The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1 - 176

Patricia Barrett Malik • Patricia Wolfe Anton

Being part of the University
Housing system provided
BRSS students with numerous
advantages, such as the vast
opportunities for dining and
attending programs not only in
their own hall, but across campus.

traditional ways of doing business in University Housing had to be reconsidered in order
to be inclusive of residents with disabilities. As
the purpose of bringing BRSS into Nugent was
social integration and relationship building
within the same residential community, staff
recognized that many policies, procedures,
and attitudes would need to be examined in
preparation for such integration.
Being part of the University Housing system
provided BRSS students with numerous advantages, such as the vast opportunities for dining
and attending programs not only in their own
hall, but across campus. University Housing
staff, however, had little experience working
with students with severe physical disabilities
and little awareness of their needs. Typically,
these students use power wheelchairs and may
need assistance for tasks that require fine motor
skills. For example, many are not able to hand
their university ID to the checker in the dining
hall or may not be able to actively participate in
a hall program that requires taking notes. It was
necessary, then, to provide training on disability awareness and response to needs to Nugent
housing staff, as well as to the larger housing
staff, primarily in residential life, dining ser176

vices, and housing facilities. Being prepared
to communicate respectfully at the front desk,
understanding how to make an accommodation
in a dining hall, or thinking proactively during
program design (always anticipating that a
student with a disability would attend a hall
program) became a necessity for all housing
staff. BRSS staff, while not a part of University
Housing, were integral in helping design the
training modules based on their past experience with this unique group of students. In addition, they implemented training for a variety
of people including desk clerks, dining staff,
building services staff, and residential life professional and paraprofessional staff. BRSS staff
continue to provide disability awareness training to housing employees, as needed, through
formal programs and informal conversations.
BRSS staff also experienced a learning
curve upon moving from a very small, familyoriented work environment to the larger unit
that is University Housing at Illinois. Having
to master volumes of policies, procedures, and
organizational charts replaced a simple task
like mopping up a spill in a resident’s room or
asking the cook to make an individually tailored
meal in the middle of the afternoon for a resident not feeling well enough to attend lunch.
However, the collaboration allowed BRSS staff
to let go of their worries about the daily operations of running a residence hall. They were
able to focus on their primary strengths: educating students, teaching self-advocacy skills,
and developing individualized support plans
for residents, responsibilities that residential
life staff would not have the time, resources, or
expertise to do alone.
The preparatory work done in anticipation of opening Nugent can be considered a

The JourNal of College aNd uNiVersiTy sTudeNT housiNg
The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1
