Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Guidelines

Students requesting academic accommodations and/or services from Services for Students with Disabilities are required to submit documentation of a disability to verify eligibility under the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act (ADAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Disability Services guidelines. The ADAA defines a disability as “a substantial limitation of a major life function”.

Documentation serves three purposes:

  1. To establish that the student can be considered a person with a disability, and therefore eligible for protection against discrimination on the basis of disability.
  2. To supplement information from the student regarding the impact of the disability.
  3. To inform the development of reasonable accommodation (auxiliary aids and services) designed to facilitate equal access to The Citadel environments on a case-by-case basis.

Determining Accommodations

Eligibility for academic accommodations is based on the data in the documentation and accompanying information that clearly demonstrates that a student has one or more functional limitations in the academic setting and that these limitations require accommodation in order to achieve equal access. Accommodations are intended to provide equal access, not guarantee success or maximize a student’s potential. Any recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

A school plan such as an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan can be submitted, but it may not provide sufficient information to determine accommodations. In order to evaluate your requests for accommodations, the SSC will take into consideration your self-report, records of past accommodations and services from high school and other colleges, formal psychological or medical evaluations, and letters from health service providers. Any information concerning how your conditions are likely to impact you at The Citadel will help us to identify potential accommodations and services. 

Documentation Guidelines

Documentation, which should include the following elements, is necessary to establish the presence of a disability and the need for accommodation(s). If you do not have all of the following information, please submit what documentation you have and we will review it.

  1. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, the date of the most current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis.
  2. A description of the diagnostic tests, methods, and/or criteria used including specific test results (including standardized testing scores) and the examiner’s narrative.
  3. A description of the current functional impact of the disability. This may be in the form of an examiner’s narrative, and/or an interview, but it must have a rational relationship to diagnostic assessments. For learning disabilities, current documentation is defined using adult norms.
  4. A statement indicating treatments, medications, or assistive devices/services currently prescribed or in use, with a description of the mediating effects and potential side effects from such treatments, if applicable.
  5. A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time.
  6. A history of previous accommodations and their impact, if applicable.
  7. The credentials of the diagnosing professional(s), if not clear from the letterhead or other forms. Please note that diagnosing professionals shall not be family members or others with a close personal relationship with the individual being evaluated. The provider should include their contact information, their license number, and their signature or electronic signature.

To request accommodations for a disability, or to address questions you may have, please contact disabilityservices@citadel.edu or call 843-953-1820.