Student Accessibility Services Documentation Guideline Details

The Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Office provides academic, programmatic, and physical accessibility and services to students with disabilities. SAS frequently assists students with various medical conditions and diagnosed disabilities, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, seizure disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases, deafness, hearing loss, and blindness. It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list; thus, we welcome all students with disabilities to seek our services.

Eligibility for accommodations and services is established through information obtained from the student’s self-report and submitted documentation. The documentation must be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, or on the appropriate SAS fillable provider documentation form if available. The information must be from a qualified/licensed professional (e.g., physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor, etc.), unrelated to the student, and whose credentials permit the evaluation of the disability. The following guidelines are provided to assist students in obtaining documentation to establish the need for reasonable accommodations:

1. A clear statement of the medical or psychiatric diagnosis (i.e., ICD-10, DSM-5) with a description of the student’s current symptoms (if applicable, specify if the diagnosis is in partial or complete remission);
2. Date of the initial diagnosis and date of the most recent visit with the student for this diagnosis;
3. Information regarding the functional impact or limitations of the condition or disability on the student’s learning and other major life activities;
4. The impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment, if relevant;
5. The expected duration, stability, or progression of the disability.
6. For students who experience flare-ups or intermittent symptoms, describe the current severity, duration, and frequency;
7. For students with a documented learning disability: documentation ideally includes a comprehensive evaluation of intelligence and academic achievement, with standardized scaled scores and composite scores to support the diagnosis or eligibility classification. This is commonly included in a psychoeducational assessment conducted by a school psychologist or a licensed psychologist;
8. Suggest recommendations for accommodations or services that the student may require.
9. FOR HOUSING SPECIFIC REQUESTS:

a) State the specific accommodations that are necessary to provide equal access to university housing.

b) Describe how the student’s medical/psychiatric condition necessitates the requested housing accommodation as it relates to the student’s disability;

c) Demonstrate how the specific room design or living environment will help to mitigate the student’s symptoms;

d) State whether, based on disability reasons, the specific housing request is a preference or a required accommodation.

Further evaluation or extra documentation might be required if the provided documentation does not substantiate the requested accommodations. Please contact SAS at studentaccessibility@stlawu.edu if you have any questions. All documentation is confidential.

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