Vancouver Island University and VIU Student Residence is located at the base on Mount Benson. We live on a mountain and because of that, we have great views but also a lot of stairs and steep slopes. Residence recognizes and acknowledges what these challenges can pose to some of our students. Because of that we are working with Accessibility Services and Facilities on campus to continuously support our students needs. Being clear with Residence and Accessibility Services about what accommodations you may require allows us to better support your educational and learning journey here at VIU.
For those needing an accessibility accommodation at VIU Student Residences. All medical information is collected for VIU Residence records only. It may be accessed and disclosed to emergency personnel in the event of a medical emergency.
Accessible accommodations for both academic/learning and Residence living requirements are facilitated through VIU's Accessibility Services.
For applicants needing accessible accommodations in Residence, please be advised that all paperwork and supporting documentation needs to be received in full by the office of Accessibility Services by May 1 for the upcoming Fall (September) admissions to Residence. For second semester (Spring Term) accessible applications please contact residence@viu.ca before Nov. 1 for more information and availability.
Applications received by the office after this date are not guaranteed and will be placed in line for placement in the order that they were received.
On Campus
The Nanaimo campus is beautiful, yet complex. Important accessibility features such as powered doors and ramps are not always readily visible and easy to find. Additionally, accessible routes can be difficult to find amongst the maze of stairs. For more information visit Universal Access at VIU
The VIU Accessible Wayfinding Initiative was created in 2019 to mitigate these issues. The Universal Acess Website presents the results of the project: a collection of accessible mobility wayfinding maps for the Nanaimo Campus.
If you require any more information on general medical care at VIU please visit the Student Health Clinic website.
Residence Accessibility Accommodation Form