Old Dominion University students seeking academic accommodations are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. All documentation is confidential and is never considered a part of the academic transcript. Students with the appropriate documentation may receive accommodations.
Documentation Guidelines
The following guidelines are provided in the interest of identifying evaluation reports appropriate to document eligibility. If you have questions regarding any of these guidelines, please contact the Office of Educational Accessibility at (757) 683-4655.
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Learning Disability |
The educational evaluations that led to disability diagnosis and IEP/504 plan development. |
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Autism Spectrum Disorder |
The educational evaluations that led to disability diagnosis and IEP/504 plan development. Please provide the most recent Psycho-Educational Evaluation conducted by the school team. |
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ADD/ ADHD |
Same as Learning Disability if available. |
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Medical Disability |
A letter from a doctor stating the diagnosed disability, the specific way it impacts the student, and any possible recommendations for accommodations. |
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Psychological Disability |
A letter from a qualified examiner (counselor, therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist) stating the specific disability/diagnosis, the specific way it impacts the student, and any possible recommendations for accommodations. |
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Hearing Impairment |
Documentation from an audiologist that includes the current level of hearing, the functional hearing levels, and specific recommendations for academic environments. |
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Vision Impairment |
Documentation from an ophthalmologist stating the current level of vision, functional vision, and specific recommendations for academic environments. |
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Physical Disability |
Documentation from a qualified examiner or doctor stating the specific diagnosis/disability, the specific way it impacts the student including functional limitations, and possible recommendations for navigating the physical campus and learning environments. |
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Veterans |
The VA Benefits Disability Rating Letter/Paperwork which includes the descriptions of determination for each rating. |
For further information about documentation. Please follow the specific guidelines found below. There may be a need for temporary accommodations due to a short-term condition or impairment. Please reach out to the Educational Accessibility staff for more information.
The evaluation should be conducted by a qualified professional with training and experience in evaluating adolescent/adult populations. Evaluators include clinical psychologists, neuro-psychologists, psychiatrists, other relevantly trained medical doctors; a clinical team approach to diagnosis may also be appropriate.
- Reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed and otherwise legible.
- Name, title, professional credentials of the evaluator, and state/province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation.
- Identify the type of disability (i.e. the diagnosis )
- A description of the symptoms
- A statement of functional limitations due to the disability
- A summary of the assessment procedures and/or evaluation instruments that were used to make the diagnosis
- Information about current medication(s) used to treat the disability.
- Possible side effects of any prescribed medication.
- Suggested recommendations for effective and reasonable accommodations.
Documentation will be reviewed by qualified OEA staff members and accommodations determined on a case-by-case basis.
The evaluation should be conducted by a qualified professional with training and experience in evaluating adolescents/adults for learning disorders (evaluators include clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, school psychologists, and learning disorders specialists; a clinical team approach to diagnosis may also be appropriate).
The evaluation should be comprehensive, including:
- A clinical interview with relevant background information (e.g., current difficulties/limitations in functioning; academic, medical, psychological, and/or family history)
- Aptitude testing with a comprehensive, well-established measure (e.g., the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)
- Achievement testing with a comprehensive, well-established measure (e.g., the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III)
- Information processing testing (subtests of the WAIS-IV may be used)
- If relevant, supplemental measures (e.g., measures of emotional or personality functioning or specific achievement tests such as the Nelson-Denny Reading Test) that may further indicate difficulties in functioning
The report should include:
- The name, title, professional credentials, signature, and contact information of the evaluator
- The date of the evaluation
- A summary of the measures used in the evaluation
- Test scores, preferably standard scores and/or percentiles
- A diagnosis that is supported by the evaluation
- Recommendations for accommodations that are supported by the evaluation
- The evaluation should be conducted by a qualified professional with training and experience in evaluating adolescents/adults for learning disorders (evaluators include clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, school psychologists, and learning disorders specialists; a clinical team approach to diagnosis may also be appropriate).
Students who experience a temporary physical or mobility impairment due to an injury or surgery must provide documentation of the impairment from a qualified examiner such as a medical doctor or emergency room personnel.
- Reports should be on letterhead, typed and legible
- The name, title, professional credentials of the physician, and date of evaluation.
- Nature of the impairment.
- The anticipated duration of the impairment.
- The impact it has on the student. Please note, for lower limb injuries, the documentation must state that the student is non-weight bearing to be eligible for golf cart transportation assistance.
- Suggested accommodations based on the impairment that is supported by the evaluation (i.e. golf cart transportation, scribing, note taking, etc.)