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Accommodations for Students with Medical/Physical Conditions
This page addresses accommodations for students that will or currently reside in single-student housing. For accommodations related to Graduate and Family Housing please contact our Graduate and Family Housing Administrative staff at 352-392-2161.
Definition for Conditions
Disabilities, chronic medical conditions, or psychological conditions that inhibit a student's ability to live in any one of our housing accommodation options. Documentation must be submitted for student if living in any of our housing facilities that would cause challenges for the student due to their condition.
Definition for Need
Fractures, sprain or post-surgery (in these cases a temporary solution may be found to accommodate the student's condition until they are able to heal from injury). Temporary needs must provide medical documentation and provide it to undergraduate assignments.
A transgender student looking for a supportive living arrangement in University Housing should contact the Central Housing Office and ask to speak with the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or assignments@housing.ufl.edu. Timeframes must also be adhered to in these processes, which are noted below. Because of limitations in available housing options, there is no guarantee that all of the student's preferences can be met, but we are committed to working with the student to find the best accommodations possible.
Housing works with students who meet the following criteria:
- The student has documented need. Examples of the need(s) that we have worked with in the past are:
- Gender - Gender identity or Transgender
- The student has documented disability, chronic medical condition, or psychological condition. Examples of the conditions that we have worked with in the past are:
- Physical – Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Orthopedic disabilities
- Medical – Diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, Endocrine Disorders, Asthma, Allergies
- Visual – Blindness or visual impairment
- Hearing – Hard of Hearing or deafness
- Temporary – Fractures, sprain or post-surgery (in these cases a temporary solution may be found to accommodate the student’s condition until they are able to heal from injury)
- A licensed medical or psychological professional has verified that the student’s condition. (May not be a family friend or relative of the student.)
Process for Conditions
Student should download and provide Verification of medical/health condition information sheet to their physician.
Physician or student should fax documentation specified in Verification of medical/health condition information sheet to the attention of Undergraduate Assignments at 352-392-6819.
Documentation will be reviewed by Undergraduate Assignments staff within 2-3 weeks of receipt and a staff member will be in contact.
- If additional review is necessary, staff from the University of Florida Disability Resource Center, Counseling & Wellness Center, and/or Student Health may be consulted.
- Documentation will be kept confidential and shared with other university staff on a need to know basis only.
Timeline - Receipt of documentation within a reasonable timeframe of hall opening should be strictly adhered to. These timeframes are:
- Summer A – April 1
- Summer B – May 1
- Fall – May 1
- Spring – November 15
- Failure to meet the timeframes noted above significantly decreases our chances of being able to provide accommodation.
Available Accommodations
Allergies and Asthma
- If student requires an air-conditioned room, this is not a problem. All of our buildings except 2 are air-conditioned. In the 2 buildings which are not equipped with air-conditioning, Buckman and Thomas Halls, students may bring their own air-conditioners provided they meet certain specifications.
- Student can be assigned to a room without carpet (approximately ½ of our rooms have carpeted floors).
- For other accommodation requests based on these medical conditions please contact Undergraduate Assignments.
Mobility Impairment
- Hume, Keys, Lakeside, and Springs each have several wheelchair accessible rooms which include roll-in showers.
- Wheelchair accessibility throughout our buildings
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Broward, Buckman, Hume, Keys, Lakeside, Riker, Simpson, Springs, Tolbert, and Trusler have rooms with fire alarm flashers and TDD compatible phone jacks (including local phone service).
Blind or Visually Impaired
- Service animals
- Student must notify HRE in writing at least 30 days prior to move-in date that service animal is coming with student.
- Service animal must be properly trained.
- Student is responsible for dog’s care including grooming and clean-up.
- Student must complete a Residence Hall Service Animal Policy agreement.
Mental Health Conditions, Other Chronic Health Conditions, or Other Disabilities not mentioned above
- Contact: Carolynn Komanski in Undergraduate Assignments at 352-392-2161 x10117
Limitations - We are unable to:
- provide a separate low distraction living environment accommodation based solely on a diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disability.
- provide a different bed (however, we can remove the existing bed in the room if deemed medically-necessary so that student can bring their own)
- accept documentation which names a specific building in which accommodation is to be provided
- assign or move a preferred roommate along with student for which special accommodations are being offered unless the roommate would otherwise be eligible for the space
- provide rooms with a private bath
- provide a dust or allergen-free accommodation
- offer housing space to a student that is on our waiting list based on a medical, physical, or psychological condition
Other offices at UF that provide services
- Disability Resource Center - provides services to students with physical, learning, sensory or psychological disabilities including coordination of academic accommodations
- Counseling & Wellness Center – provides counseling and consultation services to help students confront personal/academic/career concerns and psychological health
- Student Health Care Center – provides comprehensive physical health services through accessible care
- Transportation and Parking – provides disabled parking permits and transportation via the Gator Lift Van
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Affairs – provides education, advocacy, and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and straight-allied students, staff, and faculty.
