Medical and/ or Physical Disabilities

Should the effects of a diagnosed physical disability or chronic health condition impact an individual’s ability to participate in the academic setting, academic and testing accommodations can be made to ameliorate the effects of the disability. Documentation is necessary to validate both the presence of a disability and the need for reasonable accommodations for candidates seeking to register for disability services.

A. Qualified Professional

• Professional qualifications of those providing diagnoses, offering clinical judgments, and making recommendations for accommodations for test takers with physical disabilities and chronic health-related conditions must hold appropriate licensure/certification and have comprehensive training and relevant expertise in the specialty.
• Qualified professionals may include medical doctors, surgeons, chiropractors, optometrists, audiologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, neuropsychologists and other relevantly trained health care professionals qualified to make such diagnoses. 
• The health care provider who writes the report should have personally evaluated or examined the student.
• The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be included on letterhead, typed in English, dated, and signed.

B. Currency of Documentation

• Although some individuals have longstanding or permanent diagnoses, because of the changing manifestations of many physical disabilities and chronic health conditions, it is essential that a test taker provide recent and appropriate documentation from a qualified professional. Documentation should be dated within three (3) years of the student’s request for accommodations.

C. Documentation Criteria

• Comprehensive documentation should include a history of presenting symptoms, date of onset, severity and duration of the disorder, and relevant developmental and historical data.
• A specific diagnosis should be listed.
• A description of current functional limitations resulting from the disorder and how these effects impact the student.
• Current medication prescribed, including any side effects.