Documentation Guidelines

The Purpose of Documentation

Medical documentation helps our office understand the impact of your disability and determine reasonable accommodations to support your success at Iowa State. It provides necessary details about your condition, functional limitations, and potential accommodations. While documentation is required, our team can guide you on what is needed and how to obtain it if you do not have it readily available. Our goal is to ensure you receive appropriate support while keeping the process as straightforward as possible. Check out the topics covered on this page to learn more about documentation requirements and guidelines.

Providing Documentation for Accommodations

1. Requirements for Documentation Review

To be accepted for review, all documentation must meet the following requirements
To be accepted for review, all documentation must meet the following requirements

1. Requirements for Documentation Review

To be accepted for review, all documentation must meet the following requirements:
Format
Must be typed, legible, and in English.
Must be on official letterhead from the provider's office.
Must be in a non-editable format (e.g., PDF).
Qualified Professional
Must be provided by an appropriately licensed professional relevant to the diagnosed condition.
Example: A chiropractor would not be an appropriately licensed professional to provide documentation for a mental health condition.
Cannot be from a family member.
Content Requirements
Must include the professional’s name, credentials, and contact information.
Must be dated.
Must be signed where applicable (e.g., if a signature is required for validation or authentication).
When reviewing documentation for eligibility, our office looks for information that:
Specifically identifies the diagnosis or disabling condition
Describes the functional impact of the condition for which accommodations are being requested
Describes how the condition rises to the level of a disability
2. Documentation Examples & Provider Guidance

Wondering what types of documentation to provide? View options for documentation, forms, and questions for your provider.
Wondering what types of documentation to provide? View options for documentation, forms, and questions for your provider.

2. Documentation Examples & Provider Guidance

Options for Documentation:
Students can submit any of the following types of documentation to support their accommodation request.
The most recent copy of a 504 Plan or IEP
Psychological or Psychoeducational Evaluation
Relevant medical records
One of our forms
Mental Health Assessment Form
ADHD Assessment Form
Chronic Health Assessment Form
A letter from your medical provider
Please encourage your provider to refer to the Questions for Medical Professionals (below) when obtaining a letter.
Questions for Medical Professionals:
Provide the following questions to your provider to assist them in offering us a clear understanding of your situation.
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?
3. Submit Documentation for Review

Have documentation you want us to review? View the different options for submitting documentation to our office
Have documentation you want us to review? View the different options for submitting documentation to our office

3. Submit Documentation for Review

Options for Submitting Documentation
If you already have an account on our system Accommodate, upload your documentation following the steps below:
Once you are logged in, click on Documentation
Under documentation, click on Approved Documentation
Select “Add New” and upload your document(s)
Email our general office email at accessibility@iastate.edu with documentation for review
You or your medical provider can fax them to us at 515-294-2397
Learn about the rest of the accommodation application process by clicking the link below.

Learn More

Academic Documentation Guidelines

Academic Documentation Guidelines and Forms for course accommodations, exam accommodations, and assistive technology.
Academic Documentation Guidelines and Forms for course accommodations, exam accommodations, and assistive technology.

Academic Documentation Guidelines

Guidance for Academic Accommodations
General Academic Documentation Guidelines
Specific Learning Disability Documentation Guidelines
Documentation Requirements
To request academic accommodations, students must provide medical documentation that meets the following criteria:
Includes a formal diagnosis and describes how the condition functionally impacts the student.
Demonstrates medical necessity by explaining how the condition qualifies as a disability that requires accommodations.
For mental health-related accommodations, documentation is often needed to show a history of impact and include records from the last six months.
IEPs and 504 Plans in College
While IEPs and 504 Plans from high school can provide helpful background, they do not automatically transfer to college. Accommodations may differ at the college level based on course requirements and institutional policies. Meeting with an Accessibility Coordinator can help you understand available options and how accommodations may be implemented in a university setting. In some cases, additional documentation may be needed to determine appropriate accommodations
Example Documentation
IEP/504
Psychological Evaluation
Letter from a licensed medical provider (see guidelines below)
Other previous medical records
ADHD Assessment Form
Mental Health Assessment Form
Chronic Health Assessment Form

Learn more about Academic Accommodations
Housing Documentation Guidelines

Requesting housing accommodations involves a few additional steps and forms. Check out our guidelines for housing accommodations.

Requesting housing accommodations involves a few additional steps and forms. Check out our guidelines for housing accommodations.

Housing Documentation Guidelines

Requesting housing accommodations involves a few additional steps and forms. Be sure to review the Housing Accommodations Guidelines carefully to ensure you complete all the necessary requirements for your application. Housing accommodations are implemented based on the date your accommodations are approved, so it’s important to begin the process as early as possible and follow the correct steps to avoid delays.

Learn more about Housing Documentation
Dining Documentation Guidelines

ISU dining offers many accessible supports with and without accommodations. Review supports, documentation guidelines, and connect with our dietitian!

ISU dining offers many accessible supports with and without accommodations. Review supports, documentation guidelines, and connect with our dietitian!

Dining Documentation Guidelines

Requesting dining accommodations ensures that students with specific medical needs have access to the support they require. Most ISU dining centers are accessible to the majority of students, and many can successfully manage their needs without additional accommodations. However, dining accommodations are available for those with medically necessary requirements. To ensure you have the support or access you need, please review the Dining Accommodations Guidelines and application process thoroughly. Following the outlined steps will help ensure your needs are met effectively.

