ACCESS

Dietary Accommodations

SIUE Dining Services provides students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community with quality food and services at a reasonable value. Offering a variety of nutritional menu items in a comfortable and convenient environment.  Students (and parents) should note that all SIUE students living in a first-year residence hall (Bluff, Prairie, or Woodland Halls) are required to purchase a Residential Meal Plan (Cougar Basic (A), Cougar Plus (B), Cougar Legacy (C). ACCESS at SIUE has established the following procedures to ensure students with documented disabilities have access to reasonable on-campus dietary accommodations. 

Considerations for Accommodation

Dietary accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, based on documented need and prevailing reasonable-accommodation standards. Guiding questions may include:

• Does the student have a disability (i.e., a substantial limitation of a major life activity) that would impair participation in SIUE dining experiences and/or access to healthy meals?
• If so, what documented barrier(s) does the disability pose?
• What reasonable accommodation(s), substantiated by the documentation as necessary, and which would not fundamentally alter core or essential operations, could be granted to reduce or remove those barriers?
• Is the request an integral component of a treatment plan for the condition in question?

Please be aware that a dietary accommodation request is not a request for a specific outcome, but rather a request for an accommodation that would foster access to healthy meals. Dietary accommodation requests based on disability will be reviewed, along with any related documentation, to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation, if warranted. This process includes a referral to engage with Dining Services to discuss all available options, allergies or special meal preparation. ACCESS does not grant accommodations solely on the recommendation of providers, but on the documented functional limitations posed by the student's disability as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Procedures for Requesting Dietary Accommodation

Students in need of dietary accommodations should not expect an exemption from the meal plan requirement without providing Dining Services with every reasonable opportunity to support students' documented dietary needs. For students with medical conditions requiring very specific and extensive dietary accommodations insufficiently addressed in SIUE Dining, the following procedures should be followed:

1. Register in Accommodate: If you have a severe food allergy, celiac disease, or another physiological condition that requires dietary restrictions or accommodations to the dining plan, please complete the online Accommodation Request Form for ACCESS services if you have not already done so. This allows students an opportunity to self-report experiences related to the disability.  
2. Complete Dietary Accommodation Request Form: Please have this form completed by your treating physician. Please note: documentation must come from a licensed medical professional, and a diet prescription must be included. 
3. Engage Dining Services: Necessary information with respect to confidentiality will be forwarded to SIUE Dining Services, and the student will schedule a meeting with an appointed representative to discuss their dietary needs and available options.
4. Determination: In consultation with SIUE Dining staff, ACCESS will determine whether and what meal plan accommodations are appropriate to meet the student's needs. One of three decisions will be made:
   1. Meal plan accommodation request not approved: this is when dietary needs can be accommodated with existing food options in SIUE Dining Services. 
   2. Student's dietary needs can be accommodated through modifications: (reduced meal plan, specially prepared meals, etc.)
   3. Student's dietary needs cannot be accommodated: arrangements must be made for an alternative to the meal plan.

Special Dietary Needs at SIUE Dining

SIUE Dining is committed to providing inclusive, thoughtful food options that support a wide range of dietary needs, preferences, and cultural practices. Whether your choices are guided by health considerations, personal values, religious observances, or food allergies, their team works to offer transparent information and menu variety so you can dine with confidence on campus. For locations, meal plans, and nutrition information, please visit the SIUE Dining Services website. 

For specific dietary concerns, please contact Chef Drake via email at dutech@siue.edu.