Academic Support Services

Guidelines for Documenting Disabilities

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Terminology
Documentation of Disability
Examples of Acceptable Forms of Documentation
Recency of Documentation
Confidentiality
Costs for Diagnosis/Testing
Recommendations for Accommodations
Arranging for Reasonable Accommodations
Disability Grievance Procedure

Reed College is committed to providing equality of opportunity and meaningful access for qualified students with physical, psychological, attentional or learning-based disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student with a disability at Reed is someone who, with reasonable or no accommodations, is capable of meeting Reed's academic standards. The following legal terms, included in the ADA, have relevance in the educational setting:

Disability: Someone who has a physical or psychological condition which substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded by the covered entity as having an impairment.

Major life activity: Includes the functions of caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

Substantially limits: Unable to perform a major life activity or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a major life activity can be performed when compared with the average person.

DOCUMENTATION OF A DISABILITY

Generally, students seeking support services under the ADA must have adequate documentation on file in student services in a timely manner before accommodations can begin, preferably as soon after admission as possible. Students should not assume that this disability information is known to student services merely because the student's application indicated the presence of a disability, or another office such as residence life or health services was notified. Although documentation can be from a variety of sources, it must be from a competent credentialed authority who can address the functional limitations due to the disability and its impact in an academic setting.

EXAMPLES OF ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF DOCUMENTATION

Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Audiogram accompanied by audiologist's report documenting a hearing loss that necessitates support services in order to participate in class;
Visually Impaired: Report from ophthalmologist/optometrist documenting the need for services other than corrective lenses;
Psychological Disability: Clinical diagnosis should be by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist based on DSM-IV criteria indicating functional limitations and how the disability impacts one's ability to function as a college student in a learning environment;
Medical Disability: Documentation of a disease, illness, etc. from an appropriate physician specialist, listing any functional limitations and its impact;
Learning Disability: Documentation should meet the Association of Higher Education and Disability's (AHEAD) Guidelines for Documentation of a Learning Disability in Adolescents and Adults, July 1997 (copy available upon request).
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Documentation should meet guidelines established by the 1998 Consortium on ADHD Documentation (copy available upon request).

RECENCY OF DOCUMENTATION

The provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon a case-by-case assessment of the impact of the student's disabilities on his or her academic performance and/or college participation at a given time in the student's life. Therefore, it is in the student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation that is not more than 3 years old. Students with temporary disabling conditions may be provided services on a case by case basis, taking into consideration both the duration of the expected condition and the extent to which it actually limits academic performance and/or college participation; such students may need to redocument their condition periodically (e.g., each semester) before services can continue.

Based on the type of disability, some documentation may be outdated or inadequate in scope or content; it may not address the student's current level of functioning or need for accommodations because changes may have occurred since the previous evaluation was conducted. In such cases, the college may request an updated report. Since the purpose of the update is to determine the student's current need for accommodations, the update, conducted by a qualified professional, should include a request and rationale for ongoing services and accommodations.

For students with learning-based disabilities or AD/HD, a school plan such as an individualized education program (IEP, also called a 504 plan) generally is insufficient documentation, but can be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment battery. A comprehensive assessment battery and the resulting diagnostic report should include a diagnostic interview, an assessment of aptitude, academic achievement and information processing and a diagnosis.

Documentation should not be more than 3 years old and should include the following information:

Quantitative and qualitative information which supports the diagnosis;
Names of any assessment instruments used;
Severity of the disability and impact on major life activities in and out of the classroom;
Recommendations for specific accommodations;
Notation of medications prescribed, if any, and potential impact on learning;
Additional observations or recommendations which could assist us in adequately serving the student;
Names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of the evaluators, as well as dates of testing.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All documentation is treated in a confidential manner and no part of it should be released by student services without the student's informed and written consent. Because the college generally does not forward the documentation to a third party, such as another institution or health care provider (even with the student's written permission) it is suggested that a personal copy of the submitted report be retained if appropriate.

COSTS FOR DIAGNOSIS/TESTING

Costs associated with diagnosis, evaluation, and testing or re-testing generally are the responsibility of the student. For students currently enrolled at Reed, referral to the student health center and/or other professionals in the community may be appropriate. Reed College's health insurance provider may cover most of the cost of off-campus diagnosis/testing if the student has purchased such coverage.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations are alterations or services that are intended to allow students to perform on an equal basis with peers in class. It is important to recognize that accommodation needs can change over time and are not always identified through the initial diagnostic process. Conversely, a prior history of accommodation does not, in and of itself, warrant the provision of a similar accommodation.

