Documentation Guidelines for Students Requesting Accommodations

Carlow University makes every reasonable effort to provide qualified applicants and students with disabilities with the opportunity to take full advantage of its programs, activities, services and facilities. The Disability Services Office (DSO) supports this commitment by arranging reasonable accommodations tailored to individual needs. 

When students seek accommodations, the Disability Services Office must determine 1) if the student’s physical or mental health condition qualifies as a disability, 2) the barriers and impacts the student experiences related to the disability, and 3) the level and severity of the impacts.  

Documentation is only one part of the interactive process during which accommodations will be determined. DSO staff will work with students to determine individualized accommodations using both documentation and insight shared by the student during the Intake Interview.  

General Documentation Guidelines  

• Documentation must provided by a professional licensed to diagnose and/or treat the indicated disability and/or impact. 

• Documentation must be up-to-date and reflect the current status of the student’s disability and functional limitations. Note: documentation that is five years old or more often does not meet this requirement.  

• Documentation must describe the treatment relationship between the student and medical or mental health provider (e.g. how long the provider has treated the student, frequency of treatment visits, primary goals of treatment, etc.).  

• Documentation must describe in detail how the student’s disability impacts the student and substantially limits the student’s ability to engage in one or more major life activities, as well as its impact on participation in academics and/or other aspects of campus life.  

• The documentation provided cannot be from a family member or someone with a personal relationship with the student or the student’s family.  

• If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate, Disability Services has the discretion to require additional documentation.  

• The Disability Verification Form serves as one option for providing the necessary information. Alternatively, a student can submit a letter on their healthcare professional’s letterhead that provides the above information and is signed and dated by the professional.  

• While medical providers may provide recommendations for accommodations, the Disability Services Office retains the right to determine what accommodations are reasonable and appropriate within the technical and academic requirements of a student’s program at Carlow University. 

Category-Specific Documentation Guidance 

Criteria for the source, scope and content of documentation differs by disability type.  The below information is intended to provide students with a starting point for obtaining adequate documentation. 

• Learning Disabilities (LD): Documentation should include a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation. This should include measures of aptitude (e.g., WAIS-IV) and achievement (e.g., WJ-IV) with all standardized subtest scores included, if possible.  

• ADHD: Documentation should describe the history of symptoms, the specific diagnostic criteria met, and the current impact on executive functioning or attention in an academic environment.  

• Psychological Disabilities: A report from a mental health professional outlining the diagnosis, severity, stability of the condition, and any side effects of medication that may impact learning.  

• Chronic Health or Physical Disabilities: A letter from a treating specialist detailing the diagnosis, the expected duration (permanent or temporary), and the frequency or triggers of “flare-ups” that may require flexibility.  

Non-Academic Accommodations 

• Housing & Dining Accommodations: Requests for medical singles, Emotional Support Animals, or meal plan modifications require documentation that establishes a direct nexus between the disability and the specific housing/dining need. 

• Medical Singles: Documentation should include a description of the disability-related access barrier(s) that substantially limit the student’s ability to access university housing or the educational environment. 

• Emotional Support Animals: Documentation must indicate how the ESA is necessary, because of the student’s disability, to access university housing and/or the academic environment and a description of the preexisting relationship between student and the specific animal that is being requested, along with the therapeutic support that the specific animal provides.  

• Please see the University’s Emotional Support Animal Policy for further details.  

• On-Campus Residential Parking: Students residing on campus are generally not permitted to obtain an on-campus parking permit. Exceptions are made only through the DSO for students with valid, documented medical needs or mobility impairments. Documentation must explicitly state why the student requires a vehicle on campus to manage their disability.  

Referrals for Assessment 

Disability Services does not perform psychological or neuropsychological evaluations.  If you are having difficulty obtaining documentation or connecting with a provider, please contact us at DSO@carlow.edu. We may be able to refer you for an assessment through our campus resources at no cost to you.