Appropriate Documentation

In order to establish eligibility for accommodations, you must provide documentation that identifies that you have a condition that substantially limits your performance in one or more major life activities. Claremont McKenna College utilizes the “Seven Essential Elements of Quality Documentation” as developed by AHEAD, the Association of Higher Education and Disability. Documentation that responds to these elements provides the Dean of Students Office with the information needed to establish eligibility for appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Click here to review AHEAD’s Seven Essential Elements of Quality Documentation.

The following general guidelines may be used to assist in determining qualifying documentation. All documentation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • Completed by A Qualified Professional:

    • Documentation should be provided by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional who has undergone appropriate and comprehensive training, has relevant experience, and has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated. Documentation completed by a family member, even when otherwise qualified, is not appropriate and will not be accepted. A good match between the credentials of the individual making the diagnosis and the reported condition is expected (e.g., an orthopedic limitation might be documented by a physician but not a licensed psychologist). The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be included on letterhead, typed in English, dated, and signed. Information about licensure or certification, including the area of specialization, employment, and the state in which the individual practices, should also be clearly stated.

  • Include A Clear Statement of the Diagnosis:

    • Documentation includes a clear diagnostic statement that describes what the condition is along with present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis. Please note that a diagnosis does not automatically warrant approval of requested accommodations.

  • Describe Current Functional Limitations:

    • Documentation should reflect current functional limitations experienced due to the diagnosed condition. Information on how the condition(s) currently impacts the individual provides useful information for both establishing a disability and identifying possible accommodations. Documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the condition(s). Documentation should address the impact to the student’s ability to function in the academic environment (e.g., classroom lectures and discussions, lab, or test-taking). Although a history of accommodations is considered, without demonstration of current need, it may not by itself warrant the provision of similar accommodations. If  there is no evidence of educational limitations as a result of the diagnosed condition, Accessibility Services may not be able to determine specific reasonable accommodations.

  • Recommendations for Accommodations:

    • The documentation should contain recommendations for accommodations as appropriate. A request for accommodation should be accompanied with a clear rationale for its necessity. Documentation should establish a clear link between the requested accommodation and the functional limitation it seeks to alleviate. While recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the student provide valuable information, recommendations that would fundamentally alter essential requirements may not be reasonable.

Important Notes:

  • If the documentation submitted does not support a current need for accommodations and/or is out of date, the student will be notified that they should submit updated documentation.
  • If you are asked to submit updated documentation, it will be processed when it is received. Failure to provide updated documentation in a timely manner can limit or delay your access to accommodations. Updated documentation should conform to the same elements required for your original documentation; a simple letter confirming ongoing treatment is not sufficient.
  • During the academic year, all submitted materials may take up to 15 business days (excluding campus closures and holidays) to be reviewed. Once reviewed, students will be notify of the next steps in the registration process. Prior to submitting an application, please CLICK HERE to learn more about the accommodations process and important deadlines.

There are many different types of learning disabilities. Your documentation must provide clear and specific evidence and identification of a learning disability. General terms such as learning difficulties or learning differences are not equivalent to a diagnosis of a disability. It is preferred that a DSM-V diagnosis and code be included. Generally, documentation for a learning disability and/or ADD/ADHD should include the following:

  • The length of time the diagnostician has treated you and the date of the most recent contact.

  • A diagnosis.

  • A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis.

  • The results of the evaluation instruments used. Generally, the following tests are recommended: a full, adult-normed aptitude test, an information processing test, and an achievement test assessing current functioning in reading, math, and written language.

  • A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability.

  • A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications.

  • Documentation should reflect current functional limitations experienced due to the diagnosed condition. Information on how the condition(s) currently impacts the individual provides useful information for both establishing a disability and identifying possible accommodations. Documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the condition(s). Documentation should address the impact to the student’s ability to function in the academic environment (e.g., classroom lectures and discussions, lab, or test-taking). Although a history of accommodations is considered, without demonstration of current need, it may not by itself warrant the provision of similar accommodations. If  there is no evidence of educational limitations as a result of the diagnosed condition, Accessibility Services may not be able to determine specific reasonable accommodations.

  • The documentation should contain recommendations for accommodations as appropriate. A request for accommodation should be accompanied with a clear rationale for its necessity. Documentation should establish a clear link between the requested accommodation and the functional limitation it seeks to alleviate. While recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the student provide valuable information, recommendations that would fundamentally alter essential requirements may not be reasonable.

  • Be current (Testing and evaluation should have been conducted within the past five years for learning disabilities and ADHD or ADD and within the last 6 months to a year for physical and mental health-related disabilities). In some cases, documentation may be accepted beyond five years if the student has been evaluated as an adult. If the most recent evaluation occurred more than five years ago, please feel free to submit the documentation and we will review it to determine if we can use it to determine eligibility for accommodations. If the documentation submitted does not support a current need for accommodations and/or is out of date, the student will be promptly notified that they should receive new documentation and move through the rest of the request process.

