Reasonable Accommodations

  • Disability accommodations are deemed “reasonable”, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, if they are necessary to ensure equal access to the same opportunities as provided to all Ball State students.
  • Accommodations are not considered reasonable if they are merely to improve chances of success. BSU certainly wants all of its students to succeed, however now that the student is an adult, success is the responsibility of the student, not the institution.
  • Disability accommodations are only appropriate when there is a barrier to equal access.
  • Accommodations are reasonable when they include the student in the same opportunities everyone else has. Accommodations are not reasonable if they let students with disabilities out of the responsibilities or expectations BSU holds for everyone.

What does Access vs. Success mean when it comes to campus housing?

Here are some examples of requests where an accommodation would not be approved. In the following scenarios the requested accommodation would be helpful or desirable, and could improve chances of success — especially when the student’s disability makes these situations more difficult. But when, generally speaking, no student has access to the opportunity requested, the request is generally regarded as a fundamental alteration to the campus housing, and legally not considered “reasonable”.

In general, BSU residence hall rooms are double rooms, with a few exceptions. All Cardinals are expected to seek out and discover places in their campus community to decompress, unwind, or process their emotions in places other than the room where they sleep. Here are several ideas:

  • Enjoy solitary walks in the Quad or Christy Woods
  • Find a private nook in the library or other academic buildings to nestle in and read or think
  • Make use of the Resource & Relaxation Room in the Counseling Center or study rooms in the residence halls for quiet time, meditation, and/or contemplation
  • Discover the many nooks in academic buildings (North Quad, Burkhardt Building, Ball Building, Letterman Building are some favorites), or the residence hall study rooms
  • The Counseling Center’s Resource & Relaxation Room (Lucina Hall 310A) has massage chairs which are great for stretching out, and escaping the sights and sounds of campus.
  • Work with Housing & Residence Life staff to set up and host a Roommate Agreement meeting. They are skilled at working with roommates in a neutral fashion to help with boundary setting and expectation management to create a healthy living environment for each roommate.

BSU provides many, many places on campus where you can study alone in peace and quiet:

  • Discover the many nooks in academic buildings (North Quad, Burkhardt Building, Ball Building, Letterman Building are some favorites), or the residence hall study rooms
  • Empty classrooms! Any student can “claim” an empty classroom for their study session. Make a sign for the door, or use a whiteboard marker on the glass of the door to say “In use”
  • The Learning Center (North Quad 350) is a quiet and peaceful place to study

In shared housing, each student should understand what they can control. It’s unrealistic to control the whole room, but it’s realistic to manage your own things and set boundaries with your roommate. All Cardinals need to learn how to share a space and set boundaries and express them with their roommates. This is an extremely valuable skill living in a residential community, such as Ball State. However, it is a new skill for many students who either have been only children, or have never had to share a room with a sibling. It gets easier with practice!

Just about any college alum can recall a less-than-perfect roommate situation. It can happen, and it doesn’t make that past bad experience go away. However, it is possible to move on in a positive way. Taking what you can learn from a bad roommate situation and applying those lessons to a new situation is how to utilize a growth mentality to come through adversity.

  • Work with the Ball State Counseling Center to talk through your past experiences and determine strategies and receive support for moving into a new roommate relationship
  • Make an appointment with Housing & Residence Life staff to discuss your fears or concerns; attend one of the various events held in your residence hall to potentially meet new roommate possibilities; partake in the roommate matching process to read profiles of other students seeking a new roommate to find a good match

All students should consider locking valuables, including medications.

  • We recommend buying a lockbox or small safe to keep tucked away and out of sight.
  • Lock your dorm room door when you leave.
Please proceed to the Accommodations page for more information.

Housing and ESA Accommodation Forms

To begin the Housing and ESA accommodation process with our office, click on the relevant form below. Any requests made in August may not be reviewed until after the campus housing move-in period. There is a 1-2 week processing time for all other housing requests made during the current semester.

Housing Accommodation Request Form
ESA Request Form

For More Information

If you have questions or need additional assistance from our office, please call or email us.

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