Ohio University

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Policy   :   Residential Options   :   Contacts

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Access Policy

This policy will guide the Department of Residential Housing in providing access for the disabled to its programs, services and activities, in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act.

The department has long recognized and met its obligation to accommodate the special needs of disabled students. To that end, the department has adopted a practice of accommodating the residential, dining, recreational and programing needs of individual residents with disabilities, as those needs arise.

Ohio University assures equitable access to education for persons with disabilities. Accommodations are determined on an individual basis For more information about disability services, please visit the Office for Institutional Equity's website at www.ohio.edu/equity/disabilityservices/.

Accommodations Within Facilities

Residence Halls and Apartments

Most disabilities can be reasonably accommodated with modest and / or temporary modification of existing residential facilities. The department will continue to make such modifications and install special equipment to reasonably accommodate the needs of particular students.

Modifications in residence halls will provide disabled residents with barrier-free access to the essential program elements provided to all residents of the building. This includes a bedroom, bathroom facility and such common areas as lounges, recreation rooms, computer labs etc.

Dining Halls, Recreation and Special Program Areas

As access to these community facilities is considered essential to full participation in the residential program, and as they are, on occasion, rented-out to be used as public accommodations, the department will expedite modifications to ensure universal access to all community program areas on all three greens.

Modifications will be designed to provide barrier free access to all dining areas, laundries, snack bars, recreation areas, computer labs, study areas and meeting rooms that provide service to residents in general.

Alterations and Routine Maintenance

All alterations, anywhere in the Housing and Dining Services system, are designed to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).

In addition, the Building Maintenance Department shall review its maintenance procedures and purchasing practices to ensure that all replacement parts and fixtures purchased or installed in Housing and Dining Services facilities are in compliance with ADAAG.

Substantial Renovations

As residence halls and apartments are substantially renovated, Ohio University will comply with the ADA accessibility requirements for new construction, where such modifications are technically feasible and do not result in an undue financial or administrative burden.

It is the University's intent to incrementally develop a range of residential options for the disabled. No less than the ADA-required number of disabled bedrooms / bathrooms will be developed in each residence hall as it is renovated.

The University will develop a detailed plan for the renovation of each residence hall, including provisions for all work necessary to comply with ADA accessibility requirements.

Substantial renovations will be undertaken as funding and program constraints permit.

 

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Residential Options

General Information

Ohio University has developed a number of residential options to accommodate the most profound mobility impairments. The needs of most other disabled residents can be accommodated in standard student housing with specific modifications made for the individual's needs.

Disabled residents are requested to register with the university's Office for Institutional Equity, which is charged with coordinating the needs of disabled students between all university departments. The Office for Institutional Equity will certify to the Housing Office that a particular student is eligible for special services.

Housing options include:

• Fully accessible student rooms with accessible common bathroom shared with other residents of the floor
• Fully accessible student suites with fully equipped private bathrooms
• Medical rooms with private bathrooms but not necessarily wheelchair-accessible
• Rooms equipped with special devices for the hearing impaired and air conditioned rooms

Fully Accessible Suites

The following residential accommodations are reserved to meet the needs of residents with the most profound mobility impairments, including those confined to wheelchairs. The Housing Office will attempt to assign these spaces based on the relative needs of individual students requiring these accommodations. As with all residence hall accommodations, these spaces are provided with a university computer, local phone service, microwave refrigerator unit and cable TV service as part of the room charge.

South Green

Hoover House 102
A fully accessible first floor suite including:

• A bedroom with private wheelchair-accessible bathroom
• Bedroom area with an adjustable height worksurface
• First floor wheelchair access from the elevated walkway through the front door
• Ground floor wheelchair access from the parking area, then via elevator to floors 1-4
• First floor and ground floor entry doors equipped with electric door openers
• Option of regular key entry or electronic opener for those who might have difficulty manipulating a key
• Access to the "mod" lounge through an accessible door from the corridor which also has option of key entry or electronic opener
• Access to Nelson Dining Hall along the elevated walkway from first floor

East Green

Lincoln Hall 130 & 134
Fully accessible, adjoining, first floor suites with a shared bathroom including:

• A bedroom with private wheelchair-accessible bathroom, shared by both suites
• Bedroom areas have adjustable height worksurfaces
• The building's front door and the corridor door are ramped to accommodate wheelchairs
• The building is not equipped with an elevator and wheelchair access is not possible to upper floors
• Access via the main lobby front door and an interior bedroom corridor door
• Access to nearby Jefferson Dining Hall is along the sidewalk and through the accessible lobby door equipped with an electric door operator
• Access to laundry facilities located on the same floor

