Documentation Guidelines
Students should contact Accessible Education Services (AES) for guidance on the documentation needed for their invididual situations. Relevant documentation from external sources can help to establish the student's eligibility for accommodations.
Students who do not have documentation are encouraged to meet with our staff to explore options for support.
Documentation Should Include:
-Description of the disability, including the diagnosis, history, significance, and expected duration when applicable.
-The current impacts of the disability in an educational setting.
-Past use and effectiveness of accommodations.
-Recommendations that are related to the impact of the disability.
-Date of evaluation/assessment. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disability.
Types of Documentation that may be helpful include:
-Reports and/or assessments created by healthcare providers, psychologists, or the educational system (e.g., a psychoeducational evaluation).
-Documents that reflect education and accommodation history, such as an Individual Education Program (IEP), 504 Plans, and teacher observations.
Please note: Many IEP or 504 plans do not include all of the necessary information outlined on the guidelines for documentation, which is needed to evaluate an accommodation request, and additional documentation may be required. Additionally, accommodations for higher education often differ from basic (K-12) education. Although proof of prior accommodations can provide us with necessary information, we are not able to utilize the same accommodations in all cases.
Please keep the following in mind:
-The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disability. While older documentation for conditions that are permanent or do not vary may be appropriate, changing conditions and/or changes in how the condition impacts the individual over time may warrant more current documentation.
-Disability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include, but are not limited to, seeing, hearing, walking, standing, lifting, speaking, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
-Documentation of disability should be submitted to Accessible Education Services early enough to allow staff sufficient time to review the request and implement reasonable accommodations and services.
-Accessible Education Services may ask the student to provide additional information if the submitted documentation is incomplete or does not support the student's request for accommodations.
-Generally, documentation must come from a qualified practitioner who is not a family member of the student.
-Students should keep a copy of the documentation for their personal records. Accessible Education Services destroys/deletes documentation and other disability-related information seven years after a student leaves the college.
-Documentation accepted by Roanoke College might not be accepted by other institutions, agencies, and/or programs (e.g., testing agencies, licensure exams, and certification programs). Please check with the specific organizations and/or programs to determine their documentation requirements.