Center for Disability Access Documentation Guidelines

Relevant and current documentation from a qualified professional is required 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

All documentation must:

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 must:
reflect the current functional impacts and extent to which the impairment limits the student’s ability to live in college housing, for housing related requests
speak to the any known or suspected environmental triggers, if applicable.

Emotional Support Animal (ESA) requests require specific guidelines to be followed by your provider. Please contact the Center for Disability Access (CDA).

Definition of Terms

Nature of Disability

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.

Qualified Professional

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.

Impact of Disability

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 at accessiblelearning.com/ric. Documentation can also be submitted to the CDA via email, mail, or fax using our contact information above.

A Note on Disability Documentation

The following items are not acceptable as documentation of a disability

medication prescription
medical excuse or patient aftercare notes
documentation written by a family member
documentation without a date or signature from qualified professional
photographs and x-rays of a physical condition
documentation without the provider’s contact information
letters or forms that do not include a disability or formal diagnosis
documentation from online services that provide letters for Emotional Support Animals
IEP and 504 Plans contain valuable historical information about accommodations in K-12. However, most of these plans do not include diagnostic information, therefore, we may request additional documentation in order to make accommodation decisions.

Questions?