Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Amendment Act of 2008(ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protection and rights to accommodations based upon documentation. The following guidelines are provided in the interest of accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.

Documentation information should:

• be comprehensive and current (current depends upon the diagnosis*), and
• include a clearly stated specific diagnosis and subtype, with diagnostic code when appropriate, including symptomology or criteria on which the diagnosis is based, and
• provide actual test scores and/or the criteria, as well as procedures used to make the diagnosis, and
• use technically sound tests &/or evaluations, relevant psychosocial, familial, historical, medical, developmental information and medication history as well as a thorough academic history including use of accommodations, and
• describe the duration and severity of the condition, and
  
• indicate how this diagnosis substantially limits a major life activity of the individual, and/or provide evidence of current impairment, as well as functional impact, and
• describe current and past accommodations, services or medications, and
  
• suggest appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments an/d or auxiliary aids including rationale, and
• indicate current treatments, typical progression, prognosis and/or stability (when relevant), and
• be conducted by a properly credentialed, qualified evaluator, appropriate to the disability, that does not have a personal relationship with the student or student’s family, and
  
• include testing and examination dates as well as the contact information and relevant credentials of the diagnosing evaluator.

*for example: ADD, ADHD, and Learning Disabilities must been have conducted within the past three years.  Chronic Medical/Health disabilities must have been conducted within the past twelve months unless the condition is permanent or unchanging.

This information is used in conjunction with the individual’s self–report in an interview with the Director of the Learning Enrichment and Disability Services Office. 

The Learning Enrichment and Disability Services Office protects students' privacy rights by maintaining a confidential file for each student. Permission to speak with the appropriate residence life staff is implied, however, if a student requests a housing accommodation either from the residence life staff (often via the housing application) or via the Learning Enrichment and Disability Services Staff.

Documentation is not shared amongst the Health Center, Counseling Center and the Learning Enrichment and Disability Services Office as they are governed by different privacy laws and regulations. If you want these campus offices to share information, you must provide explicit written permission for them to do so (ask the office for a form).  If documentation is mistakenly sent to other offices (e.g. Admissions), it will be redirected to the Director of the Learning Enrichment and Disability Services office.

Students interested in pursuing accommodations should contact the Learning Enrichment and Disability Services Office as soon as they know they will be attending Beloit College. Even if a student is questioning whether or not to use the accommodations, it is beneficial to have the documentation on file in case he/she changes his/her mind or the academic demands change. The Director will review submitted documentation, discuss it with the student, and determine what the appropriate next step may be.  However, students choose (each semester, each class, each accommodation) whether or not they will utilize accommodations.

Beloit College utilizes the specific documentation guidelines established by AHEAD (Association of Higher Education and Disability).