and clearly describe how the animal relates to the treatment of the student's condition(s).
Provide information as to how the emotional support animal facilitates the ability of the student to function in and benefit from the residential living arrangements provided by University housing.

Upon approval, the student should meet with a staff member in the Office of Residence Life to review owner/handler responsibilities and guidelines for having an emotional support animal on campus. The goal is to create open communication between the student and Residence Life, so that the student's needs can best be served.

Students are also asked to provide contact information of an individual who will be responsible for the animal in the event that the student is absent or unavailable. This individual cannot be another student residing on campus.

Roommate(s) will be notified that an animal is allowed to live in their residence.

Students with medical conditions that are affected by animals should contact the Office of Residence Life if they have a health or safety concern about exposure to an animal. The University will make arrangements to accommodate individuals with such medical conditions.

The University has the right to remove an animal if it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of the owner/handler or others and/or if the animal creates a continued disruption to the residential community.

Campus Life and Co-Curricular Accommodations

The process for securing non-academic accommodations is the same as for academic accommodations. Students submit documentation of their disability to the Office of Disability Services using the same criteria, along with a statement of the accommodation they are requesting. Requests involving other campus offices such as Health Services, Sodexo Dining Services or Safety and Security will originate with the Office of Disability Services, which will make a recommendation to the affected offices as appropriate for implementation of the accommodation.

The preferred timeline to request co-curricular accommodations is July 1 for the fall semester and Dec. 1 for the spring semester.