Disability Services > Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Guidelines

In order to fully evaluate requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids, Disability Services will need documentation of the disability that consists of an evaluation by an appropriate professional that describes the current impact of the disability as it relates to the accommodation(s) requested.

The application process and documentation review will generate a list of potentially reasonable accommodations that will then be considered based on potential effectiveness, preferences of the requester, maximum level of integration, and the potential for an undue financial or administrative burden.

The guidelines below were developed to assist you in working with your treating professional(s) to prepare the information needed to evaluate your request. If, after reading these guidelines, you have any questions, please contact the Director of the Office for Disability Services at (731) 661-6520 or email jabernathy@uu.edu.

Did you have an IEP or 504 Plan in high school?

For individuals who have recently been receiving services from a public school system; some of the information may be contained in an IEP, 504 Plan, or Transition Plan. You must request this information separately from your high school transcripts and should make sure that it is received by the Office for Disability Services. Please review your high school documentation against the outlined documentation guidelines to ensure you application is complete. Please contact the Director of the Office for Disability Services, Jon Abernathy, at jabernathy@uu.edu or call (731) 661-6520, if you have any questions.

Are you receiving services from a state rehabilitation agency?

For individuals who are or have been recently receiving services from a state rehabilitation agency; much of the requested information will be contained in the documentation regarding your eligibility for services and vocational plan. However, please double check our documentation guidelines to ensure that your application is complete.

Are you transferring from another college or university?

For individuals transferring from another college or university; information related to your disability will not be sent with a transcript request. You must request that information be sent to the Office for Disability Services separately.

General Documentation Guidelines for a Disability

These guidelines outline what information is necessary in order to obtain accommodations for documented disabilities at Union University.

In determining eligibility for accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American's With Disabilities Act (ADA) the student must demonstrate that a qualified professional has established a formal diagnosis of a disability. The Professional must show evidence of a "substantial limitation" in a major life activity, such as walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, etc. These guidelines are provided to help the evaluating professional document his/her findings in a manner that meets requirements of the ADA and supports the request for accommodations.

It is the responsibility of the student to obtain his/her documentation and to present a copy to the Office of Disability Services. It is the student's responsibility to obtain additional information or testing when requested. The final determination of appropriate accommodations rests with the Office for Disability Services based on a review of the provided documentation as outlined below.

The Office for Disability Services is the designated service provider for students with disabilities. A prior history of accommodations, without demonstration of current need, does not in and of itself warrant the provision of a like accommodation. If no prior accommodation has been provided, the evaluator must include an explanation about why no accommodations were used in the past, and why accommodations are needed now.

General Guidelines for Medical Professionals

Please provide a type-written report, on official letterhead, that addresses the following seven elements:

1. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the most current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis. We encourage the use of the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of The American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems of the World Health Organization (ICD) are the recommended diagnostic taxonomies.
2. A description of the diagnostic tests, methods, and/or criteria used. For Learning Disabilities and AD/HD, we encourage (but are not limited to) the following assessments:
   1. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition
   2. Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement - Third Edition
   3. Conners' Adult AD/HD Diagnostic Interview
   4. Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.) Visual Performance Test
3. A description of the current substantial functional impact of the disability on a major life activity. This section should include specific test results and the examiner's narrative interpretation.
4. Treatments, medications, and/or assistive devices/services currently prescribed or in use.
5. A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time, particularly the next five years.
6. The credentials of the diagnosing professionals if not clear from the letterhead or other forms.
7. Professional's recommendations for appropriate accommodations in a post-secondary environment.

Hearing Impaired or Deaf: Documentation Requirements

• Audiogram, generally not more than 3 years old, which should include the name and contact information of the audiologist who conducted the test
• An accompanying report that includes a brief history of the conditional diagnosis, a description of functional limitations, a description of treatments and adaptive devices currently prescribed; and their effectiveness in ameliorating the impact of the condition, if not static, a description of the expected progression of the condition over time

Visually Impaired or Blind: Documentation Requirements

• A current ocular assessment or evaluation from an ophthalmologist (with in the last 5 years).
• An accompanying report that includes a brief history of the conditional diagnosis, a description of functional limitations, a description of treatments and adaptive devices currently prescribed; and their effectiveness in ameliorating the impact of the condition, if not static, a description of the expected progression of the condition over time

If, after reading these guidelines, you have any questions, please contact the Director, Jon Abernathy, at jabernathy@uu.edu or call at (731) 661-6520.