Documentation Guidelines for Academic Accommodation Requests

When requesting an academic, housing, or dining accommodation, you’ll need to provide written documentation of your disability. This documentation helps Student Accessibility Services (SAS) understand how your disability affects you and determine appropriate accommodations.

Documentation must be in the form of a typed letter and meet the following criteria:

• Be current (typically from within the past year), though what qualifies as current may vary depending on the disability or condition and whether it is likely to change over time.
  • Not sure if the documentation you already have will work? Send us what you have. We’ll review it and let you know if we need any additional information to determine appropriate accommodations.
• Be prepared by a qualified, impartial professional (psychologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, other relevantly trained medical doctor) who has treated/evaluated you recently (e.g. a letter within the past year or educational testing within five years). The writer should have expertise and experience in the area for which the accommodations are being requested. Documentation cannot be written by a family member.
• Appear on professional letterhead with the provider’s name, license/certification/degree, area of specialization, employment, address, phone, signature, and date.
  • Please note: Doctor’s notes on prescription pads or handwritten letters are not sufficient for documentation of disability
• Be written in English or be an official translation
• Include a clear diagnostic statement of the disability/medical conditions (including DSM-V diagnosis, if applicable)
• Provide detailed information on the impact of the diagnosis in your daily life, including but not limited to functional limitations, current treatment strategies, specific recommendations for accommodations and services to help the student maximize the potential of their educational experience, and rationale for said recommendations.

This documentation will be kept confidential and will only be used to determine the student’s eligibility for accommodations or services, and type of accommodation or level of service required. Emerson reserves the right to determine the adequacy of the documentation provided and the right to request additional information to complete its consideration of the request.