Documentation Guidelines

At Fayetteville State University Accessibility Services (AS), documentation helps our office understand how a student’s disability may affect their ability to access academic programs, housing, campus services, and university life. Documentation is a key part of the accommodation process, allowing us to determine reasonable accommodations that address the functional impact of a student’s accessibility needs and support full access to university programs and services.

Our goal is to work collaboratively and interactively with students, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and best practices recommended by the Association on Higher Education and Disability.

Documentation allows our office to evaluate accommodation requests and determine reasonable adjustments that support access while maintaining the academic integrity and standards of the University.

We also recognize that students are often the best source of information about how their disability impacts them. A student’s personal description of their experiences, barriers, and needs is an important part of the interactive accommodations process. When the impact of a disability is not readily observable, documentation from a qualified healthcare or licensed professional is typically required to help our office understand the current functional limitations related to the disability.

Disclaimer: Submitting false, misleading, or falsified documentation constitutes a violation of university rules and may result in the denial of accommodation requests. Such actions are subject to disciplinary review under the University Student Code of Conduct, Housing and Residence Life code violations, and other applicable campus regulations. All documentation and signatures will be verified for validity.

 

Purpose of Documentation

  • Explains how your disability impacts daily functioning and access to campus programs or housing.
  • Supports the interactive process between you and Accessibility Services.
  • Ensures accommodations are reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with ADA and Section 504 requirements.

Students are often the best source of information about how their disability affects them. When functional limitations are not readily observable, documentation from a qualified healthcare or licensed professional is typically required.

Eligibility & Functional Impact

  • Having a diagnosis alone does not automatically qualify a student for accommodations.
  • Eligibility is based on whether the disability creates substantial functional limitations in one or more major life activities, which may include:
    • Learning
    • Reading
    • Concentrating
    • Walking or mobility
    • Eating
    • Communicating
    • Sleeping
    • Daily living tasks relevant to campus programs, housing, or services
  • These limitations are considered in terms of severity, frequency, and duration.
  • The goal is to understand how the disability creates barriers and determine appropriate accommodations, whether academic, housing, or campus access-related.


Generally Sufficient Documentation

Documentation should generally provide:

  • Provider Information & Qualifications – Name, title, credentials, and professional background.
  • Diagnosis & Relevant History – Statement of the disability or condition, including history and onset.
  • Current Functional Impact – How the disability affects daily life, campus participation, and access to programs or services.
  • Treatments, Supports, or Interventions – Medications, therapy, assistive technology, or other services currently used.
  • Effectiveness & Side Effects – How interventions help and any side effects that may impact access or participation.


Required Documentation Incudes

  • Be dated within the past 5 years.
  • Include a medical diagnosis or diagnoses.
  • Identify substantial functional limitation(s) resulting from each diagnosis; severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms. 
  • Recommend accommodations that reduce these limitations of each diagnosis.
  • Diagnostic assessments, psychological evaluations, and/or any documentation must be on official letterhead and include:
    • Provider’s legible name, contact information, email address and license number(s)
    • Professional or electronic signature
  • Acceptable providers include licensed:
    • Medical Professionals
    • Psychiatrists or Psychologists
    • Clinical Mental Health Counselors
    • Clinical Social Workers


Generally Insufficient Documentation

Disclaimer: Please note that high school 504/IEPs, VA Benefit Summary related letters, MyChart screenshots, and similar records are not considered sufficient documentation. Yet, they are welcomed and accepted for historical reference only. This type of documentation does not meet the Documentation Guidelines required for college level eligibility review and process determination.

Additionally, the following materials are generally not sufficient on their own because they typically lack details about the current functional impact:

 

  • Medical records
  • Health summaries from patient portals
  • Medical chart notes
  • X-rays
  • Prescription notes or medication list

These may provide helpful historical information but do not demonstrate current limitations relevant to campus, academic, or housing accommodations.

Accessibility Services reserves the right to request additional documentation or clarification if the submitted materials do not sufficiently demonstrate functional impact.

Disclaimer: Insufficient documentation will be returned to the student in draft form to allow the opportunity to regather and resubmit complete documentation adequate for the review phase. Insufficient documentation includes, but is not limited to: missing provider information or credentials, lack of a functional impact description, outdated records, or incomplete assessments required for eligibility review.

 

Timely Documentation Submission

Students are encouraged to submit complete and thorough documentation to avoid delays in processing. Each resubmission restarts the review timeline, which may take up to 10 business days for the review team to process. Therefore, the Preparation Stage remains essential to ensure timely and accurate consideration of accommodations.

Submitting documentation close to the end of the semester may result in a review for the following semester. 

Documentation submitted close to the end of the semester may delay the start of accommodations. In some cases, accommodations may be implemented in the following semester, depending on the type of accessibility needs and the time required to review and coordinate support across academic, housing, and other university programs and services.

Submitting documentation early allows the Accessibility Services team to provide support effectively, ensuring students have the resources they need to fully participate in all aspects of university life.

Secure Documentation AIMs Uploading

  • Upload all documentation through the secure AIMs portal.
  • Do not submit documentation via email to the Accessibility Services department email account or the personal email accounts of Accessibility Services team members.
  • Documentation submitted outside of AIMs will not be opened or reviewed; all documentation must be properly uploaded through the portal to enter the review process. 
  • AIMs ensures all submissions are secure, protected, and accessible only to authorized staff, supporting timely, organized, and effective processing of accessibility accommodations across all university programs and services.


READY TO UPLOAD YOUR SUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION?!

Return to the Getting Started tab for step-by-step instructions on submitting AIMs portal submission.