Shively Hall 103 & 106
Fully accessible first floor suites including:

• A bedroom with private wheelchair-accessible bathroom
• Bedroom area with an adjustable height worksurface
• The building's front door and the corridor door are equipped with electric door operators and "no-key" electronic locks
• The building is equipped with an elevator and wheelchair access is possible to upper floors
• Shively Dining Hall is on the ground floor and is accessible through its front door equipped with an electric operator and the elevator
• Access via the main lobby front door and an interior bedroom corridor door

Read Hall 141
A fully accessible first floor suite including:

• A bedroom with private wheelchair-accessible bathroom (This suite is right off the main lobby.)
• Access to the main lobby via the building's front door which is equipped with an electric operator
• The building is not equipped with an elevator and wheelchair access is not possible from the lobby to the rest of the building. Four steps lead up from the lobby to first floor bedroom areas.
• Option of regular key entry or electronic operator for those who might have difficulty manipulating a key.
• Access to nearby Jefferson Dining Hall is along the sidewalk and through the accessible lobby door equipped with an electric door operator.

West Green

Sargent Hall 128
A fully accessible first floor suite including:

• A bedroom with private wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
• Bedroom area has an adjustable height worksurface.
• Suite is equipped with fire alarm horn and strobe for the hearing impaired.
• Wheelchair access to first floor bedroom wing via ramped side entrance equipped with electric door operator and "no-key" electronic opener.
• Access to the main lobby is through the building's front door equipped with electric door operator and "no-key" electronic opener.
• Four steps prevent wheelchair access between lobby and bedroom wing.
• The building is not equipped with an elevator and wheelchair access is not possible from the lobby or bedroom wing to the rest of the building.
• Access to nearby Boyd Dining Hall is along the sidewalk and through Boyd's accessible front door equipped with an electric door operator.

Medical Rooms

A number of student rooms designated as "medical rooms" are scattered throughout the residence halls. Most are located on the first floor, usually off the main lobby.

Residents with medical conditions requiring a private bathroom may request assignment to one of these rooms.

These rooms are not wheelchair accessible but they do have private bathrooms. In some cases, two medical rooms share a bathroom.

West Green

Sargent Hall 103 & 104
Two adjacent single rooms sharing a private bathroom. Front lobby entrance of the building is wheelchair accessible. Steps up from lobby to the rooms.

James Hall 103 & 104
Two adjacent single rooms sharing a private bathroom. Front lobby entrance of the building is wheelchair accessible. Steps up from lobby to the rooms.

East Green

Bush Hall 127
Single room with private bathroom off main lobby. Front door to lobby is ramped and equipped with electric door operator and "no-key" electronic opener.

Gamertsfelder Hall 140 & 141, 172 & 174
Two sets of two adjacent double rooms sharing a private bathroom. Front door to lobby entrance is not wheelchair accessible. Steps up from lobby to the rooms. A kennel is available for service dogs on this site.

Tiffin Hall 129 & 132
Two adjacent double rooms sharing a private bathroom. Front door to lobby entrance is wheelchair accessible. Steps up from lobby to the rooms.

Voigt Hall 118
Single room with private bathroom off main lobby. Front door to lobby is ramped. Once in the lobby, requires climbing 5 steps and traversing about 20' of corridor to the room.

Washington 125
Double room with private bath off main lobby. Room is also equipped with horn / strobe light connected to fire alarm for hearing-impaired resident. Lobby is not wheel-chair accessible.

Washington 126
Single room with private bath off main lobby. Room is also equipped with horn / strobe light connected to fire alarm for hearing-impaired resident. Lobby is not wheel-chair accessible.

South Green

Brough 302
A double room with a private bathroom located on the third floor. The building is equipped with an elevator.

Cady 302
A double room with a private bathroom located on the third floor. The building is equipped with an elevator.

Foster 302
A double room with a private bathroom located on the third floor. The building is equipped with an elevator.

Accommodations for the Hearing Impaired

A variety of accommodations for the hearing impaired are available, depending on the particular needs of individual residents:

Fire Alarm Horns and Strobe Lights

As new fire alarm systems are installed in residence halls, a number of bedrooms in each hall are equipped with horns and strobe lights. These devices provide a high-decibel sound and high-intensity flashing light intended to awaken and alert the occupant(s) in the event that the building fire alarm is activated. To date these devices have been installed in the following rooms.

