Documentation

Students requiring accommodations at Fredonia must self-identify by contacting the office of Disability Support Services for Students and providing documentation of a disability to:

Documentation may also be faxed to 716-673-3801 or emailed to disability.services@fredonia.edu

Upon receipt, the Coordinator will review documentation to determine eligibility for services. Once this review is completed, the student will be notified to set up an intake appointment or request that additional information be provided. The DSS office engages in an interactive process with each student to review each request.

Documentation Guidelines

The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids or services on the basis of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major activities.

All documentation is confidential and will not be shared with college personnel. Students are responsible for the costs associated with obtaining documentation. Professionals conducting assessments or rendering diagnoses must be qualified to do so. Currency of documentation is dependent upon the relative stability of the condition and accommodations requested. For documentation of a specific learning disability, documentation should be within the last 3 years using adult level norms.

Any documentation information students can share before the first meeting is helpful.  Documentation can be:

• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans

• Recent psychological or psychoeducational evaluations

• Letters from doctors or mental health professionals

Documentation should include the following information:

• Credentials of the evaluator(s)
• A clear diagnostic statement identifying the disability.
• A description of diagnostic methodology used.
• A description of current functional limitations
• A description of the expected progression or stability of the condition
• A description of past and/or current accommodations the student has used
• Recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, or services with a rationale and justification for all requested accommodations.

The submission of documentation does not activate services or accommodations.  DSS will use all information obtained through conversation and paperwork to coordinate reasonable accommodations and services with students.  Providing as much information as possible before the first meeting will save the need for additional meetings with DSS.