General Policy Statement

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and assured services and accommodations that provide equitable access to the activities and programs of the university. To establish that an individual is covered under the ADA, documentation must indicate that the disability limits a major life activity or bodily function(s). Documentation submitted must:

• Be appropriate to verify eligibility,
• Demonstrate a current notable impact of one or more major life activities or bodily function(s),
• Support the request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.

To qualify for disability services through the Disability Resource Center, students are required to provide documentation from a qualified professional familiar with the history and implications of the functional limitations. Disability documentation needs to adequately verify the nature and extent of the disability in accordance with current professional standards and techniques, and it should clearly substantiate the need for all of the student's specific accommodation requests.

All documentation must be submitted on the official letterhead of the professional describing the functional limitation(s). The report should be dated and signed and include the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification. If the original documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the severity of the functional limitation(s) or reasonable accommodation, the University has the discretion to require additional documentation. Any cost incurred in obtaining additional documentation when the original records are inadequate is borne by the student. If the documentation is complete but the University desires a second professional opinion, the University bears the latter cost.

In general, it is not acceptable for such documentation to include a diagnosis or testing performed by a member of the student's family. Additionally, students requesting accommodations for the manifestations of multiple disabilities should provide evidence of all such conditions.

Impairments rising to the level of disability protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of disability; however, services and accommodations related to those impairments must reflect specific limitations affecting the ability to participate in one or more major life activities.

Documentation also includes the student's self-report reflecting their experience, barriers and effective accommodations previously employed. Additionally, the DRC's professional staffs' judgment constitutes a form of documenting impairment and need for accommodations.

 

 

 

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