It's section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, but still does not apply in college. The Americans with Disabilities Act does apply, and requires colleges to make *reasonable* accommodations. In practice, ADA accommodations may look very similar to 504 accommodations, but a 504 written in high school doesn't automatically carry over. The college will make its own determination of reasonable accommodations. |
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My son had T1D. He always had a roommate. The roommate never mined all the supplies, snacks, extra stuff that comes with diabetes. It gave me peace of mind knowing that there was another person around if there was a low low or anything.
Contact Res. Life office and Accommodations and Accessibility Services at the college. They are super helpful and have faced this question many times before. |
| Single rooms are often still within a suite. My daughter has one and I think it’s worked out well. For different reasons but I can see why your son might want one as well. |
| Not usually needed for T1Ds, and it’s common enough in college students the school will have experience. I wouldn’t assume you’re going to get your way on this. |
Edit: My son HAS T1D. (very misleading typo!!). Sorry! |
I really can't imagine why anyone would mind. When OP mentioned the needles, I thought there was concern that a roommate might steal the needles. |
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My T1D son in his first year of college just got assigned a new single dorm when he went back for spring semester. It was the alarms that bugged his roommate.
My son requested a single but the university couldn't meet that requirement due to so many requesting singles this past year because of covid and compromised immune systems. He was put on a waitlist and didn't think he'd get off it. Disability services did tell us that this past year was the most single room requests they'd ever received. I think what helped his movement on the list is that his roommate lightly complained to the RA a few times about poor sleeping conditions because of the alarms. His roommate is a great guy and they are still friends; he's just a light sleeper and getting woken up in the middle of the night wasn't good for him academically. |
And which specific college is that pp? From Wright's Law, a great source I'm sure you are aware: The services in a student's IEP and/or a high school level Section 504 Plan end when the student graduates from high school. If you look at the text of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law that provides for IEPs, or at Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), you won't find any wording that explicitly says that students' plans "expire" or come to an end when students graduate from high school (or "age out" of the system). Colleges may use these plans to help in decision making but they are not required to follow the requirements of these plans. Another factor contributing to the confusion about 504 plans occurs when one parent tells another parent that her child has a 504 plan in college. If a student with disabilities uses a special fee-for-service program at their college (ex. a program that provides additional supports for students on the autism spectrum), a staff member may write a plan that includes goals and outlines the supports this student will receive. This plan is not a "504 plan," because Section 504 does not require colleges to write plans for students; they just have to provide accommodations to eligible students. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Section 504 stipulates that no otherwise qualified person due to disability may be denied the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/trans.college.accoms.hamblet.htm |
| My dc is a freshmen this year, and did request and receive a single room as a accommodation for Type 1 diabetes (considered a disability). Honestly, however, I would have been uncomfortable with this if she wasn't using the Dexcom to help her be aware of lows. |
| The first thought I had was what happens if he gets low and nobody’s there to help. Being in a suite might mitigate that but not entirely. You can request an accommodation from the college disability office. Would it make sense to ask for housing with another Type 1? |
NP. I understand that he strongly prefers a single, but it might not be a reasonable accommodation given the high need for singles in COVID times for people with other disabilities.
I've seen young adults with Type ! diabetes assigned together. Would that be acceptable to your son, OP? |
OP this was my first thought when I read your post. I hope your DS isn't trying to isolate himself unnecessarily. |
It is a specifically included disability under fair housing act that applies to colleges. You absolutely should be able to get |
Covid and Type 1 very serious concern |
Ok it’s a personal choice re pumps, cgms etc. it’s important to respect that. Pumps are not a panacea. It also is a personal choice whether he wants a single given his situation. |