Temporary Medical Conditions

Documentation for Temporary Medical Conditions

Students with temporary injuries (e.g., broken bones, recovery from surgery) are not eligible for formal accommodations but may benefit from services OCS can coordinate, such as extra time for examinations, use of a scribe, and note-taking assistance. Students with such injuries seeking academic assistance must provide supportive documentation to OCS and schedule an appointment with the Disability Services and Advising Coordinator. The information that should be included in such documentation is outlined below. Individual faculty members have discretion as to whether allowances will be made for missed classes and/or fulfilling course requirements (e.g., examinations, presentations, participation) due to temporary injury or illness.

Accommodations for temporary disabilities are approved for a limited time period, not to exceed one semester. Updated documentation is required for services to be continued beyond the assigned date. Students approved for accommodations based upon a temporary disability will be provided a letter listing the temporary accommodations approved by OCS. It is the student’s responsibility to present the letter to each instructor and discuss the implementation of these accommodations. Please do not hesitate to contact OCS (225-7438500) if you have any questions.

Evaluator Qualifications

Documentation must be provided by a qualified professional, generally a physician; however, depending upon the nature of the temporary medical condition, other medical professionals may be considered qualified.

Documentation Requirements

Documentation must:

1. Contain a clear statement of the medical diagnosis of the orthopedic/mobility disability or systemic illness;
2. Discuss the current impact of the physical disability or systemic illness on the student’s functioning;
3. Include a summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis, including evaluation results and standardized scores, if applicable;
4. Provide a description of present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis;
5. Consist of medical information relating to the student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment;
6. Describe functional limitations and symptoms caused by the disability as they pertain to the academic environment in which the student is requesting accommodations; and accommodation as it relates to the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities.

Reasonable accommodations are determined based on the nature of the medical condition.