Residential Accommodations

OSA approves reasonable housing accommodations for students with disabilities that impact housing-specific major life activities. Below are some common examples of housing accommodations:

• Access to accessible laundry facility
• Access to single-user locking bathroom
• Ground floor residence hall
• Single room
• Limit to only one roommate
• Visual fire alarm
• Wheelchair accessibility

OSA has no authority in room selection. Campus Living staff will assign rooms to meet approved accommodations.

OSA approves reasonable accommodations to support students with disabilities that impact their ability to safely access and navigate our dining facilities. These may include, but aren’t limited to:

• Modified meal plan
• Access to meals made without gluten, dairy, or other specific allergen
• Meal plan exemption

OSA approves parking exemptions for first-year students who must attend six or more off-campus medical or mental health appointments per month. Students requesting parking exemptions for other reasons such as off-campus employment should contact Transportation and Parking.

Disabled parking on campus:

Lewis & Clark has several disabled parking spots for students to use campus wide. 

Here are the steps to acquire a disability parking permit from the Oregon DMV:

• You and your medical provider must complete the appropriate sections. NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be processed.
• Submit the completed application at any DMV office, OR
• Mail to: DMV Driver Transactions Unit, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem Oregon 97314.
• If accepted, you will receive a sign to hang in your rear view mirror.

Lewis & Clark has a no pets policy. OSA approved Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) for students with disabilities for whom the animal is necessary to afford them an equal opportunity to use and enjoy their dwelling. There must also be an identifiable relationship or nexus between the impacts of the disability and the support the animal provides.

Please review the Lewis & Clark Service & Assistance Animal Policy and the Animal Control Policy. Please also make sure that your animal is not on the Oregon Prohibited Species list.

After meeting with you and reviewing your documentation, we will determine whether the approval process can move forward. If so, we will send you a link to the Emotional Support Animal Registration form. If you are requesting a dog or a cat as an ESA, you must register your animal with Multnomah County.

Once all steps are completed, OSA will notify you whether or not your request for an ESA is approved. OSA will also notify Campus Living that your request is approved. Campus Living will then contact you with information about housing community expectations.

Here are local grooming locations and bathing options:

• Original Bark
• Pretty Paws and Claws
• Wiggles and Wags Grooming
• Cats in the City
• *Waterless Bathing Option

Here are local boarding options:

• Original Bark
• Dogtopia
• Arnold Creek Cat Retreat
• Cats in the City

The purpose of Lewis & Clark’s residence halls is to sleep, socialize, and store belongings, and the purpose of accommodations is to help ensure equal access to these activities. Disability-related residential accommodations are generally provided when the accommodation would:

• Ensure equal access and opportunity to learning, participation, and campus life without lowering standards and expectations
• Address specific campus barriers or factors within the environment that impact the student’s ability to access the environment
• Logically and effectively remove the identified barriers or factors that negatively impact equal access
• Not fundamentally alter the expectations, learning outcomes, technical standards, or general student experiences of the on-campus housing program
• Meet disability-related housing needs that can’t be managed through personal strategies or existing campus support available to all students

While each accommodation request is individually considered on a case-by-case basis, disability-related accommodations are not generally provided:

• To provide occasional access to a quiet or private space (spaces are available for privacy around campus, including decompression rooms in each residential area, and students are expected to develop a roommate agreement which may include scheduled alone time)
• To secure a quiet study space (available at Watzek Library and other buildings on campus)
• To provide privacy for virtual appointments (private spaces are available around campus, including Zoom Rooms)
• To foster academic success (accommodations support access, not success)
• To increase comfort or alleviate discomfort in the housing arrangement (such as by having a specific roommate, or having a roommate-free experience to avoid addressing typical roommate conflicts)
• To serve as an alternative to the student developing the skills, abilities, and practices necessary to effectively live in a communal, on-campus environment
• To serve as part of a student’s treatment plan
• Due to financial concerns