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2006-2007 Faculty Guidelines (PDF)
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Determination of Eligibility General Documentation Guidelines Students who seek support services from the Office of Student Disability Services are required to submit current documentation to verify eligibility as defined under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Protection under these civil rights statutes is based upon documentation of a disability that currently substantially limits at least one major life activity, i.e. performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and/or working. Eligibility for accommodations must be supported by documentation and be determined reasonable by the Office of Student Disability Services. Current relevant documentation is the key to identifying appropriate accommodations and auxiliary aids at the college level. The documentation must demonstrate present need for accommodation and should avoid terms like “suggests,” “is indicative of,” and nonspecific diagnoses such as “slow reader,” “attention problems,” and “test difficulty/anxiety.” In addition, the evaluator should recommend and provide a rationale for all accommodations recommended. Any accommodations/auxiliary aids listed will be taken into consideration, but not automatically implemented. By law the University is only required to offer a reasonable accommodation, not the best accommodation or the one preferred by the student. For all documentation the evaluator should be a licensed or certified professional. The documentation should include the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about his/her license or certification as well as his/her area(s) of specialization. All reports should be on official letterhead, typed, dated, signed and otherwise legible. Students who submit documentation that does not adequately address their current level of functioning and/or need for accommodation will need to provide the appropriate additional documentation required. A school plan, such as an IEP or a 504 Plan is insufficient documentation to support a student’s eligibility for accommodation and/or services in the postsecondary setting. Students with physical, sensory or chronic health-related disabilities must provide current documentation (completed within the last six months) from a medical doctor, which clearly states the diagnosis and its history. If the documentation is older than six months, an update from the physician should be provided. The documentation must include a summary of the assessment procedures and tools used by the physician should be provided. The documentation must include a summary of the assessment procedures and tools used by the physician and should describe the disability-related limitations faced by the individual in an educational setting. Students with psychological disabilities (emotional/psychiatric) must provide documentation no older than three years (in some instances the documentation can be older) from a psychiatrist, psychologist or licensed therapist stating the disability, the DSM IV-TR diagnosis and detailing the functional limitations faced by the individual in an educational setting. A diagnostic interview should be included in the documentation. Students with specific learning disabilities must provide a current psycho-educational or neuro-psychological assessment administered by a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, neurologist, educational therapist or speech and language clinician. The documentation should be no older than three to five years and must include:
Students with attention disorders (ADD, ADHD) must provide a psycho-educational or neuro-psychological assessment administered by a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, or neurologist within the last three to five years. A brief statement of disability from a physician or therapist is, in itself, insufficient documentation to determine or support accommodations at the University. Documentation of an attention deficit disability must include:
Students with head injuries must provide a current neuro-psychological assessment administered by a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist or neurologist within the last three years. Documentation may need to be updated. Documentation of head injury due to an acquired brain injury or stroke must include:
These guidelines are provided so that the Office of Student Disability Services can respond appropriately to the individual needs of students. The Office of Student Disability Services has the right to determine eligibility for services based on the appropriateness of the submitted documentation. All documentation must be kept on file in the Office of Student Disability Services and is confidential.
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