Documentation Guidelines

SDS provides academic accommodations and services to qualified students with disabilities under the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This law provides safeguards against discrimination on the basis of disability and access to all programs and activities to qualified students with disabilities. In addition, some students with disabilities may be eligible for academic accommodations. The existence of a condition alone does not automatically qualify the student for academic accommodations.

The ADA defines a person with a disability as any person who:

• has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities
• has a record of such impairment
• is regarded as having such an impairment.

The standards for the documentation of a disability as defined by federal law share four common elements:

• examiner qualifications;
• current report (no more than 3 years old);
• comprehensive documentation describing the current, direct and significant impact of the disability on major life activities, including the impact on the student’s current academic functioning;
• rationale and justification for all requested accommodations.

Student Disability Services Documentation Standards

• ADHD/ADD
• Chronic Health
• Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Learning Disabilities
• Psychological Disorders (173k) pdf
• Temporary Conditions
• Vision Impairment

Note: These files are in pdf format. It is necessary to use Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view these standards. If you need to download Acrobat Reader please visit www.acrobat.com.