Complete our online application below.
Provide medical documentation to support the need for accommodations. Documentation must be scanned via email or hand delivered by the student to our office. Documentation must be current and may need to be updated each year. Applications received without documentation may be deleted.
Once steps 2 and 3 have been completed someone will reach out to you from our department to set up a Welcome Meeting. A Welcome Meeting with the student is an important part of our process, and is required. Eligibility for accommodations is determined by several factors which will be discussed at the Welcome meeting, and accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give us a call at 864-596-9016 or email us at AccessibilityServices@converse.edu . Thank you!
Common accommodations include: extended time on tests, distraction reduced testing environment, preferential seating, accessible classroom location, audio record classroom lectures, alternative format textbooks, enlarged print for tests and other coursework, copies of power points/notes/lectures etc. provided by professor, use of adaptive equipment in class, ASL Interpreting or CART
**Please note that it is extremely rare to qualify for off campus housing due to a medical accommodation.**
In collaboration with Residence Life, Student Accessibility Services is committed to providing appropriate reasonable housing accommodations to students with documented disabilities. We recognize that residential living and the learning environment are central to the Converse student experience, thus we strive to make this experience accessible to all students. Student Accessibility Services receives requests, reviews documentation, and works with Residence Life to facilitate housing accommodations. We evaluate all requests for disability-based housing assignments individually. Accommodated housing space is limited and spaces are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis once the completed application and deposits have been received, therefore it is key to submit these requests in a timely manner. Students with physical, medical, or mental health disabilities who require a specific housing accommodation must submit the appropriate supporting documentation and request to SAS as soon as the student has been accepted and are committed to attending Converse University. All applications submitted regardless of timing will be accepted and considered, however, there is no guarantee that the late applicant’s needs, including any that develop during the semester, can be met.
On-campus residence hall accommodations are available for students with disabilities.
These reasonable accommodations may include but are not limited to:
Wheelchair-accessible unit (ADA accessible)
Private bathroom or semi-private bathroom
Food-safe spaces (for people with severe allergies to foods)
Flashing fire alarms
Single room occupancy (Please note it is highly unlikely to qualify for a single room)
It is helpful for documentation to include the severity of the condition. When evaluating housing accommodations, the Director of SAS considers the factors below:
1. Is the condition's impact life-threatening if the request is unmet?
2. Is there a negative health impact that may be permanent if the request is not met?
3. Is the request an integral component of a treatment plan for the condition in question?
4. What is the likely impact on academic performance if the request is not met?
Timing of the request:
1. Was the request made with the initial housing request?
2. Was the request made before the deadline for housing requests for the semester in question?
3. Was the request made as soon as possible after identifying the need (based on date of diagnosis, receipt of housing assignment, change in status, etc.)?
Important Information To Consider
(1) You are not making a request for a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for a housing accommodation based on a documented, ongoing disability whose disability documentation illustrates clear and substantial barriers in the Converse University living environment, and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not viable.
(2)Single rooms are reserved for individuals whose documentation illustrates substantial needs (a medical necessity), and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not viable.
(3) Converse University does not grant accommodations solely on the submission of documentation, and/or recommendations of medical/mental health care providers, but on the documented functional limitations posed by the student’s disability in Converse University’s residential housing.
(4) Housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, and based solely on that individual student's medically necessary needs in Converse University’s residential housing.
(5) Certain disabilities require documentation of current levels of functioning, thus housing accommodation requests do not automatically carry over to subsequent semesters.
Single Room Requests
A limited number of single or suite-style rooms are available for all students. Students who prefer to be in a single room can contact Residential Life about the availability of such rooms.
Please be advised that medical singles are reserved for individuals who document substantial needs and for whom living with a roommate is not possible. Access to a single bedroom will only be approved as an accommodation in cases where it is clearly documented that a student cannot live on campus without this accommodation.
Examples of conditions that ordinarily do not warrant a medical single.
