Accommodation for students with disabilities or other support needs

We've been able to find suitable accommodation for students with hearing or visual impairments, who use wheelchairs, and students with other support needs. Adjustments we've made in the past include:

• allocate a particular location (eg closer to campus/hospitals)
• allocate a specific room type (eg larger or en suite rooms)
• allocate a room nearby to carer(s)
• arrange for specific furniture (eg ergonomic bed)
• install additional safety aids (eg flashing fire alarms)
• allocate to a non-catered hall (eg if you have severe food allergies)

You'll also be supported by the live-in team of pastoral staff who help everyone make the most of their time at LSE.

LSE aims to support students who have a requirement for an assistance animal during their stay in halls of residence. An Assistance animal is defined as a dog (not exclusively) which has been specifically and highly trained to assist disabled people with daily tasks. LSE is not able to accommodate requests for emotional support animals in halls of residence. These are defined as animals which provide emotional support and companionship, but which are not specifically trained to assist with daily tasks.

LSE halls have either no or very limited outside space and operate at full capacity for most of the year. Central London and the LSE campus itself are extremely busy and densely populated. As such, our halls of residence are not suitable living environments for most animals. However, LSE Residential and Catering Services Division recognises that there are circumstances in which assistance animal may be necessary for the wellbeing of a student, and is supportive of this need.

In order for us to consider your request for an assistance animal, you should follow the steps outlined in Option A or Option B below, when you will be provided with a form to provide to your GP for them to confirm that:

• living with an assistance animal is a mandatory treatment for your medical condition;
• that your condition cannot be kept under control adequately by any other measures; and
• that it is not possible for you to live in privately rented housing

LSE does not supply emotional support or therapy animals and we do not permit pets in halls of residence. The care of the assistance animal will be the responsibility of the student at all times. Should the animal cause damage to the hall or disturbance to the other residents, the arrangement will be reviewed with you and may be discontinued.

Please take the below self-assessment questionnaire highlighting key points about our halls and the booking process.

Self-assessment questionnaire

• Start your booking. You’ll be prompted to tell us about any medical requirements that may affect your accommodation
• Download the GP assessment form and ask your GP to complete it. If you’re a new student, you can now make a booking.
• Upload the completed GP assessment form
• NOTE: If you require significant adjustments to your accommodation you must upload your completed assessment form by 31 May (we will accept requests for adjustments after 31 May, however we cannot guarantee that we will be able to complete adjustment works at late notice)

What happens next?

Once we've received your booking and the GP assessment form, we'll meet with the Disability and Mental Health Service to review your booking. Then we'll contact you to confirm whether the room type you have booked is suitable and with information on any adjustments we can make.

We may amend your booking before we've received your GP assessment form, based on what you’ve told us. We may also change the booking later, based on what your GP says. If you require specific medical equipment to be provided by LSE we'll ask you to review and approve the model within 3 working days.

• Start your booking. You'll be prompted to tell us about any medical requirements that may affect your accommodation.
• Download the GP assessment form and ask your GP to complete it. If you're a continuing student, we need to receive and approve the GP assessment form before you can make a booking.
• Upload the completed GP assessment form.
• NOTE: If you require significant adjustments to your accommodation you must upload your completed assessment form by 31 May (we will accept requests for adjustments after 31 May, however we cannot guarantee that we will be able to complete adjustment works at late notice)

What happens next?

Once we've received your GP assessment form, we'll meet with the Disability and Mental Health Service to review your medical requirements. Then we'll contact you to confirm whether we can accommodate you in halls of residence for your second, or third year of study, and how we can assist you. If you require specific medical equipment to be provided by LSE we'll ask you to review and approve the model within 3 working days.

• Start your booking
• You'll be prompted to tell us about any other support needs that may affect your accommodation.

What happens next?

Once we've received your booking, the Head of Residential Life will meet with the LSE Accommodation Office to review your booking. Then we'll contact you to confirm whether the room type you have booked is suitable and with information on any adjustments that we can make.