Harvard took similar steps in Weld, virtually gutting the building and starting over.

But when it came to places like Grays or Wigglesworth, the College made only minor changes, leaving the buildings essentially inaccessible to students in wheelchairs.

The College admits this solution is not perfect. First-years with mobility impairments who can access their own rooms cannot necessarily visit their friends. And the accessible dorms have their limitations. Despite its overall accessibility, Thayer, for example, lacks a common room.

Nathans says the FDO also faces difficulty when trying to accommodate first-years who want to be part of roommate suites.

One solution is to place disabled students in Canaday, where at least one such suite is accessible.

But Booker, who was in a Canaday suite, says his placement while convenient, was socially isolating.

"The rest of the entryway was up a set of steps...which meant that I could never meet anyone in my entryway," Booker says. "We were located in a room everyone thought was a supply closet."