Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Guidelines for Academic, Housing and Campus Accommodations

Medical and academic documentation is utilized to help guide the determination regarding the nature of a disability and/or health condition and its impact it may have on a student within the educational environment and what accommodations (auxiliary aides and services) may be appropriate to support them. Documentation for any accommodation should address the following:

• Licensure of health care professional and time working with applicant for treatment and/or educational records that substantiate a history of diagnosis and support of accommodations
• A clear identification and diagnosis of a medical condition
• Description of the functional limitations, symptoms, and/or barriers as a result of the condition
• Discussion on how these limitations, symptoms, and/or barriers impact major life activities and full participation or accessibility to any aspects of the college experience, specifically as it pertains to the academic, campus, and residential environment
• Specifically identifying the recommended accommodations and how these will ameliorate or minimize the experience of limitations, symptoms, and/or barriers that will allow the student to have better access and full participation to all aspects of Baylor’s campus life

Students are able to submit documentation from multiple sources to substantiate the areas noted above in the form of: provider letter from Baylor’s Health Services or Counseling Center, qualified medical provider on professional letterhead, emergency department discharge papers, Individual Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, Neuropsychological assessment, K-12 Summary of Performance, Psychoeducational or psychometric evaluation, audiogram, vision screening results, and other information from a qualified healthcare provider that can provide insight into the student’s limitations and/or provide support for any requested accommodations.

While documentation may be sufficient to establish that you have a disability, documentation alone does not inform whether OALA approves to put accommodations in place or the specifics of those accommodations. All information provided during the accommodation process will be considered when determining appropriate accommodations, including but not limited to the student’s self-report regarding their limitation and impairments, corroborating documentation from external sources, and impressions and conclusions formed by OALA staff during the interactive process.

Students are encouraged to submit what they have for review with their application. Provisional accommodations may be established while additional documentation is being obtained. If additional documentation is needed, OALA can work with the student to clarify what information is required. If a student is facing barriers and difficulties accessing documentation or is uncertain about the documentation process, they are encouraged to reach out to OALA for further clarification and support. 

OALA will not accept documentation that purports to state that a parent or family member is the student’s treating health care professional, or an expert retained to assess the student’s disability.  In the exceptional and rare event that a parent or family member serves in such a capacity, it must be consistent and align with the ethical guidelines of mental and/or medical health care professionals’ code of ethics. Documentation should state the circumstances around this and acknowledgement of acting within their professional code of ethics. 

All information and documentation submitted to OALA is kept separate from academic records and is considered private under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). HIPAA privacy and confidentiality guides do not apply to documents submitted to OALA, as they are not being used for medical treatment. Under FERPA guidelines, OALA cannot guarantee complete confidentiality as there may be times when sharing some information with other Baylor staff and faculty with an educational basis and need to know is necessary in the facilitation of the accommodation process.