Dietary and Disability Accommodations

Central Oregon Community College and the Housing and Residence Life Office are committed to providing equitable opportunities to higher education and programs for academically qualified students without regard to disability. Read more on the COCC Services for Students with Disabilities website.

Accommodations for Students with a Disability

The Housing and Residence Life Office seeks to work with students who are eligible to receive accommodations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, as amended 2010), and the Fair Housing Act. If you are a student with a documented disability and you are considering enrolling at COCC and living on campus, or if you are a currently enrolled student, you should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office as early as possible to receive the full benefit of services available. Services are provided on a case-by-case basis. The types of accommodations provided are dependent on the impact of the student's disability. The Housing and Residence Life Office works closely with the Services for Students with Disabilities Office in providing housing accommodations that meet individual needs. Students interested in living in accessible spaces in Wickiup Hall may contact the Housing Office at housing@cocc.edu or 541.383.7545 to discuss next steps.

Types of accommodation include, but are not limited to:

Wheelchair accessible room assignment (and caregiver room, if needed)
Single bedroom room assignment (see below "Single Bedroom" section)
Requests for service and/or assistance animals (including emotional support animals)
Dining plan modification or exemption

Single Bedroom Accommodations
Requests for a single bedroom 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 bedroom would provide for such quiet, distraction-free space to any appreciable degree beyond living in a standard double bedroom. A student requesting a single bedroom as an accommodation requires documentation from a qualified medical professional, which demonstrates a link between the request and disability.

Steps to Request Housing Accommodations:

Apply for housing and within the Housing Application, include initial information about your housing accommodation request.
Contact the Disability Services Department to arrange for specific these accommodations:

Once the student has completed these steps, the Services for Students with Disabilities Office will review the request and the student, along with the Housing and Residence Life Office, will be notified of any decision. Room assignments are made based on availability of housing and approved housing accommodations. Requests for accommodation beginning Fall term made before August 1 will be given priority. After August 1, requests for accommodation will be made as space is available.

Assistance Animals (including Emotional Support Animals)

The Housing and Residence Life Office will allow an assistance animal if certain conditions are met. The animal must be necessary for the resident with a disability to have equal access to housing and the accommodation must be reasonable. An accommodation is unreasonable if it presents an undue financial or administrative burden on the college, poses a substantial and direct threat to personal or public safety or constitutes a fundamental alteration of the nature of the service or program. Students must receive approval from the Housing Office prior to bringing the animal to campus.

There must be a link between the animal and a disability. Emotional distress from having to give up an animal because of a no pets policy does not qualify a person for an accommodation under federal law. Approved assistance animal must also meet COCC policies/requirements for animal health and behavior to live in the residence hall.

If you have any questions about housing accommodations, please feel free to contact any of the resources below:

Services for Students with Disabilities
541-383-7583
disabilityservices@cocc.edu

Housing and Residence Life
541-383-7545
housing@cocc.edu