The Disability Resource Center, in accordance with the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the University System of Georgia’s (USG) Documentation Guidelines, practices a comprehensive approach to using disability documentation to make informed decisions.
Disability documentation can also offer insight into how university courses and facilities may act as barriers to certain students. Documentation guidelines can be reviewed on the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook. Types of helpful documentation include medical records, psychoeducational testing, and school records, such as IEPs or 504 plans. In addition to documentation, the DRC asks individuals who request accommodations to present a self-report of how their disability impacts past and present academic experiences. Their report along with documentation can help to clarify the impact of their disability. Below are specific documentation guidelines.
- Learning Disabilities
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Acquired Brain Injuries
- Psychological Disorders
- Sensory Disorders
- Mobility Disorders
- Systemic Disorders
- Communication Disorders
- Other Disabilities
After meeting with the student and reviewing documentation, an individualized accommodation plan will be determined based on self-report and documentation to facilitate access to courses, programs, and facilities at UGA. All students are encouraged to meet with a DRC Coordinator to begin this process, even if students have limited or no documentation.
Comprehensive and detailed documentation enables the Disability Resource Center to determine appropriate accommodations for individual students on a case-by-case basis. When applicable, please submit a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation. Please see the University System of Georgia documentation guidelines for detailed information about recency and diagnostic requirements.
Documentation from health providers should address the following items.
- A clear diagnostic statement and date of diagnosis
- A description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, tests and dates of administration, and/or a clinical narrative
- A description of how the disability impacts the student and the severity of the functional limitation. This area forms one of the key elements for determining the severity of the patient’s disability on the patient’s ability to learn. Please list all of this client’s symptoms (functional limitations) thus lending more support that the student’s disability impacts learning so that accommodations can be based on these symptoms or functional limitations.
- A description of current medications and any adverse side effects. Please list medications that may have side effects. For example, some medications can make a person drowsy which could impact the speed for completing tasks which would support extended time for tests.
- Recommendations for accommodations and support services that are logically related to the functional limitations (extended time on tests, low distraction environment, etc.) This last part provides logical support for accommodations based on the patient’s functional limitations. more complete and detailed your report the better able we are in determining appropriate academic accommodations for your patient.
If you have any questions, please contact the intake coordinator at 706-542-8719.
Documentation can be uploaded along with the AIM Student Application if it is in an electronic format. Students can also email their documentation directly to the DRC at drc@uga.edu.
Documentation can be also be faxed to 706-542-7719 or hand delivered to our office in Clark Howell Hall.
If the documentation does not meet the guidelines listed above, students are still encouraged to submit any information they have related to their diagnosis. Students can work with the DRC to determine what additional documentation is necessary. In some cases, provisional accommodations can be set up while the student is in the process of gathering additional documentation.
If a student does not have any documentation, they are still encouraged to contact the DRC. Our office can provide more information about documentation requirements, as well as provide referrals to resources on and off campus.
All documentation submitted to the DRC is confidential and is kept separate from the student’s academic record.