Documentation Guidelines

Students requesting reasonable accommodations are responsible for providing documentation of their disabilities to the Office of Accessibility Services. Documentation should be current, demonstrate the existence of a disability, support the reasonable accommodations requested by the student, and have been conducted by a qualified examiner. Additionally, students are responsible for all costs associated with obtaining reports, examinations, testing, etc. If needed to sufficiently document one or more disabilities, a student may submit documents from multiple sources. If the documentation is insufficient and more is required, the Office of Accessibility Services will notify the student. The student is then responsible for obtaining additional information or testing as needed.

Below are documentation guidelines that are to be followed regardless of the specific disability. Students should also read and follow the relevant disability-specific section(s). These disability-specific documentation guidelines can be found at the bottom of this page.

Documentation Guidelines for All Disabilities:

1. Documentation must be typed on professional letterhead and include the name, title, professional credentials of the evaluator (including license or certification and area(s) of specialization), place of employment, state in which the individual practices, and the evaluator’s signature.
2. Evaluations must be performed by a professional who is licensed or certified to evaluate and diagnose the particular disability.
3. The professional conducting the assessment must be impartial and cannot be a family member.
4. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan is NOT always sufficient documentation to determine eligibility. More documentation may be requested if an IEP is the only documentation turned in.
5. Because accommodations are not retroactive, students requesting accommodations for the first time should submit their applications and documentation in a timely fashion so that the College has ample time to review these materials, determine eligibility, and make necessary arrangements. If requesting accommodations that take time to arrange (e.g., hiring communication facilitators, purchasing books on tape, etc.), at least six weeks’ notice should be given. For accommodations that are easier to arrange (e.g., extended time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment), it is sufficient to submit these materials two weeks prior to the start of the semester. These minimum timeframes assume that the documentation submitted is current and comprehensive and meets all of the guidelines outlined in this handbook.

Please note that a brief statement listing only the diagnosis is insufficient since a condition is not necessarily a disability. Documentation must clearly indicate that the condition substantially limits major life activities applicable to our academic environment.