Supporting Documentation Guidelines for Students with Disabilities

Providing Supporting Information

Non-Academic (Medical) Requests

Please refer to the Non-Academic (Medical) Accommodations page on the Wellness Center website.

Academic Requests

1. Review the General Supporting Documentation Requirements for Academic Requests (below) in order to see what supporting documentation is appropriate for the situation.
2. Send supporting documentation to the Coordinator of Disability Services:
   Office of Academic Affairs
   St. John Fisher College
   3690 East Avenue
   Rochester, NY 14618
3. After the documentation is received, it will be reviewed to determine what academic accommodation(s), if any, will be made.
4. Undergraduate and Graduate Students:
   • If accommodations are approved, the student will receive an outline of the process and instructions about implementing his/her accommodation plan.
   • If accommodations are not approved, the student will receive a request for further information or a denial of accommodations. Students whose request for accommodation is denied may submit an appeal through the accommodation appeal process.
5. Doctoral and Pharmacy Students:
   • Students will receive more information from their respective schools.
6. Students with approved accommodations must schedule an appointment to meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services to activate the accommodation plan. Services begin after this meeting takes place.

General Supporting Documentation Requirements for Academic Requests*

1. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation and the date of the original diagnosis. Prescription pad notes are not acceptable documentation.
2. A description of the diagnostic criteria and /or diagnostic test(s) used. Include the specific results of the diagnostic tests/procedures utilized and the date administered.
3. A description of the current functional impact of the disability.
   • Deafness and/or Hearing Impairments: an audiogram from a certified otologist indicating air and bon conduction thresholds.
   • Visual Impairments: a medical eye report from a certified ophthalmologist.
   • Mobility and Other Impairments: a statement of disability including an explanation of recommended accommodations.
4. Treatments, medications, assistive devices/services currently prescribed or used and their estimated effectiveness in ameliorating the impact of the disability should be included. Significant side effects that may impact physical, perceptual, behavioral, or cognitive performance should also be noted.
5. A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time should be noted. Recommendations concerning the predictable needs for reevaluation should be included.
6. A signed statement including the credentials of the diagnosing professional.
7. A completed Disability Service Request and Release of Confidential Information Form [pdf] signed by the student.

*NOTE: Recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the individual provide valuable information for the review process. They will be included in the evaluation of requests for accommodation and/or auxiliary aids. Where such recommendations are congruent with the program, services and benefits offered by the College, they will be given deference. When recommendations go beyond services and benefits that can be provided by the College, they may be used to suggest potential referrals to area service providers. No accommodation will be provided if it fundamentally alters the nature of the service, program or activity or if it would be unduly burdensome financially, administratively or otherwise.

Additional Guidelines for Students with Learning Disabilities (including ADD/ADHD)

• Current documentation - testing completed within approximately 3 years for freshmen, within approximately 5 years for transfer/returning students.
• The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator.
• Results of a comprehensive battery of tests (standardized for adolescent/adult populations) which assess aptitude, academic achievement and information processing.
• Documentation should validate the need for services based on the individual's current level of functioning in the educational setting.
• Information contained in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan may be useful in defining accommodations, but cannot be the sole source of documentation.

NOTE: Documentation should indicate a specific disability. Individual "learning styles," "learning differences," "academic problems," and "test difficulty or anxiety," in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability.

Additional Guidelines for Students with Emotional/Psychological Disabilities

• A current (within 1 yr.) DSM-IV diagnosis from an appropriate licensed professional. This would include a description of the specific symptoms associated with the diagnosis and any other conditions or dual diagnosis that may accompany the primary diagnosis.
• Results of any psychological and/or neuropsychiatric testing.
• A summary of all prior diagnoses and treatment from the treating professionals.
• An educational history describing how the disability and its symptoms have affected the student's academic performance.
• A current treatment plan from a licensed mental health professional. This would include any prescribed medications, intensity and duration of counseling or psychotherapy, indications for adjunctive therapies (e.g. support groups, health regimens).

Physical Disabilities

• Refer to the General Supporting Documentation Requirements for Academic Requests above.

Individuals requiring additional information about supporting documentation for academic accommodation requests may contact the Office of Academic Affairs, Kearney Hall, Room 202, (585) 385-8034.