Accessible housing, service animals and emotional support animals on campus
PRIORITY access FOR ON-CAMPUS HOUSING
In some circumstances, students with a disability or medical condition may be eligible to live on campus beyond their first year, or in a particular room type.
If you feel that you need to live on campus and meet this requirement, you must apply for housing using the UBCO housing office’s online application process and indicate in your application that you are a student with a disability. Please note that recommendations by the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) for priority access for housing are subject to availability of campus housing.
Deadline to request priority access for housing on campus:
- February 1st 2023: For returning students
- May 1st 2023: For incoming (first-year) students
The following restrictions apply:
- In order to receive a recommendation for priority access for housing, you must have disability-related needs that cannot be met in off-campus housing.
- The presence of a disability alone is insufficient to qualify for priority access for housing. Priority access is only considered in exceptional circumstances.
- Your medical documentation must provide detailed information about the functional impact of your disability/chronic medical condition in relation to your request for priority access to student housing.
- You will be asked to submit your medical documentation to the DRC to review your request.
- All students living on campus must meet the academic courseload requirements. If you cannot maintain this course load for disability-related reasons, please contact your Accessibility Advisor to discuss a reduced course load.
To apply for priority access for housing on campus, you must complete the following two steps:
- Apply to live on campus via the Student Residence – Okanagan housing office. Pay attention to housing’s important dates for the due date. In your housing application, indicate that you are also applying with the DRC for priority access to housing for disability-related reasons.
- Complete the Priority Housing Request Form through the DRC Student Portal. If you do not already have a profile or registered with the DRC, you will need to first complete the Student Intake Form. You must also provide supporting medical documentation to the DRC. You may wish to have a qualified health care professional complete the Verification of Disability Form.
Guide dogs and SERVICE dogs on campus
A guide or service dog is trained to avoid hazards or perform quantifiable tasks that directly ease the challenges associated with their owner’s physical, psychiatric, sensory, and/or developmental disability. Guide dogs help people with visual impairments while service dogs help people with other kinds of disabilities. Guide and service dogs and their handlers are certified.
Click here to learn more about British Columbia’s Service Dog Certification Testing. Service dogs can also be certified out of province or out of country. Service dogs must meet the criteria that would be evaluated by BC Certification.
If you have a service dog, and are requiring campus housing, please contact the DRC directly. Please inform the DRC before the housing deadline to ensure we can make the appropriate room recommendation to housing.
Emotional support animal (ESA) request for campus housing
UBC Okanagan campus housing has a no-pet policy. If you wish to request to have an ESA living with you on campus, complete the Emotional Support Animal Application and Release of Information form (Consent Form). All components must be complete for the application to be considered. The DRC will contact your treating psychiatrist. The animal must be prescribed as a treatment plan. A letter from a family physician is insufficient documentation.
Please note, the ability to accommodate an ESA on campus is dependent on room type availability. Please note that ESA’s are not allowed in the classroom.
Deadline to request an ESA for campus housing (All components of the application, including information from Psychiatrist, must be received by the following dates):
- February 1st 2023: For returning students
- May 1st 2023: For incoming (first-year) students
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)
Q: What is the criteria to receive priority access to housing for disability-related reasons?
A: In order to receive a recommendation for priority access to housing, you must have disability-related needs that cannot be met in off-campus housing. Medical documentation is required as part of your request. The DRC will determine the recommendations made to UBC’s housing department.
Q: When and where should I apply for housing?
A: Applying for accessible housing on the Okanagan campus is a 2-step process. Ensure that you apply for housing through the Student Residence-Okanagan housing website and indicate that you are a student with a disability. Additionally, complete the DRC’s Priority Housing Request Form and provide medical documentation to the DRC by the posted deadline.
Q: What happens if I make a late request that is past the posted deadline?
A: In order for the DRC to make a recommendation to the housing office, we require students to meet the posted deadline. Once the deadline has passed, we cannot guarantee that a DRC recommendation put forward can be met by the housing office. Late applicants can enter their name to the Student Residence-Okanagan housing office’s waitlist for housing.
Q: What is the difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal (ESA)?
A: A guide or service dog is trained to avoid hazards or perform quantifiable tasks that directly ease the challenges associated with their owner’s physical, psychiatric, sensory, and/or developmental disability. Guide dogs help people with visual impairments while service dogs help people with other kinds of disabilities. Guide and service dogs and their handlers are certified.
An ESA is an untrained pet that is used for emotional support.
Q: Can I bring my ESA to the classroom?
A: No, ESA’s are not allowed in the classroom, or any other campus buildings. Approved ESA’s are only permitted in the student’s dorm room.
Q: What kind of documentation do I need for a request to have an ESA living on campus?
A: To have an ESA approved to live in residence with you, you must provide supporting documentation from your treating psychiatrist. The animal must be prescribed as part of your disability-related treatment plan. A letter from a family physician is insufficient documentation. You are not permitted to bring the animal to campus unless your ESA application has been approved.
Questions
If you have questions please email drc.questions@ubc.ca or call 250 807 8053.
