Guidelines for Documentation | Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources

Guidelines for Disability Documentation

Documentation for Academic and Residential Life Accommodations

The North Dakota Colleges and Universities Disability Services use documentation of disability to 1) establish whether an individual is a person with a disability and 2) provide a rationale for identifying and implementing reasonable accommodations.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 define disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities." Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, sleeping, and mental/emotional processes such as thinking, concentrating, and interacting with others. The ADA also protects individuals from discrimination if they have a record of such impairments or if they are regarded as having such impairments.

Supporting Documentation:

Disability related supporting documentation should provide information on the impact of the disability so that appropriate accommodations can be identified. Documentation may include assessments, reports, and/or letters from qualified evaluators, professionals, or institutions. Common sources of documentation are health care providers, psychologists, and diagnosticians. Copies of accommodations approved from a previous school(s) such as accommodation agreements/letters, 504 plans, IEPs, ARD documents and/or standardized exams can also be included as additional supporting information.

Documentation Form

Students have their evaluator/provider fill out the NDSU Verification of Disability Form and return it to the Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources or the provider can use their own form with the following Supporting Documentation Elements:

Typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by a qualified professional.
State the disability or disabilities.
Describe the impact or symptoms of the disability.
If appropriate, discuss the severity and/or expected progression.
If appropriate, list medication side-effects.
Current and/or past accommodations.
Any recommended accommodations.

Please make sure you fill out an Application for Academic Accommodations prior to submitting documentation. Without an application we cannot adequately process your request.

Forms or documentation can be mailed to:
Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources
North Dakota State University
NDSU Dept 2860
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050

The form or documenation can be faxed to 701-231-8520 or sent through our secure file transfer. filetransfer.ndsu.edu/filedrop/ndsu.dsdrop@ndsu.edu Please make sure you fill out an application prior to submitting documentation. Without an application we cannot adequately process your request.

Documentation for Emotional Support Animals

The providor can fill out the Reasonable Accommodation Verification Form For University Housing. They are not required to fill out the form, but they need to provide the following information:

The Fair Housing Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Under this definition, an impairment is a disability if it substantially limits the ability of the person to perform a major life activity as compared to the average person in the general population. The definition also takes into account any mitigating measures, such as medication or other treatment or therapies, the person is employing that may relieve the substantial limitations caused by the impairment. If the mitigating measure(s) eliminates the substantial limitations caused by the impairment, the person does not have a disability.

1. Does the resident have a disability under the above definition?
2. Date the provider initially saw this patient.
3. The date they last met with the patient.
4. Please explain how the accommodation is necessary for the resident to use and enjoy University housing as compared to a person without a disability.
5. Please identify any other accommodation that may be equally effective in allowing the resident to use and enjoy University Housing.
6.Please identify the specific animal you are prescribing as an ESA.

Name and position of Verifier
Liscense #
Clinic / Practice
Address
Telephone
Signature of Verifier
Date

Forms or documentation can be mailed to:
Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources
North Dakota State University
NDSU Dept 2860
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050

Please make sure you fill out a Residential Life Accommodation application prior to submitting documentation. Without an application we cannot adequately process your request.

Documentation from the Internet
Some websites sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Under the Fair Housing Act, a housing provider may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that are not obvious or otherwise known. In HUD’s experience, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal.
Further, the State of North Dakota has placed limitations on telehealth services; diagnosis or treatment recommendations that are made solely on the basis of an online questionnaire or telephone conference and these may not be accepted as documentation in support of an ESA request.

The form or documenation can be faxed to (701) 231-8520 or sent through our secure file transfer. filetransfer.ndsu.edu/filedrop/ndsu.dsdrop@ndsu.edu Please make sure you fill out an application prior to submitting documentation. Without an application we cannot adequately process your request.