Disability Support Services asks students who register for services to present paperwork that describes their disability and its impact on educational experiences. If no paperwork or disability documentation exists, students are encouraged to contact DSS to discuss documentation and accommodation options. 

Documentation of disability provides a valuable tool for understanding how university courses, systems and facilities may present barriers and for planning strategies, including reasonable accommodations, which will facilitate access.

Disability Support Services staff uses documentation to augment information gained through conversations with students, to establish the presence of a disability and, when necessary, to support the reasonableness of requested accommodations.

Students should be aware that other universities may have different documentation guidelines and that testing agencies (which administer standardized tests such as the GRE and LSAT) require extensive documentation.

 

Note:  Educational Testing Services tests such as the Praxis, which is used for teacher licensure and certification by states departments of education and other certification agencies, have specific documentation criteria.  The guidelines state that documentation on file for the applicant must:

  • clearly state the diagnosed disability or disabilities
  • describe the functional limitations resulting from the disability or disabilities
  • 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)
  • include complete educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability for which testing accommodations are being requested
  • 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)
  • describe the specific accommodations requested
  • adequately support each of the requested testing accommodation(s)
  • 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).

Additional information regarding ETS documentation is available at http://www.ets.org  

 

Back to Top