8.04 Housing for Students with Disabilities

The information listed below is intended to assist Harvard Medical and Dental students who wish to request a housing accommodation based on a documented disability. The role of the HMS and HSDM Office of Disability Services is to review documentation and determine whether a housing accommodation is warranted. All requests are reviewed and approved on an interactive, student-centered, case-by-case basis.

To initiate their request, students must contact the HMS and HSDM Disability Services Office via e-mail at disabilityservices@hms.harvard.edu to schedule either an in-person or virtual appointment with the Director of Disability Services. At this meeting, students will be informed of the housing accommodation procedure and will review the information that the documentation should include. Students should submit their accommodation request to Disability Services as soon as they decide to live in University Housing.

The Disability Services Office reserves the right to consult with representatives from the Harvard University Housing and Vanderbilt Hall in making determinations regarding housing accommodations. All decisions will be communicated to students by the Disability Services Office, in person and in writing.

Wheelchair-Accessible Bedrooms

Vanderbilt Hall features five accessible bedrooms with private bathrooms, one of which includes a small kitchenette. Priority for these rooms is determined based on student and university needs. If no students require accessible bedrooms, these bedrooms may be available to the general student population, but non-disabled students may be required to surrender the rooms if a need arises. 

Updated 9/10/26

Reviewed and Approved by PME Administration.