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The University of Baltimore is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to
students with disabilities.
Students must present proper documentation so that Disability and Access Services
can provide academic adjustments, This documentation is not part of the student's
college record.
The guidelines for documentation below are recommended for University System of Maryland
institutions and Maryland community colleges to enhance consistency and provide students,
parents, and professionals with the information needed to assist students in establishing
eligibility for services and receiving appropriate accommodations.
The guidelines are broad enough to allow for flexibility in accepting documentation
from a range of perspectives given the different educational environments within these
systems. Flexibility includes such factors as open vs. competitive enrollment; variation
in class size; type of student population (e.g., traditional, non-traditional, transfer);
undergraduate vs. graduate program, and course format: classroom, online, hybrid or
field-based.
There are seven essential guidelines for quality disability documentation.
Documentation must be completed by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional
who has appropriate training and experiencere-evaluation and has no close, personal
relationship with the student being evaluated. A good match between the credentials
of the individual making the diagnosis of the disability being reported is expected
(e.g., an orthopedic limitation might be documentation by a physician but not a licensed
psychologist).
Documentation must include a clear diagnostic statement identifying the disability
and the date of the most current diagnostic evaluation, as well as the date of the
original diagnosis, as appropriate. While diagnostic codes from the Diagnostic Statistical
Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM) or the Classification of the
Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization are helpful
in providing this information, a full clinical description can also convey the necessary
information.
Documentation must include a description of the current diagnostic criteria, evaluation
methods, procedures, tests and dates of administration, as well as a clinical narrative
interpretation. Where appropriate to the nature of the disability (e.g., learning
and cognitive disorders) the report should contain both summary data and specific
test scores.
Diagnostic methods that are congruent with the particular disability and current professional
practices in the field are expected. Methods may include formal instruments, medical
examinations, structured interview protocols, performance observations, and unstructured
interviews. If results from informal or non-standardized methods of evaluation are
reported, a clear explanation of their role and significance in the diagnostic process
should be included.
Documentation must include information on how the disability currently impacts the
individual. A combination of the results of formal evaluation procedures, clinical
narrative, and the individual's self-report is the most comprehensive approach to
fully documenting impact. Documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate whether
and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense
of severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the disability.
While relatively recent documentation is recommended in most circumstances, common
sense and discretion in accepting older documentation of disabilities that are permanent
or non-varying are recommended. Likewise, changes in the disability and/or changes
in how the disability impacts the individual as a result of growth and development
may warrant more frequent updates in order to provide an accurate picture. Additionally,
if changes in accommodations are needed, updated documentation may be required. In
other words, the recency of the documentation depends on the facts and circumstances
of the student's disability and the accommodations requested.
USM and MCC Disability Support Services offices, based on their staff members' professional
judgment, may consider accepting older documentation on a provisional basis. Accommodations
may be provided on a case by case basis, while the student obtains the necessary updated
documentation.
Documentation must provide information on expected changes the functional impact of
the disability over time and context, if the disability is cyclical or episodic in
nature (e.g., bipolar disorder, some chronic medical conditions). Information regarding
known or suspected environmental triggers to episodes can be helpful in anticipating
and planning for varying functional impacts. If the disability is not stable, information
on interventions (including the individual's own strategies) for exacerbations and
recommended timelines for reevaluation are most helpful.
Documentation should include a description of both current and past accommodations,
services, medications, auxiliary aids and assistive devices, including their effectiveness
in ameliorating functional impacts of the disability. A discussion of any significant
side effects from current medications or services that may impact physical, perceptual,
behavioral or cognitive performance can be helpful. While accommodations provided
in another setting are not binding on the current institution, they may provide insight
in making current decisions.
Documentation should include recommendations for accommodations and services. Recommendations
from professionals with a history of working with the student can provide valuable
information for review and planning. The recommended accommodations and services should
be logically related to the student's functional limitations.
While the post-secondary institution has no obligation to provide or adopt recommendations
made by outside entities, those that are congruent with the institution's courses,
programs and services may be appropriate. The postsecondary institution may substitute
another accommodation, if it is considered to be effective and parallel to the one
recommended and/or requested. When recommendations go beyond equitable and inclusive
services and benefits, they may still be useful in suggesting alternative accommodations
and services.
Recommendation for Creating Disability-Specify Documentation Guidelines: While it is neither practical nor desirable to create specific documentation requirements
for every condition that may be considered a disability, individual institutions may
choose to establish protocols for more common disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities,
ADHD). In doing so, USM institutions and Maryland community colleges should incorporate
the seven essential guidelines for quality disability documentation outlined above.