Dining Supports and Documentation
Assistance Animal Documentation Guidelines

Forms and resources for ESAs & Service Animals in Housing

Forms and resources for ESAs & Service Animals in Housing

Assistance Animal Documentation Guidelines

Requesting approval for assistance animals, including Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and Service Animals, involves a few additional steps and forms. Be sure to review the Assistance Animal Guidelines carefully to ensure you complete all necessary requirements for your request. Assistance animals will not be permitted in campus housing until the request is fully approved. To avoid delays, it’s important to start the process early and follow the required steps as outlined.

Learn more about ESAs
Temporary Accommodation Guidelines

Getting support for a temporary injury can look a little different. Check out our resources for temporary accommodations.
Getting support for a temporary injury can look a little different. Check out our resources for temporary accommodations.

Temporary Accommodation Guidelines

For most short-term injuries or conditions, the quickest and most effective approach is often to work directly with your instructor and provide them with documentation. This allows for immediate support without the potential delays of submitting documentation and undergoing a formal review process.
However, if your temporary injury or condition significantly impacts your ability to fully participate in academic activities for an extended period, you may want to apply for temporary accommodations through Student Accessibility Services (SAS). These accommodations are designed to assist students with conditions such as a broken arm, a severe concussion, or similar injuries that require temporary adjustments and support to maintain academic engagement.
When applying for accommodations for a temporary injury, our office still requires documentation so our team can determine eligibility for accommodations. If you are requesting a letter from your provider, please encourage them to use the questions below to guide them in their writing:
What is the student’s diagnosed injury or condition?
When did the injury occur, and how was it sustained?
How long is the injury expected to last?
Is the student expected to recover fully, and if so, by when?
How does the injury affect the student’s ability to participate in college activities (e.g., attending classes, completing assignments, navigating campus)?
Are there specific activities or environments that exacerbate the injury or symptoms?
Based on the injury, what accommodations are medically necessary to support the student’s participation in academic activities?
Can you explain how each recommended accommodation addresses a specific functional limitation caused by the injury?
How does the injury impact the student’s ability to complete daily living tasks or academic-related tasks (e.g., writing, carrying materials, using a computer, walking to class)?
Are there any cognitive or emotional effects associated with the injury that affect the student’s academic performance?

View the Thielen Student Health Center's Class Excuse Policy
Other Accommodation Supports

Parking, course substitutions, temporary illness, emergency supports, religious accommodation, pregnancy support, and more!

Parking, course substitutions, temporary illness, emergency supports, religious accommodation, pregnancy support, and more!

Other Accommodation Supports

Student Accessibility Services focuses on providing accommodations specifically related to academic and campus access for students with disabilities. While we do not handle accommodations for other types of support, there are additional offices on campus equipped to assist with those needs. These include parking accommodations, employee accommodations for ISU student workers, accessible transportation, temporary illness or absence, emergency notifications, pregnancy-related supports, religious accommodations, and course registration concerns or substitutions. If you need assistance with any of these areas, view our guide to other accommodation resources.

Other Accommodation Resources

The ADA states documentation is used to “…validate the need for services based on an individual’s current level of functioning in the educational setting.” Current documentation allows us to better understand the barriers that may exist in a collegiate setting. Proper documentation is needed to develop an accommodation plan for you moving forward.

Proper documentation to verify a disability must include supporting information regarding the disability; the functional limitations resulting from the disability; and the requested accommodation(s) and services.

Documentation that is acceptable includes reports and evaluations completed by a professional whose expertise is within the scope of practice for stated impairment; educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability; and information on how the disability currently interferes with college life.

Documentation that is NOT acceptable includes a diagnosis as the only justification for accommodation; After Care Instructions; incomplete documentation; documentation completed by a relative; forms completed by professionals whose expertise is outside of the scope of the identified disability; outdated assessments/evaluations; or notes written on a prescription pad.

The student is responsible. Please review the Documentation Guidelines. If you have questions about where to obtain the necessary documentation, please contact our office.

Decisions about eligibility for accommodations are based on the Documentation Guidelines. The documentation of your condition should be current and specific. If you are having testing done for use in requesting accommodations at Iowa State University, please refer the assessor to this resource. Once we receive your documentation and application, we will review your materials and provide a determination of eligibility. Accessibility Coordinators are also available to answer questions if you have concerns about your documentation before applying for accommodations.

Our office is committed to reviewing student documentation within one week after receiving all the required information. During busy periods or for more complex requests, the review process may take up to two weeks. Since accommodations cannot be applied retroactively, we strongly encourage students to begin the process as early as possible to ensure timely support and resolution.

Documentation Guidelines

The Purpose of Documentation

Providing Documentation for Accommodations

Additional Documentation and Information by Request Type

Guidance for Academic Accommodations

Documentation Requirements

IEPs and 504 Plans in College

Frequently Asked Questions About Documentation

Learn More About Accommodations

Documentation Guidelines

The Purpose of Documentation

Providing Documentation for Accommodations

1. Requirements for Documentation Review

2. Documentation Examples & Provider Guidance

3. Submit Documentation for Review

Additional Documentation and Information by Request Type

Academic Documentation Guidelines

Housing Documentation Guidelines

Dining Documentation Guidelines

Assistance Animal Documentation Guidelines

Temporary Accommodation Guidelines

Other Accommodation Supports

Frequently Asked Questions About Documentation

Why do I need to provide documentation when I apply for accommodations?

What is considered proper documentation?

Who is responsible for paying for documentation to verify my disability?

How will SAS determine if my condition meets the definition of a disability that is used in college?

How long does it take for my documentation to be reviewed?

Learn More About Accommodations