Discrimination 

Looking for housing shouldn’t be a barrier.
I was rejected after I told them that I use a wheelchair
That’s not housing — that’s discrimination.Help me hold them accountable by signing the petition.

Hi, my name is Ellie. I’m a master's student in Psychology at Leiden University, and I want to share my experience with discrimination. 

I am disabled and I use a wheelchair. That’s important for my story. 

 In April 2025, I was searching for a room in Leiden. I contacted the student housing company , van der huizen and asked for a ground-floor room, due to my disability. 

They refused, saying they had no wheelchair-accessible rooms. I replied that I’m ok with no special adaptations , I just needed a ground-floor room, as I can walk indoors. They then said I couldn’t leave my wheelchair in common areas due to fire policy. I offered to lock it outside, but they told me it wasn’t safe, and I should rent elsewhere. 

A month later, I realized this may be discrimination. I contacted them again. They told me to book a viewing “like everyone else,” but my viewing was then denied. After I questioned this, they stopped responding. 

I have already contacted the Institute for Human Rights, but I wanted also to share my story with everybody. 

If we accept discrimination, it becomes the norm. 

Thank you for reading my story, 
Ellie Leledaki 

*If you have experienced discrimination due to a disability or for some other reason, with finding housing, please contact me via ellie.leledaki@gmail.com.  

*If you are a student with a disability, there is a student association working towards accessibility, ready to support you. If you have any concerns or have experienced discrimination, please consider contacting ASP via our email: asp@leidenuniv.nl