In accordance with guidelines established by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), the documentation of a disability should include the following:

•     A clear, specific diagnosis;
•     Credentials of the licensed professional providing the diagnosis (who has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated);
•     An explanation of the current manifestations or functional limitations of the disability;
•     A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications and their effects; and
•     Recommendations for accommodations or support services that relate directly to the current functional impact of the disability.

All documentation must be submitted on official letterhead of the professional/service provider describing the disability. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or a 504 plan from secondary and elementary schools, along with a psycho-educational evaluation team report (ETR) completed by a psychologist or school psychologist, constitute acceptable documentation. Either document is acceptable, but both are preferred. Alternatively, psycho-educational assessments from a private psychologist and/or medical evaluations or reports are also acceptable documents. Individual “learning styles,” “academic problems, “and “test difficulty or anxiety,” in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability.

If you do not have the documentation detailed above, please use our Disability Verification Form as an alternative way to provide acceptable documentation.  This must be filled out by your doctor or licensed therapist/counselor.

Documentation can be emailed to DisabilityServices@cia.edu.