Documentation of a physical disability
Students who are seeking support services from Saint
Martin's University based on a diagnosed physical disability
are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility.
Documentation of a physical disability consists of a type written
letter/medical documentation, which addresses specific academic needs of
the student. The cost and responsibility for providing this information
shall be borne by the student.
The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring the
letter is appropriate for documenting eligibility. Documentation
presented to Disability Support Services will remain in a private
confidential file in the Office of Disability Support Services. The
director of Disability Support Services is available to consult with
physician(s) regarding these guidelines. The letter should:
- be prepared by a
licensed professional
(e.g. physician,
audiologist, ophthalmologist, etc).
Additional information may be necessary
from other professional physicians or
from other allied health care providers,
such as but not limited to physical
therapists, occupational therapists,
psychologists, speech pathologists, etc.
- be comprehensive.
The documentation should
provide sufficient data to support the
particular academic adjustment(s)
requested. Since the documentation
provided constitutes the basis for
determining reasonable accommodations,
it is in a student's best interest to
provide recent and appropriate
documentation to serve as the
basis for decision making about a
student's need for accommodations in an
academically competitive environment.
This letter should be on professional letterhead,
signed, and include the licensed professional's title,
license number, address, and phone number.
- present clear and
specific evidence
, which identifies the
individual's disability/condition,
present level of functioning and how the
student's education may be impacted.
- provide sufficient data
to support the particular
academic adjustment(s) requested. The
documentation should demonstrate the
individual has a disability in
accordance with the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Requests, which are not supported by
documentation, may not be approved
without additional verification.
Documentation of a temporary disability , which interferes
in a student's ability to participate in programs, services, and activities
for an extended period of time, will be treated on an individual
basis and the policy for disability documentation will apply. However, the
documentation provided should be very current in order to support the need
for accommodation.