The student's diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodations as well as an explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended. The evaluators should describe the impact the diagnosed disability has on a specific major life activity as well as the degree of significance of this impact on the individual. The evaluators should support recommendations with specific test results or clinical observations. If accommodations are not clearly recommended in a diagnostic report, clarification may be requested.

Decisions regarding the nature of the accommodations are made using the documentation provided in consultation with the student and the diagnosing professional, taking into account the substantial effect on some major life activity; the ability to access information, services, and classrooms; and the ability to produce work in a classroom environment or participate in college activities. Although faculty generally are not contacted without a student's written consent, input from faculty can be an important part of the process. The final determination for providing appropriate and reasonable accommodations rests with the college.

ARRANGING FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Reed College has identified Lily Copenagle, Assistant Dean of Academic Support, as the primary resource for students needing academic accommodations and for faculty needing information. The Assistant Dean initially meets individually with each student seeking services to discuss disability support services, appropriate documentation on file, and requests for accommodation. Students are strongly encouraged to make accommodation requests as early as possible to allow the opportunity for disability service approval, planning, faculty notification, adjustments, etc. For example, a request for books on tape may take weeks to implement while a request for extended time on a test generally takes only a few days to approve.

Accommodations requested in a timely manner that are determined and approved by the college as reasonable may include but are not limited to: course load modifications, requirement waivers and substitutions, adjustments in test taking, notetakers, readers, interpreters, taped textbooks, auxiliary aids, and extended time to complete longer assignments. Course load modifications, requirement waivers and substitutions, and additional time to complete the degree may be petitioned through the college's Administration Committee and/or the student's academic division. Generally, accommodations are not considered reasonable if they fundamentally alter the nature of the academic standards or programs or cause an undue burden.

With written permission from the student each semester, student services sends relevant faculty written notification informing them of the accommodations that have been requested and approved. Students then should follow up with their instructors to work out the implementation details of the accommodations. Students are also encouraged to meet with their adviser to discuss pertinent aspects of their academic program and study needs. A student who believes that he or she has not been given appropriate accommodations by a faculty member-- whether in an academic course, at the departmental or the divisional level-- should, if comfortable, discuss the issue with the faculty member in question and try to reach a resolution. Students should not, however, independently solicit accommodations from faculty but should begin that process in the Office of Student Services.

Although uncommon, any continuing concern by a student of faculty or staff's compliance with an approved accommodation generally should be handled by the assistant dean who should work out arrangements which best address the needs of the instructor, the student, and the college. If a resolution cannot be reached, the assistant dean should bring the matter to the dean of the faculty and/or the dean of student services.

DISABILITY GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

In the event a student believes that the above procedures have not been followed properly, a request for an accommodation has not been approved, an approved accommodation has not been implemented, or that any action has been improperly directed against him or her because of a disability or perception of a disability, the student may attempt to resolve the matter informally or immediately file a formal grievance, at the option of the student, either through campus procedures described below or directly with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

To resolve the matter informally, the student should first meet with the assistant dean of academic support to see if the matter can be resolved. If the student has concerns about meeting with the assistant dean, s/he can meet with the dean of academic support who will attempt to resolve the matter. Students asserting a formal grievance because a request for an accommodation has not been approved should also begin this process in student services.

In cases where the nature of suitable accommodations has been determined but the faculty member nonetheless fails to provide them or where there is some other form of complaint against a faculty member, the matter should be referred to the dean of faculty who, in turn, should seek an informal or, where necessary, formal resolution. If the student chooses to file a formal grievance, she or he should begin that process in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty who should refer the matter to the chair of the grievance review panel under Section F of the Rules of Procedure of the Faculty Constitution. If the grievance is against a staff member, the student begins this process by meeting with the dean of student services who should follow staff grievance procedures.

If a student believes that she or he is a victim of discrimination or harassment by another student because of a disability, they may initiate a grievance procedure by filing a complaint with the chair of the student judicial board.

To obtain further information about grievance procedures and the honor principle, students should consult the Guidebook to Reed.

If you have questions about services for students with disabilities at Reed College, please contact:

Lily Copenagle
Assistant Dean of Academic Support
Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
Tel 503/777-79136
FAX 503/777-7225

effective June 2008

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