Disability Documentation Guidelines

To help determine reasonable accommodations, the CDA reviews both information shared by the student and any supporting documentation. Completing the online application, along with a brief personal statement, is often the most helpful. Provider documentation is typically most useful when it is less than three years old and based on adult-age testing; however, students are encouraged to begin the process with any documentation they currently have. The CDA team is always available to answer questions and help students navigate the next steps.  

While the institution makes the final determination regarding acceptable and complete documentation, students who have faced economic, cultural, social, or other barriers to obtaining a diagnosis or completing an evaluation are encouraged to contact the CDA. The CDA can help students learn about available campus resources and provide space to discuss any barriers to access they have experienced. Students should not feel discouraged from reaching out to the CDA due to a lack of documentation or a formal diagnosis.

The CDA values each student’s lived experience. Students may—but are not required to—submit a personal statement describing how a condition impacts them, their functional needs, or information not captured in formal documentation.  

The application includes space to share your experiences and/or upload a personal statement document within documentation files. When provided, this information is reviewed with formal documentation to help determine appropriate accommodations. In some cases where documentation is not sufficient, the CDA may request a written self-report, considering accommodations on a case-by-case basis while encouraging updated documentation between academic semesters.

You’re welcome—but not required—to submit a personal statement about how your condition affects you, your functional needs, or any information not reflected in formal documentation. Many students find this a meaningful way to ensure their voice is included in the registration process. When submitted, it’s considered alongside your documentation to help determine appropriate accommodations. Some helpful things to include are:

• Your Diagnosis/Condition: Briefly state your disability (e.g., ADHD, chronic pain, learning disability) and when you were diagnosed.  
• Functional Impact: Describe how it affects your learning – not just what it is, but what it does (e.g., difficulty with sustained focus, slow reading, memory retrieval issues, fatigue from pain).
• Specific Examples: Provide brief, concrete examples of challenges in academic settings (e.g., "During timed exams, my focus wavers after 20 minutes, leading to incomplete sections").
• Requested Accommodations: Clearly list the specific supports you need (e.g., extended test time, digital text, captioning, quiet space).
• Effectiveness of Past Accommodations: Mention strategies or accommodations that have worked for you previously.
• Why You are Unable to get Access to Relevant and Current Documentation: May be due to logistics, finances or lack of insurance or familial support. Please describe the steps you have taken to try and obtain the required documentation. 

Relevant and current documentation from a qualified professional is needed to establish disability and disability-related need for accommodations unless the disability is evident.  If a student requests accommodations on the basis of multiple disabilities or conditions, separate documentation may be requested for each reported condition.  If a student requests specific or additional accommodations, additional documentation may be required to establish the disability-related need for the requested accommodation.  These documentation guidelines also apply to temporary disabilities unless the disability is evident.  

Documentation guidelines include:  

• a disability diagnosis and a description of the nature of the disability
• reflect the current functional impacts and extent to which the impairment limits the student’s ability to perform major life activities
• be from a qualified professional who has expertise/certification related to the disability or diagnosis  
• include the anticipated duration of need, for temporary disability requests.  

For housing related requests, documentation guidelines include:  

• reflection of the current functional impacts and extent to which the impairment limits the student’s ability to live in college housing, for housing related requests
• identification of any known or suspected environmental triggers, if applicable
• Emotional Support Animal (ESA) requests require specific guidelines to be followed by your provider.  
  RIC CDA Emotional Support Animal Request Form

Please contact the Center for Disability Access (CDA).  

The determination of reasonable and appropriate accommodation(s) is based on the types of functional limitations manifested by a particular disability, as reflected by supporting documentation and other information, and may differ for each student. 

Documentation must indicate the nature of the disability or condition, which typically consists of the specific (or working) diagnosis, a general description of the impairment, and the duration of the impairment (e.g. temporary, permanent, progressive, episodic).  The professional should also describe or provide the comprehensive assessments and/or relevant medical, developmental, or educational history used to arrive at the diagnosis. 

Documentation must come from a qualified professional who has the credentials, training, and expertise to diagnose or treat the specific condition and whose primary relationship to the student is as an evaluator or treatment provider. Documentation should include the professional’s name, title, credentials, license/certificate numbers (if applicable), and contact information. It should be presented on the professional’s letterhead, typed in English, dated, and signed.

Documentation must describe the functional impacts of the disability and how they relate to the requested accommodations.  The professional should describe how the disability limits a major life activity like caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, or working. Documentation must also describe the extent to which the impairment limits the student’s ability to perform major life activities.  The provider may also indicate whether any specific conditions, stimuli, or environments exacerbate (or mitigate) the severity of the condition.

To submit documentation, students can directly upload files to a New Student Application or New Accommodation Request through the CDA’s secure online portal.  Documentation can also be submitted to the CDA via email, mail, or fax using our contact information above.