The Residential Program and Reasonable Accommodations

As part of our mission to foster diverse and inclusive learning and living environments, Bates College is committed to supporting students with documented disabilities. As a residential community, Bates prioritizes the residential experience as an essential part of our institutional commitment to educating the whole person.

All students admitted to Bates enjoy full access to its programs and services, including residence life. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bates has established procedures to ensure students with documented disabilities receive housing assignments that reasonably meet their needs as required by law.

A standard housing assignment is a two or three person sleeping room with bathroom facilities located on the same floor, but not in the room. Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student’s preference, rather than need, for a particular type of living environment, such as a certain type of room or location or desire for a quiet place to study will not be honored. Single rooms represent a small portion of available housing options and are granted as accommodations only in rare circumstances. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

How are Housing Accommodation Requests Reviewed?

Housing accommodation requests are reviewed on an individual basis. It is important to note that students are not making a request for a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for an accommodation. The Housing Accommodation Committee, comprised of representatives from the Office of Accessible Education, Residence Life and Health Education, Health Services, and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), reviews each request and determines an appropriate and reasonable housing accommodation.

Based on the type of request, other parties may need to be consulted and/or notified, including but not limited to Facilities, Campus Safety, and Dining Services. Students will be notified, in all instances, prior to communication with other departments or individuals.

Please note that Bates College does not grant accommodations solely based on the recommendations of care providers.  The determination is made based on all information relevant to the documented functional limitations caused by the disability in relation to the residential program.

Timeline for Requesting a Housing Accommodation

Incoming students who are requesting housing accommodations are encouraged to submit their requests by June 1.

Current Bates students are encouraged to submit their housing accommodation requests by February 1 for the following academic year. These dates allows the Housing Accommodation Review Committee adequate time to review requests prior to the complex lottery process, which begins in March.

If a need for a housing accommodation request arises outside of the above timelines, students should still follow the same application process. The Housing Accommodation Committee will review post-deadline requests and the college will make every attempt to implement approved accommodations based on current availability. Please note that availability for certain types of accommodations may be limited at later points in the year.

Application Process

Housing accommodation requests generally take three to four weeks to process but may vary depending on the request.

1. Complete an application: You can do this through the Accessible Information Management Portal (AIM) on our website by clicking here: AIM Portal
   • Incoming students who have not received their Bates email address will not yet have access to the AIM portal and should skip step one. Creation of the AIM Portal can occur after the student has been given their Bates email.
2. Submit the Housing Accommodations Request Form. Please note that in some instances, information or documentation in addition to this form may be required. Learn more about documentation guidelines here.  The request form and subsequent documentation can be uploaded to the AIM portal or can be emailed, faxed, or mailed using the following information:
   Office of Accessible Education
   Bates College

   Ladd Library G35, 48 Campus Avenue

   Lewiston, ME 04240

   Fax: 207-786-8290

   Email: accessibility@bates.edu
3. Schedule an appointment. You will need to schedule a 30-minute initial appointment with the Director of Accessible Education. Students should contact the office through email at accessibility@bates.edu or call 207-786-6222 to schedule an appointment. 
4. Upon completion of the initial appointment, and after the request and documentation have been reviewed by the Housing Accommodation Committee, students will be contacted with one of three notifications. A subsequent meeting may also be required in some instances:

• Accommodations Approved: If the Housing Accommodation Committee approves an accommodation, students will then register their accommodations and relevant parties will receive notification of the approved accommodations. For some types of housing accommodations, a subsequent meeting may be required with the student to discuss implementation and review student rights and responsibilities.
• Request for More Information: In some instances, more information may be required for the committee to make a determination regarding an accommodation request. In this instance, the student will be notified as to what additional information is required and an additional meeting may be necessary.
• Application for Accommodation Not Approved: When the Housing Accommodation Committee concludes that it cannot approve an accommodation based on the information submitted, the student have the opportunity to engage in a further dialogue with the Director of Accessible Education before a final determination is made. Students whose housing accommodation requests are not approved may request to be placed on a waitlist to transfer to a location that better meets their preferences through the established procedures. Students who wish to do so may contact housing@bates.edu.

Current Students with Previously Approved Housing Accommodations

Returning students with previously approved housing accommodations will need to be prepared to provide current information concerning their disabilities and the appropriateness of their housing accommodations for the next academic year. In January, Accessible Education will contact each student regarding accommodations for the following academic year. Please contact our office with questions at any time.