Housing Accommodation

The University of Cincinnati provides housing accommodations in university managed properties for students with disabilities, ensuring their full participation in the residential university experience, as per the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA).

While there is no official deadline to apply for housing accommodations, students who do not complete the process and receive approval before assignments begin by Housing Services (July 16) may not be able to fully receive approved accommodations until a later semester due to available space. We strongly recommend completing the Housing Accommodation Request process by June 30th to ensure adequate review time before first year assignments begin.  

Students starting at the University of Cincinnati in August 2026 who wish to request a housing accommodation due to a disability must:  

1. Apply for housing through the UC Housing website. Housing timeline for first year students 
   1. Students should indicate "yes" when asked if they need ADA housing accommodations on their housing application. 
   2. Students are not approved for housing accommodations until they have applied for Housing through Housing Services.  
2. Complete the New Student Registration Form using our online external request form.   
3. Upload Required Documentation: We recommend using our Housing Accommodation Medical Professional Form [PDF] (completed by a qualified medical professional). We also accept documentation that clearly outlines the disability, how the disability impacts the student within the University housing community, and how an accommodation directly addresses that impact. Requests will not complete the review process until appropriate documentation is provided.   
   1. You can upload your documentation at the end of your application at the time of completion.   
   2. If you need to provide it at a later date you can email it to Whitney Saunders at saundewn@ucmail.uc.edu. Include the student name, student M# and student's UC email address. 

• Apply for housing through the UC Housing website. To review the renewal timeline, visit housings webpage.
• Complete the New Student Registration Form using our online system, UC Accommodate.
• Upload documentation or a Housing Accommodation Medical Professional Form [PDF] (completed by a qualified medical professional) through the Documents section in your UC Accommodate account (under Accommodation in the menu). Requests will not be reviewed until appropriate documentation is provided.  

After students have submitted their application and required documentation to Accessibility Resources it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Typically, reviews of applications take 7-10 business days.  Students will be updated on their request status via their UC email.  

Incomplete applications, including applications submitted without the required medical documentation, cannot be fully reviewed. 

A diagnosis or medical documentation recommendation on its own does not guarantee approval. Decisions consider the condition's nature, symptoms, and all available accommodations and supports on campus and in the residence halls.  

Important considerations for approving housing accommodations include:

• Is the accommodation request an integral part of the treatment plan for the disability?

• Are there other effective means that would achieve similar benefits as the requested accommodation?

• Does the disability create a barrier to equally accessing housing or components of residential life that is guaranteed to all students living within university residential communities?

If a housing accommodation is approved by Accessibility Resources, Housing Services is provided the student's accommodation information. Housing will begin to place students with approved accommodations in spaces that provide the approved accommodations before general population assignments begin for Fall 2026. They will use the student’s housing application information in making these decisions. Accessibility Resources does not place students in locations, manage the housing portfolio, or manage roommates.  

Housing Services will assess available space for housing accommodations that are approved after housing assignments have occurred.  Information about reassignments or moving will be communicated directly from Housing Services to the student.    

Roommates 

Living with a specific roommate is not an accommodation and is not approved or managed through Accessibility Resources. All students can manage their verified roommate group through their housing portal. All roommate groups are managed through Housing.  

Roommate groups should be verified as soon as possible within a student’s housing portal to ensure the best chance of having a roommate assigned with you.  Housing makes every effort to keep roommate groups intact, but meeting an accommodation is the highest priority, and there may not be a location that provides the accommodation and allows for all roommates. For questions about roommates being assigned with you, please contact housing directly.