  • The length of time the diagnostician has treated you and the date of the most recent contact.

  • A clear diagnostic statement describing the disability.

  • A description of the diagnostic methodology used, including a description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, procedures, tests and dates of administration, as well as a clinical narrative, observation, and specific results.

  • A description of the current functional limitations resulting from the disability.

  • A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability.

  • A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications.

  • Documentation should reflect current functional limitations experienced due to the diagnosed condition. Information on how the condition(s) currently impacts the individual provides useful information for both establishing a disability and identifying possible accommodations. Documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the condition(s). Documentation should address the impact to the student’s ability to function in the academic environment (e.g., classroom lectures and discussions, lab, or test-taking). Although a history of accommodations is considered, without demonstration of current need, it may not by itself warrant the provision of similar accommodations. If  there is no evidence of educational limitations as a result of the diagnosed condition, Accessibility Services may not be able to determine specific reasonable accommodations.

  • The documentation should contain recommendations for accommodations as appropriate. A request for accommodation should be accompanied with a clear rationale for its necessity. Documentation should establish a clear link between the requested accommodation and the functional limitation it seeks to alleviate. While recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the student provide valuable information, recommendations that would fundamentally alter essential requirements may not be reasonable.

  • Students are able to request housing accommodations based on a direct impact of a diagnosis, so that they may have equal access to the CMC residential experience. Students are able to request accommodations such as single room occupancy, flooring type, air-conditioning, building level, etc. CMC will provide housing accommodations based on demonstrated medical need and within the capability of the campus housing environment.
  • Housing accommodation requests are reviewed on an individual basis. It is important to note that students are not making a request for a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for accommodation. In addition, residential buildings and housing units with air-conditioning do not guarantee low allergens, better air quality, or consistent air temperatures. Please note that CMC is not an allergen-free campus and is unable to restrict the behavior of others in academic or residential settings.
  • Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student's preference, rather than need, for a particular type of living environment, such as a certain type of room or location or desire for a quiet place to study or complete assignments, will not be honored. Single rooms represent a small portion of available housing options and are granted as accommodations only in necessary circumstances. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
    • Single rooms are not available to first-year students without accommodation.
    • It is not common for a single room accommodation to be granted due to a diagnosis of anxiety. However, all requests are reviewed individually and will be determined based on demonstrated need, not on a specific diagnosis.
  • If a student is making a request based on a diagnosis of a sleep disorder, including but not limited to Insomnia, the documentation provided must include a formal sleep study that illustrates the diagnosis and impact.
  • Once a student is approved for a housing accommodation, it will be executed at the first available opportunity per the available housing stock. This is true for all times except during Room Draw when accommodations are made ahead of the housing selections for the study body.

Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s qualified disability. ESAs are not pets and are not considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); rather, they are animals that have been prescribed to provide necessary support or companionship to a person with a qualifying disability.

Students who wish to submit a request for an Emotional Support Animal documentation must have their provider complete the ESA Provider Form. The form can be found in the CMC Policy Regarding Animals. Any student requesting an ESA should read the CMC Policy Regarding Animals prior to starting the request process. The student should email accessibilityservices@cmc.edu to ask any questions regarding the process for requesting an Emotional Support Animal.

Due to the nature of an emotional support animal accommodation, there are more factors to consider during the process. These include, but are not limited to, the capability of the student to care for an animal, adherence to residential life policies regarding the animal, and appropriate temperament, registration, and vaccine status of the animal. In order to make the process as swift as possible, the ESA provider form asks several questions of a student's mental health provider that are necessary when we are reviewing the request. Please note- A submitted application and the receipt of an ESA Provider form does not constitute an approval or guaranteed approval of an ESA as an accommodation.

  • No ESA may be in on-campus housing prior to being approved as a reasonable accommodation through Accessibility Services. ESA requests must be made 60 business days before the student intends on bringing the animal to campus to allow for proper arrangements to be made.

  • A student may request accommodations at any point during the academic year, even after the school year has started. During the academic year, there is a 15 business day waiting period for the office to process and review the request and documentation once they have been received. The accommodations will not be immediately available upon submission and review. The process of requesting and applying accommodations is 60 business days from when the request and supporting documentation has been submitted. Accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.

  • Due to the animal coming to live on campus, there will be further review of the student's living situation, including where their room is located and if they have a roommate(s). Circumstances such as registered animal allergies in close proximity may necessitate a need for other logistical arrangements to be made should the student be approved for the accommodation.

  • The ESA accommodation must be requested for each new academic year. Updated documentation and support from a provider is necessary to make a new request. Students with an ESA accommodation are expected to be in regular contact with their mental health providers to support a comprehensive treatment plan which includes an ESA.