Documentation of Disability

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A person with a disability includes “any person who

(1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities,
(2) has record of such impairment, or
(3) is regarded as having such an impairment.” (Section 902, Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990)

To establish that an individual is covered under the ADA, documentation must indicate that the disability substantially limits a major life activity. If academic or classroom-based adjustments and accommodations are requested, learning must be one of the major life activities affected. Documentation submitted must:

• Be appropriate to verify eligibility,

• Demonstrate a current substantial impact of one or more major life activities, and

• Support the request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary ai

Documentation Criteria

Student Responsibility

Providing documentation of disability is the responsibility of the student. In general, the less obvious the disability, the more information is required to assess a student’s needs and make accommodation recommendations.

Documentation Should Be Recent

Documentation should be recent, relevant and comprehensive and, where appropriate, contain test scores and interpretation (e.g., learning disability reports, audiograms, etc.). If the original documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability or reasonable accommodation, the College has the discretion to require additional documentation. Any cost incurred in obtaining additional documentation is also borne by the student. If the documentation is complete but the College desires a second professional opinion, the College may obtain that at its cost.

Documentation Guidelines

Appropriate documentation must adhere to the following guidelines (from Educational Testing Services document titled “Resources for Test Takers with Disabilities: Documentation Criteria”). It is a good idea to provide these guidelines to the person performing the evaluation.

1) Clearly state the diagnosed disability or disabilities.

2) Describe the functional limitations resulting from the disability or disabilities.

3) Be current—i.e., completed within the last 5 years for LD, last 6 months for psychiatric disabilities, or last 3 years for ADHD and all other disabilities. (NOTE: This requirement does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature.)

4) Include complete educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability for which testing accommodations are being requested.

5) Include a list of all test instruments used in the evaluation report and relevant subtest scores used to document the stated disability. This requirement does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature.

6) Describe the specific accommodations requested.

7) Adequately support each of the requested testing accommodation(s).

8) Be typed or printed on official letterhead and be signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis.
(Include information about license or certification and area of specialization.)

Support Services

Centre offers a range of support services designed to assist students with disabilities. Each qualified student has individual needs, and services are determined based on those needs.

Arrangements for services may require several weeks’ notice to implement so students should contact the Assistant Dean immediately upon acceptance to the College or immediately after a new diagnosis to make timely provision of needed services possible.

Some of the services available to students with disabilities include time and a half and a distraction-free environment for testing, tables for wheelchair accessibility, accessible classrooms, and accessible parking.

Students with documented disabilities are given preference for first floor rooms in specific houses on campus.

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