Center for Accessibility Resources

Providing Documentation or Evidence of Disability

Linn-Benton Community College’s Center for Accessibility Resources applies standards for documentation requirements established by the Association for Higher Education and Disabilities (AHEAD, www.ahead.org).

Disability documentation will vary in weight and value depending on the original context, credentials of the evaluator, and the level of detail provided.

Documentation should be applicable, identifying how the disability affects the student but it may not be necessarily recent. Documentation is meant to supplement and confirm what the student identifies as the barriers to learning or accessing an education.

Acceptable sources of documentation for proving a student’s disability and requests can take a variety of forms. 

From a diagnosing professional

  • Diagnosing professionals may include a medical or osteopathic doctor, licensed therapist, an educational diagnostician, psychologist or psychiatrist, etc.
  • Documentation should indicate:
    • Diagnosis
    • Date of onset
    • How condition significantly impacts abilities in educational setting, and 
    • Recommended accommodations
  • Diagnosing professionals may provide documentation by:
    • Completing a signed Release of Documentation (ROD) request form sent by the student or CFAR office
    • Creating a signed and dated letter on office letterhead
    • Providing an evaluation report
  • Patient progress notes, pictures of health summaries and copies of prescriptions may not be accepted solely as documentation of disability.

From a former educational facility

Former educational facilities may include former high schools, colleges or universities.

High school documentation may include: 

  • Individual Education Plans (IEP), with eligibility and assessment/evaluations:
    • IEPs may not be accepted solely as documentation of disability.  
    • The IEP must be complete and include an eligibility statement, and if available, the latest 3 year assessment or evaluation.
  • 504 Plans, with current supporting information from diagnosing professional:
    • 504 plans will not be accepted solely as documentation of disability.
    • 504 plans must be accompanied by current supporting information from a diagnosing professional (see above).
Previously attended college/university documentation may include:
  • Documentation used to establish eligibility and a list of approved accommodations.

From Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Documentation may include Vocational Rehabilitation evaluations or Individual Plans for Employment (IPE).

From Department of Veterans Affairs

Documentation may include:

  • Veterans disability determination letter AND the associated evaluation report or a Student's Self Report

From a Student's Self Report*

*If no documentation exists or additional information is needed

The Center for Accessibility Resources recognizes that students play a vital role in knowing how the disability impacts them and are a source in determining how a disability limits them in their lives and education.

  • Students who self-report having a disability can often identify how it currently impacts them in classes and on campus.
  • Historical information and the student’s self-report may be enough to describe how the condition impacts the student’s learning.
  • This is determined on an individual basis. No blanket statement will be made.
  • A student’s self report may be required to accompany other types of documentation.
Please see the I Do Not Have Documentation and/or I Need to Provide Additional Information section below.

I Have Documentation

This means you work with or have worked with a credentialed professional or Vocational Rehabilitation Services office, have had an IEP, 504 or approved accommodations at another school, or are a disabled veteran and have access to your documentation already.

I Need Help With Documentation

This means you have documentation and need help requesting or accessing it.

I Do Not Have Documentation and/or I Need to Provide Additional Information

This means documentation does not exist, is inaccessible, and/or you need to provide additional information in the form of a Student’s Self Report.
 
The Center for Accessibility Resources welcomes questions and recommends students contact the office directly if unsure about the documentation guidelines or if they do not have access to getting the supporting documentation. 

Documents or evidence of disability may be uploaded with application, mailed, faxed, emailed or brought into our office.

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