BUILDING	ROOM NUMBER	STROBE	HORN	STROBE & HORN
Biddle	104, 105, 113			X
Bryan	None
Bush	134 (phone strobe), 405	X
Gamertsfelder	none
Jefferson	none
Johnson	105, 107, 109, 111, 128, 129, 130, 131			X
Lincoln	130, 134			X
Perkins	none
Read	114, 127, 140			X
Scott	221, 245, 321, 345			X
Shively	128, 139, 143, 228, 241, 305, 319, 328	X
Tiffin	129, 132	X
Voigt	none
Washington	125, 126			X
	All rooms except 327, 356 & 403 (RA's)		X

South Green

BUILDING	ROOM NUMBER	STROBE	HORN	STROBE & HORN
Armbruster	334, 338			X
Atkinson	none
Brough	112, 212, 232	X
	203, 303, 403		X
Brown	115, 118, 120,123, 125,136, 139, 202, 205, 209, 212, 215, 222, 225, 228, 231, 233, 237, 302, 305, 309, 312, 315, 318, 322, 325, 328, 331, 334, 337, 402, 405, 409, 412, 415, 418, 422, 425, 428, 431, 434, 437		X
Cady	none
Crawford	110,135, 208, 226, 308, 326, 408, 426			X
	All rooms		X
Dougan	124			X
Ewing	none
Fenzel	none
Foster	none
Hoover	none
Martzolff	217			X
Mackinnon	110, 115, 120, 123, 125, 205, 208, 210,		X
	213, 214, 219, 224, 228, 231, 234, 305,		X
	308, 310, 313, 314, 319, 324, 328, 331,		X
	405, 410, 413, 414, 419, 424, 428, 431,		X
	434		X
O'Bleness	none
Pickering	All rooms		X
Smith	none
True	none
Weld	none
Wray	361			X

West Green

BUILDING	ROOM NUMBER	STROBE	HORN	STROBE & HORN
Boyd	165, 219, 229, 240, 257, 306, 353			X
	All rooms		X
Bromley	203, 210, 212, 303, 310, 312, 403, 503, 510, 512, 603, 610, 612, 703, 710, 712, 803, 810, 812, 903, 910, 912	X
Convocation Center	All rooms			X
James	116, 129			X
	All rooms		X
Ryors	none
Sargent	114, 117, 120, 122, 128, 133, 138, 146, 202, 206, 214, 215, 221, 227, 235, 239, 242, 249, 307, 316, 325, 332, 340, 402, 407, 423, 427			X
	All rooms		X
Treudley	421	X
Wilson	none

Although the above rooms are permanently equipped with horns and strobes connected to the fire alarms, similar equipment can be temporarily installed in most other rooms, given reasonable notice of the need.

All the rooms in Boyd, James, Sargent and Pickering Halls are readily adaptable to horn / strobe units. Please inform the Housing Office of your need when you submit your housing contract.

Visitor Alert Devices

A door button connected to a flashing light can be installed in any room to alert the resident that he / she has a visitor. Please inform the Housing Office of your need when you submit your housing contract.

Communications Aids

The university's Communications Network Services (CNS) will provide appropriate communications devices for residents with hearing impairments. Please call CNS Technical Services at (740) 593-2667 to make arrangements.

Air Conditioning

Residents who require air conditioning to accommodate a disability should contact the Housing Office.

Several of the university's residence halls are completely air conditioned. Ewing House, Hoover House and Wray House have air conditioning on the third and fourth floors and have a number of air conditioned rooms on the first and second floors.

 

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Who To Contact

Residential Housing

Jneanne Hacker, Assistant Director of Residential Housing
(Housing assignments)

• Phone: (740) 593-4085
• Address:
• Residential Housing
  060 Chubb Hall
  Ohio University
  Athens, OH 45701
  
• E-mail: hackerjn@ohio.edu

Institutional Equity

Carey Busch , Assistant Director, Disability Services
(Campus-wide disability access, registration of the disabled)

• Phone: (740) 593-9142 
• Address:
  
• Disability Services
  Harry B. Crewson House
  Ohio University
  Athens, OH 45701
  
• E-mail: buschc@ohio.edu