The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that it is the sole responsibility of the student to provide documentation for the purpose of determining eligibility for services. The following clarifications are provided to assist the student and their diagnosticians in determining what information is needed.
The individual making a diagnosis must be qualified to diagnose under the DSM/ICD guidelines and have training and relevant expertise in the specific area of disability in which he/she is providing the diagnosis. This is usually a medical doctor, licensed clinical social worker, or a licensed psychologist. The diagnostician must be impartial and one who is not a family relation of the student.
A diagnosis of disability is primarily derived from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Dixie State College policy requires documentation that reflects a battery of test results; they mirror the adult based norms (WAIS-III) that are required to determents eligibility for all post secondary education. Eligibility under ADA Policy requires that a person have a diagnosed impairment which significantly limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities are defined by the ADA Policy and revised by case law and include walking, sitting, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, reading, writing, working, performing mathematical calculations, and caring for oneself. Both the impairment and the limitation of a major life activity must be established to be eligible under ADA. Dixie State College will follow ADA Policy, with guidance from Risk Management to determine adherence on a case-by-case basis.
All documentation will be provided by the student before the start of the semester. In the event a student provides reasonable documentation subgstantiating a disability, but cannot provide the required documentation before the first day of class, interim accommodations may be appropriate for a reasonable period. This period may be from two (2) to the entire semester, depending on when the required documentation is expected, the reason it could not be obtained before the first day of class, and the ability to follow up and remove the interim accommodation.
The report submitted by the qualifying professional should be typed and must be on professional letterhead with a date and signature. Documentation must include the name, title, and credentials of the qualified professional writing the report. The report should also contain the following:
1. The individual’s history of the disabling condition.
2. The diagnosis, referring to the DSM or ICD where appropriate and adult-based results from WAIS-III or any other battery of tests reflecting those norms.
 3. The prognosis and treatment plan/recommendation, including a list of medications being prescribed which may impact a major life activity in the educational setting.
4. A description of the limitations and supporting documents, including test results which are relevant to post secondary educational setting.
5. Recommendations for accommodations, supported by documentation will be evaluated by the DRC as to appropriateness in relation to the course requirements. Under ADA Policy Tutoring is, for example, not provided. Dixie State College will assist students by suggesting resources available to offer tutoring.
6. Comprehensiveness of the documentation to support the diagnosis of a disability including psychometric assessment or portions thereof, if relevant.
As a general rule, disability documentation should be less than three years old. If the diagnosis indicates a medical condition, which is permanent or unchanging, it is not necessary to update documentation every three years at Dixie State College, Disability Resource Center. If the prognosis indicates episodic condition, documentation may need to be updated more often. Check with the Disability Resource Center Coordinator if you have questions about when documentation needs to be renewed.
Dixie State College Disability Resource Center provides reasonable secure storage for confidential student information and according to law (GRAMA) maintains student records for seven (7) years. It is important that students keep a copy of all their documentation
Individuals who have been regarded as having a disability and who can show a history of receiving accommodations may, under certain conditions, be able to use such documentation to support their requests for services at the Disability Resource Center at Dixie State College. This could include copies of records of accommodations at other colleges. Vocational evaluation and testing information which outline functional limitations may also be useful in determining appropriate accommodations
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DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES 