DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES
MOBILITY, SYSTEMIC, OR CHRONIC ILLNESS-RELATED DISABILITIES
Students requesting accommodations because of mobility, systemic or disease-related disabilities must provide documentation from by a qualified professional, a person who is licensed or otherwise properly credentialed and possesses expertise in the disability for which modifications or accommodations are sought. Documentation must provide evidence of a disability, and the evaluation must have occurred after the student reached the age of 13.
A school plan such as an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan is insufficient documentation without the background information from which the plan was written. A history of accommodations does not in itself warrant the provision of similar accommodations at the UA. The final determination of appropriate and reasonable accommodations rests with The University of Alabama.
Documentation must include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. DIAGNOSIS
- Clinical diagnosis
- Description of symptoms related to the diagnosis which indicate the nature, frequency and severity of the symptoms that the student experiences.
- Date of original diagnosis, if known, and last contact with the student.
2. CLINICAL SUMMARY
- The substantial limitations to major life activities posed by the disability.
- A description of the extent to which these limitations would impact the academic context for which accommodations are being requested.
3. MEDICATIONS
- Information about any medications the student may be taking for the disabling condition that may affect the student’s ability to participate in an academic environment. Medication cannot be used to imply a diagnosis.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- All reports must be in narrative format, typed, signed by the diagnosing clinician, and must include the names, titles and professional credentials of the evaluators as well as the date(s) of testing.
- Documentation must be submitted on the official letterhead of the professional diagnosing the disability.
- Chart or clinic notes are not acceptable as documentation.
Please complete an application and upload documentation in the ODS Online Portal (odsonlineportal.ua.edu).
This document will be made available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact the Office of Disability Services, (205) 348-4285 (Voice) or (205) 348-3081 (TTY) for assistance.
Revised 12/2019