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Disability Documentation Guidelines

Students seeking accommodations are asked to submit appropriate documentation of their disability with their accommodation request form. We request documentation in order to establish the presence of a disability, and to help us understand how a disability impacts a student in the college setting so we can make informed decisions about accommodations.

General Guidelines for Disability Documentation

Documentation should be prepared by a qualified medical or mental health professional who does not have a family relationship with the student. Healthcare providers are welcome to include the information described below in a letter (on letterhead, and signed and dated), or they may opt to use our Student Disability Documentation Form.

Disability documentation should describe the nature and extent of the disability, including how the condition impacts the student in the college setting, and it should establish the rationale for each of the student’s requested accommodations. Documentation will ideally include the following:

  • The name, title, professional credentials, contact information, and area of specialization of the professional preparing the documentation. 
  • The dates or time frame during which the student has been under their professional care
  • A diagnostic statement that specifies the current diagnoses/conditions, including the severity of each condition and the date of onset or diagnosis for each condition
  • If applicable: specific findings that support the diagnosis, including relevant history, tests administered, test results, and interpretation of those test results
  • The expected duration and progression of each condition (e.g., temporary vs. chronic, variable or progressive vs. stable, intermittent or episodic, in remission, etc.)
  • The particular symptoms the student experiences, including the frequency, severity, and duration of symptoms
  • Information concerning the impact of the disability in the college setting, including a description of the physical and/or cognitive functional limitations due to the disability. This information may be specific to the student’s academics, housing or dietary needs, and/or their physical activity limitations, depending on the types of accommodations the student is seeking.
    • For example, how and to what extent does this condition affect the student’s ability to read, write, focus and concentrate, take tests, participate in class, attend class, sleep, eat, exercise, maintain their health, etc? Does this condition limit the student’s functioning in any way? If so, how?
  • Any recommended accommodations or resources to address the functional impact(s) described above. Please note that not all recommended accommodations will necessarily be appropriate in a higher education setting, but we do take this information into account when fashioning an accommodation plan for a student.
  • If applicable: Any side effects the student may experience due to prescribed medications or medical treatments
  • Any other information that may help us in working with the student

Accommodation evaluates all documentation on a case-by-case basis. If the documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability or the rationale for the requested accommodation(s), we may request additional or updated documentation.