Guidelines for Documentation of Disability

The following guidelines are provided to assure that documentation of disability submitted to the Disability Resource Center (DRC) is appropriate to both verify disability and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.

It is the policy of San Jose State University to provide appropriate accommodations to students who have documented disabilities meeting the eligibility requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

To establish eligibility for services, students must present documentation that meets the following criteria:

1. Diagnosis must be determined by a licensed physician or primary health care provider, psychologist, audiologist, speech therapist, learning disability specialist, or other appropriate professional. The director or designee shall have ultimate authority to determine disability status, subject to established appeal procedures. The diagnosis must be based upon history, patient and family interviews, testing, medical or neurological examination. A qualified professional, such as a Learning Disability Specialist, can provide documentation for a learning disability based on appropriate testing (this must meet the CSU criteria). For disabilities such as psychiatric disabilities specific diagnostic classifications such as DSM-IV must be supplied where appropriate.
2. Documentation must include an evaluation of the impact on the individual of both the diagnosed condition and any prescribed medications. This evaluation must include an explanation of the functional limitations of the disability and address how the impairment substantially limits one or more of the individual's major life activities.
3. The documentation should include specific detail regarding the disability(ies) and in the manner and degree in which any functional limitation(s) impede performance (e.g., reading, writing, walking, speaking, seeing and abstract reasoning). In order for the professional staff in the DRC to make appropriate recommendations for academic adjustments, specific detailed information on limitations must be provided.
4. All documentation must be submitted on letterhead of the appropriate professional diagnosing disability (see #1 for appropriate professional).
5. The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 covers: (1) individuals who have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity such as walking, seeing, breathing and working; (2) individuals who have a record of such an impairment, such as cancer in remission; (3) individuals regarded as having a disability, e.g., a non-impairing facial disfigurement; (4) individuals having an association with a person with a disability, e.g., a spouse, child, or parent.
6. Indicate whether condition is short-term (less than 90 days), or long-term (more than 90 days).
7. Documentation must be current based on the date of diagnosis or assessment not the date of submission to the DRC.
8. Currency of documentation: documentation must be current, within the last 5 years for Learning Disabilities, last 2 years for psychiatric disabilities, or last 3 years for all other disabilities (does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities, of a unchanging nature i.e., Deafness or blindness).
9. Continuing students will be required to update their documentation accordingly.
10. Purged files: It is the policy of the DRC to purge student files five (5) years after a student leaves San Jose State University.

California State University Disability Categories Fact Sheet(PDF)

Attention Deficit Disorder Documentation Policy(PDF)

Confidentiality Policy (PDF)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Policies (PDF)

Disability Resource Center
Administration Building 110
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0168
(408) 924-6000 (Main Office)
(408) 924-6542 (Deaf and HoH)
(408) 808-2123 (ATC)

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