Recommended Documentation for Disabilities

Recommended Documentation for Disabilities

The Jackson State Community College Disability Resource Center (DRC) will review documentation submitted in order to establish a student’s eligibility for accommodations, to understand how the disability impacts the student in an academic setting, and to determine appropriate accommodations.

When reviewing documentation, we are understanding of the unique experience and disability of an individual. With some exceptions, such as those who have observable disabilities, you should provide documentation that is less than five years old from a licensed healthcare provider with a specialty that enables her/him to diagnose and treat your disability.

• If you are a student who has a psychiatric or psychological diagnosis, please have the appropriate mental health professional provide information about your disability. Examples of psychiatric or psychological diagnoses include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, mood disorders, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADD/ADHD, and others.
• If you are a student who has a physical, sensory, health-related, chronic illness, or medical disability, please have the appropriate medical professional provide information about your disability. Examples of these diagnoses include hearing impairment, vision impairment, traumatic brain injury, central auditory processing, spinal cord injury, chronic illness, and other health-related conditions.

Preferably, as appropriate for the disability, the documentation should:

• Clearly state the diagnosed disability, diagnosis code, and date of the diagnosis.
• Identify assessment instruments, testing procedures, or other methods of evaluation.
• Describe the functional limitations resulting from the disability (that is, how the physical or mental impairment substantially limits one or more major life activities), including educational, developmental, cognitive, and medical history relevant to the disabilities for which accommodations are requested.
• Indicate the severity of the condition and, if applicable, prognosis or expected duration of disability.
• Provide information regarding the treatment plan, necessary elements of daily living, disability management, medication, and possible side effects.
• Recommendations and rationale for accommodations and/or assistive technology based on the analysis of the functional impact of the diagnosis.
• Be obtained from a professional qualified to conduct the evaluation, including his/her name, title, signature, and professional credentials, as well as information about state licensure or certification number.

Services, accommodations, and/or assistive technology provided will be determined on an individual basis upon documentation review and consultation with the DRC. The accommodations provided at Jackson State may be different from those recommended by your healthcare provider or those provided in high school.

Once you have obtained documentation, scan it and upload it securely, deliver it to the Disability Resource Center in room 147 of the Student Center, or mail it to:

Upload Documentation