Disability Support — Physical Disabilities/Impairments & Chronic Illnesses Disorder

Documentation Requirements

Students requesting academic accommodations from the Liberty University Online Office of Disability Academic Support are required to submit a  notification of need form. Furthermore, they are required to submit documentation of a disability in order to verify their eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and ODAS policies. The evaluator’s report must document a disability as defined by the ADA as “a substantial limitation of a major life function.”

Note: Temporary illnesses or impairments, including conditions such as, but not limited to, cold, flu, normal pregnancy, sprained appendages, etc. are not considered for accommodations.

Currency:  Since any academic accommodations given to a student are based upon the present effect of the disability on the student, medical documentation used to request accommodations should be no more than 3 years old. However, exceptions to this amount of time may be made based upon the nature of the disability/impairment/illness itself, as well as the accommodations requested.

Diagnostician Qualifications: Certified health care professionals are qualified to complete this assessment. If the student’s condition warrants such action, an assessment from a specialist working in the field of the student’s disability/impairment/illness is preferred.

Diagnostic Report and Summarization:  The diagnostic report and summary must include, but is not limited to, the following information:

1. Summary of assessment.
2. A specific diagnosis based upon the criteria set forth in the DSM-IV, if applicable.
3. Standard scores or percentiles of any testing given, if applicable.
4. Information pertaining to any relevant medical, psychological, educational, behavioral, or familial history that may impact the student academically, as well as any current information from these areas as well.
5. A clear, direct statement of any current major life functions limited by the student's condition, as well as a summary of any present symptoms the student is experiencing.
6. Suggestions (from the evaluator) for specific accommodations to be administered on behalf of the student in a postsecondary academic setting that are supported by the student's testing results and subsequent diagnosis.

Other Requirements: This summary must:

1. Be written on evaluator letterhead.
2. Be signed and dated by the evaluator.
3. Include the specific dates of testing.
4. Include professional credentials.
5. Include contact information for the evaluator.

Submission Information:

Documentation can be sent to the following:

• Fax (preferred): 1-800-628-7977, Attention LUO ODAS
• Email (.pdf attachment complete with signature): luoodas@liberty.edu
• Address:
  Liberty University Online ODAS
  1971 University Blvd., Campus North
  Lynchburg, VA 24502

Note: Medical Documentation will be reviewed periodically for all current students. Students may be asked to provide updated medical documentation for conditions that may change over time and whose medical documentation is past the required currency at the time of the review. Students are also encouraged to send in medical documentation when changes in their medical condition occur.