Housing Accommodations and Emotional Support Animals

Housing Accommodations

ECU will consider reasonable housing accommodations for students with disabilities. Housing accommodations may include room adaptation, adjustments, or access to a single room. When the documentation shows that a single room is a necessary method of meeting the housing needs of a student with a disability, ECU will consider exceptions to its general room rate structure unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration to the housing program. Each request will be individually evaluated annually with respect to the documentation presented and the accommodations needed. First priority will be given to those who meet the deadline for requesting modified housing which is May 1st of each year.

A student requesting housing accommodation must submit to DSS a completed copy of the Request for Accommodation form.  In addition, documentation supporting the need for accommodation must be submitted to DSS.  The Request for Accommodation form and documentation requirements can be accessed online. In addition, students must complete the housing application online through OneStop.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA’s)

ESA’s are not service animals as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and are not afforded the same access to campus as a service animal.

ESA’s must be approved by Disability Support Services to reside in University Residence Halls but are not permitted in other facilities including classrooms, dining halls, libraries and student centers.

Requests for ESA’s require signed documentation, from a doctor or other medical professional, or a reliable third party who is in a position to know about the individual’s disability. Documentation from the internet (i.e. from websites that sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee) is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an ESA.

The following information is required:

•  In the instance that the impairment is not observable, ECU may request information regarding both the disability and the disability related need for the ESA. The impairment’s impact on the student’s ability to reside in a communal living environment.
• A clear description of how the animal will mitigate functional limitations.

Documentation should be submitted to:
Disability Support Services 
Suite 109 Mendenhall, Greenville, NC 27858
Fax: 252-737-1025 | dssdept@ecu.edu