Asthma
Allergies
Learning disorders / ADHD
Insomnia and sleep problems
Orthopedic problems
Depression
Anxiety
Requests for a single room as an accommodation based solely on a desire to have a “quiet, undisturbed place to study” will not be granted. By virtue of the shared facilities, resources, and number of people living under one roof, it is not logical to assume that having a private room would provide such a quiet, distraction-free space to any appreciable degree beyond living in a standard double room. There are numerous campus locations that provide quiet spaces for studying (including study rooms in residential halls, the Library, the Montgomery Student Center, & several academic buildings) that can also be reserved; therefore a request for a quiet, undisturbed space is considered a preference, not a medical necessity (i.e. including for ADHD and/or learning disability). A student's accommodation is considered after a review of medical documentation, and when determined that a standard residential assignment is not a viable option for this student.
Housing Exemptions
Housing exemptions are appropriate when the university can not provide housing that gives the student equal access. Residence Life together with Student Accessibility Services works diligently to make appropriate accommodations for students with serious health problems and/or disabilities. There are many types of housing available on campus and we are generally able to find a solution within on-campus housing to whatever problem is prompting the request for an exemption. Because of this, housing exemptions are rarely necessary.
1) Please fill out the Verification of an Emotional Support Animal form and submit it through the Guardian platform (see top of page for the link).
2) Your information will be reviewed by a SAS staff member and follow-up provided.
3) If your request is approved, you will then be asked to provide updated vaccination records, proof of flea/tick prevention, and additional handler documentation.
Please note that letters purchased online and online ESA certifications typically do not provide the information needed by SAS to deem an ESA accommodation request reasonable.
Applications should be submitted 6 weeks before the start of school. Applications submitted after the school year has started may not be approved due to housing availability.
Additional Information:Students will generally only be approved for one ESA. Evaluating ESA requests takes time. Decisions regarding ESA requests can only be reached after appropriate documentation for the disability has been received and evaluated and a meeting/interview with the student has taken place. Students should allow at least 2 weeks to complete this process once they have met with a SAS staff member and should not obtain any animal until final approval is given.
Our office’s primary mission is to determine if your request for disability-related accommodations is appropriate. An important piece in making this determination is documentation that you provide to us.
Disability documentation for the purpose of providing accommodations must both establish disability and provide adequate information on the functional impact of your disability so that effective accommodations can be identified.
The documentation needs to provide our office with a basic understanding of your disability and enough information to anticipate how the current impact of your disability is expected to interact with Converse University's requirements.
Documentation that is submitted to our office must:
Please use the Verification of Physical/Motor Disabilities handout to assist your healthcare professional with providing information necessary to satisfy the documentation guidelines.
ADD/ADHD
Requirements for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Documentation
Evaluations for ADHD should follow the Learning Disabilities Guidelines below and also provide the following information:
Learning Disabilities
Requirements for Documentation:
1. All reports should be current (no more that three years old), on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible.
2. Acceptable psychoeducational documentation will include:
3. A licensed psychologist or appropriately credentialed psychoeducational professional should provide the current psychoeducational evaluation.
4. In order to make an informed decision about the student’s learning disorder and need for accommodation, the report should include the following:
To be completed by a Qualified Licensed Provider: Converse University provides testing and classroom accommodations for students with a verified and substantially limiting disability. A student’s documentation must demonstrate the existence of a condition covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA: 1990). The ADA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limited one or more major life activities. Documentation of such impairment must be derived from a licensed provider who is not a relative of the student. Students must provide this document to their provider to be completed and and returned to Disability Services.
To be completed by a Qualified Licensed Provider: A licensed clinical psychologist, clinical neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, or other appropriately trained medical professional with expertise in the field of adult psychological disorders must conduct a complete psychological assessment. Students must provide this document to their provider to be completed and and returned to Disability Services.
To be completed by a Qualified License Provider: A learning disabilities assessment, which reflects the current impact of identified impairments on academic performance must be done by a licensed professional who is qualified to administer and interpret intelligence and achievement tests, and a diagnostic report based upon the assessment. This assessment must be done by a trained and certified and/or licensed psychologist, learning disabilities specialist, VR staff psychologist, school psychologist, or educational therapist. Students must provide this document to their provider to be completed and and returned to Disability Services.
A full assessment for ADHD must be conducted by a licensed clinical psychologist, clinical neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, Vocational Rehabilitation psychologist or school psychologist with expertise in the differential diagnosis of adult psychological disorders.