Documentation Guidelines
Please allow adequate time for review and implementation of accommodations. The process can take time; we recommend sending documentation as soon as possible. Please be advised that accommodations are not retroactive.
Documentation provided by a student is our indicator of the needs and background of the specific student. Documentation is required in order to provide services to students. Basic classroom accommodations include extended time, a reduced distraction-testing environment and supplemental note taking assistance.
The following guidelines serve as a baseline for what might be required, should a student request a more extensive set of accommodations -beyond the basic set of accommodations.
It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with the Disability Services Office and to provide appropriate documentation of the disability and related functional limitations for which they are requesting accommodations. This process follows the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendment Act of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and is designed to ensure that reasonable, appropriate accommodations are provided to all qualified students in a timely manner. A diagnosis of a disorder/condition/syndrome in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations. In order to meet the criteria of a person with a disability under federal law, a person must demonstrate how their impairment substantially limits one or more daily life activities.
The following documentation guidelines are used to verify the student's disabling condition(s):
- A clear diagnostic statement that describes how the condition was diagnosed, information about the functional impact, and suggestions of appropriate accommodations provided by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional who has undergone appropriate and comprehensive training, has relevant experience, and has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated.
- All documentation must be on official letterhead, typed and signed by the professional. Diagnosis written on prescription pads, handwritten, or stamped with a signature will not be accepted.
- Common sense and discretion will be used in accepting older documentation of conditions that are permanent or non-varying.
- Documentation must show current functioning of the student. Appropriate diagnostic testing cannot be older than 5 years; some documentation may be required to be as recent as within the last month, depending on the diagnosis.
Requests for any and all accommodations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with approval being based on two factors: 1) Is the accommodation requested appropriate? 2) Is it reasonable? Accommodations are designed to allow the student to meet the same essential elements of their selected program that are required of all students, with or without a disability.
When a student provides documentation of their disability, Disability Services will scan the documentation and return the original back to the student. Students may also email or fax documentation to the Disability Service Office. These processes allow for the student to keep their original documentation. As such, Disability Services will never release a student's documentation to any third party, or other institution of higher education for any reason. Students need to take careful measures to retain and store all documentation as the ODS office will not release it to a third party under any circumstances.
Please allow adequate time for review and implementation of accommodations. The process can take two to three weeks; we recommend sending documentation as soon as possible.