Request Residential and Dining Accommodations

In accordance with applicable federal, state, and city disability laws, Simmons University has established the following process to ensure that students with a documented diagnosis or disability may have equal access to Simmons University residential housing resources.

Students who intend to request residential accommodations for their on-campus Simmons University residence based on a documented diagnosis or disability must complete the process outlined below.

If you are a new student not currently registered with the Office of Accessibility Services for the 2024-2025 academic year who would like to request residential or dining accommodations, please complete the Office of Accessibility Services Intake Form with documentation.

Please refer to the timeline posted below.  Students can always request accommodations after this timeframe; however, they may be placed on a waiting list due to limited availability after room selection has begun. Students approved for this accommodation are determined eligible for accommodations; however, inventory will dictate availability of accommodations.

Residential Accommodation Request Timeline

Residential Accommodation Request Process

In addition to completing the OAS request process, students seeking residential accommodations are also responsible for completing the standard Housing Application by the deadline set by the Office of Residence Life. For more information about the Housing Application and relevant deadlines, please visit the Office of Residence Life's website.

Requesting First-Time Residential Accommodations

Students requesting residential accommodations for the first time must submit both the Office of Accessibility Services Intake form AND the Practitioner's Verification of Diagnosis for Residential and Dining Accommodations form. Both forms are found below.

Students who are seeking a residential accommodation for an Emotional Support Animal must use the ESA-specific request forms found under the "Requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)" header.

Renewing Residential Accommodations

Students who are seeking to renew a residential or dining accommodation that they have been previously found eligible for must renew their requests annually based on the timeline above. 

Log into Accommodate using your Simmons account

1. On the left sidebar menu, you will see an "Accommodations" tab. Click on it to see the drop-down menu, then select "Additional Academic/Housing Accommodation Request"
2. Select "Housing/Dining Renewal"
3. Type in what accommodations you're renewing and a quick description of why you need it 
4. Upload the  completed practitioner's verification of diagnosis for residential and dining for residential and dining requests, only if you are requesting additional residential/dining accommodations.
5. Click "Submit" 

Students do not need to submit a new Practitioner's Verification of Diagnosis for Residential and Dining Accommodations form in order to renew previous residential accommodations. However, if students are also requesting new residential accommodations, then they must submit a new Practitioner's Verification of Diagnosis for Residential and Dining Accommodations form to support the first-time requests.

Students who are seeking a residential accommodation for an Emotional Support Animal must use the ESA-specific request forms found under the "Requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)" header below.

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Residential and Dining Accommodation Request Forms

• Practitioner's Verification of Diagnosis for Residential and Dining Accommodations
• The Office of Accessibility Services Intake Form

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Requesting Dining Accommodations

Students who are seeking dining accommodations complete the same forms as those seeking residential accommodations. There are no recommended deadlines for requesting dining accommodations. Students may request dining accommodations at any time during the academic year.

Please submit documents as PDFs. Students must use their Simmons University login credentials to access the Intake form.

Health care providers may return the completed form to the student to submit as an attachment to their Accommodate Residential Request. Alternatively, health care providers may submit the completed Practitioner's form directly to the OAS through our secure file transfer portal.

We cannot accept faxed documents.

Information provided to the Office of Accessibility Services is kept confidential.

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Requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) as a Residential Accommodation

To request an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) as a residential accommodation, students complete two ESA-specific request forms, rather than the general request forms. Students seeking eligibility for an ESA accommodation must also review the Emotional Support Animal Guidelines.

ESA-Specific Request Forms

• Practitioner's Verification of Diagnosis for Residential Accommodations: Emotional Support Animal
• The Office of Accessibility Services Intake Form

Information about Requests for an Emotional Support Animal as a Residential Accommodation

• Guidelines for Requesting an Emotional Support Animal as a Residential Accommodation
• Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

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Who To Contact

Questions about the residential and dining accommodations or the request forms or process should be sent to the OAS at [email protected].

Questions about the timeline for room placement or questions about a student's assigned room should be directed to the Office of Residence Life at [email protected].