Champaign, Urbana and the University have numerous policies and rules to provide for disabled residents and students. Nonetheless, disabled University students can find securing off-campus housing a challenge.

Esther Patt, coordinator of the University’s Tenant Union program, said that while there are plenty of programs and regulations in place, there is still not enough accessible housing in the area because landlords generally do not reserve the accessible apartments for disabled students. Patt also noted that the way the building regulations were written favors larger units.

“One of the challenges is that much of the new construction has been on larger apartments for more than one person,” she said. “It’s harder to find single bedroom apartments that are accessible.”

Larry Perlman, housing specialist for the Persons Assuming Control of their Environment (PACE) Inc. Center for Independent Living, said there were other uncertainties for disabled residents in the Champaign-Urbana area.

“In terms of accessibility, most apartment units set aside a number of units and make them accessible. That’s how larger landlords deal with this,” Perlman said. “Smaller landlords are a lot more random in terms of that. Disabled people may find it more difficult and have to shop around more to find affordable, accessible housing.”

Because of these difficulties, some disabled University students may opt to simply stay in University residence halls. Kirsten Ruby, assistant director of University housing for marketing, said all residence halls are handicap accessible.

“Generally, our spaces meet (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements and are a popular option because you can live there with everyone,” Ruby said.

However, Ruby said she didn’t know how many disabled students choose to live off campus.

“It’s not essential information unless they request accommodations, so we don’t ask,” she said.

Both Champaign and Urbana require that any buildings built since March 1, 1991, have to have handicap-accessible apartments, Patt said.

“Right now, all the first floor units have to be accessible, and common things like mailboxes and laundry rooms have to be on accessible routes,” Patt said. “For those buildings where the bottom floor is mostly parking, there has to be a certain amount of accessible apartments on the second floor.”

Michael Jay, director of operations for Campus Property Management (CPM), said the regulations have provided plenty of accessible apartments for disabled students, at least in CPM buildings.

“The code requirements (the cities) have are adequate,” Jay said. “It’s fair to say that it’s just from our experience, of course.”

Patt said there have been several proposals to provide more accessible apartments for students, but the best solution is simple, if not cheap.

“We just need more housing construction,” Patt said.