Overview of Documentation Guidelines

Documentation is required to verify the existence of a disability covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It is most useful in providing information to support accommodation requests and anticipate future accommodation needs.

Your documentation should include a recent* evaluation by an appropriate, credentialed professional** which makes evident the current impact of the disability as it relates to the accommodations and services requested. Documentation should contain the following items:

  • A diagnostic statement identifying the disability
  • A description of the diagnostic methodology
  • A description of the expected duration and progression of the condition
  • A description of the functional limitations caused by the disability
  • A description of past and current treatment 

You can use this form and request that your current provider fill it out. You may then upload the completed documentation via your AIM account. Alternatively, you can have your provider directly email Accessibility Services at accessibility@amherst.edu with the completed documentation.

All documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and because disabilities vary, the required documentation will also vary. We have provided the information below to help with any questions you may have. However, if you are still unsure, please contact Accessibility Services and we can answer any questions.

  1. Reports must be provided by qualified licensed professionals. **Qualified professionals include school and/or clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, physicians, licensed mental health professionals, and other rehabilitation professionals. Qualified professionals cannot be family members.
  2. Reports must include the name and the title of the clinician and the date(s) of evaluation.
  3. Reports must be on letterhead and otherwise legible.
  4. Documents must be signed by the qualified professional or by a member of the qualified professional's staff.
  5. *In general, documentation should be current if the condition is one that frequently changes (every few months up to yearly).

If the original documentation provided is incomplete or inadequate to determine whether the student qualifies as having a disability or is eligible for the accommodations requested, Accessibility Services has the discretion to require additional documentation.  Any information received is confidential and is used by Accessibility Services for the sole purpose of determining a student’s eligibility for services, and providing accommodations.

TRANSFER STUDENTS: Along with the above information, transfer students may submit documentation from the previously attended school, which includes the dates of service and the accommodations used; however, accommodations received at another institution are not guaranteed to be provided at Amherst College.