Documentation Guidelines

Requirements for All Requests

In reviewing documentation for accommodation eligibility, our office is looking for information that:

  • Identifies the disabling condition and the impact of that condition for which accommodations are being requested
  • Is provided by an appropriately-licensed professional
  • Is dated with Letterhead and Contact information where signatures are not required
     

Academic Requests

Helpful Information
  • Connect with us! We are often able to approve accommodations using documentation already in your possession. Please feel free to send us what you already have before going through the time or expense of obtaining additional information for our review
     
  • If the relationship between the accommodation(s) requested and the disability is not intuitive or if the requested accommodation modifies a degree requirement, you may be asked to provide additional documentation. Additional documentation is needed for some accommodations to specifically link the disabling condition to the functional limitation. This includes but is not limited to: Flexible Attendance and Extensions on Assignments.
     
  • We will ask the student to work with their health care professionals to provide information to assist in determining accommodations. Health care professionals are encouraged to utilize our assessment forms and consider the questions (located below) when authoring a letter or report that will assist us in understanding the student's condition, and impact.
     
  • Providing a record of academic accommodations previously provided by other institutions (e.g. college accommodations letters, 504 plans, IEPs) can be helpful for SAS in assigning accommodations. 
    • Please note that some college accommodations will differ from High School accommodations
       
  • While it is helpful to have documentation that is recent, a disability will be considered ongoing in duration unless the documentation indicates otherwise. 
    • The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability
  • If you do not have any form of documentation, our office can share what local options are available to seek appropriate documentation
     
  • SAS does not accept the following as documentation:
    • Information that is illegible
    • Information from non-appropriately licensed professionals
    • Research articles
    • Documentation that is provided by a member of the student's family
       

Contact an Accessibility Coordinator if you would like to make any changes to your accommodations. They can advise you on whether additional documentation is needed for your request.

Forms and Documents

Health care professionals are encouraged to utilize these questions when authoring a letter or report that will assist us in understanding the student's condition, and impact.

  • Describe your history with the student including how long you have been working with them
  • Provide a diagnosis in accordance with current professional standards and techniques
    • Please include a summary of your professional assessment of the condition and any diagnostic tools used to make the diagnosis
  • Does this diagnosis rise to the level of disability?
  • How has this disability impaired the student in carrying out major life functions?
  • What have been the historical challenges /barriers in the academic setting?
  • What does the student need in the university setting to address the challenges/barriers you specified?
  • What accommodations would you recommend?

Non-Academic Requests

Assistance Animals
Dining

Required Documentation for Dining Requests:

Housing and Dining Accommodation Request Form 

Medical documentation

Risk waiver