Medical Documentation

Students must provide appropriate documentation in order to receive services and accommodations. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) engages in an interactive process with each student in order to determine eligibility for accommodations.

In determining student’s disability status, the University is guided by the federal definition of “disability” which describes an individual with a disability as someone who has:

1. A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one of more major life activities of such individual
2. A record of such impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment

To be considered credible, disability documentation must:

• Come from a qualified practitioner that attests to the existence of a disability.
• Discuss the impact of the alleged disability on academic performance and related competencies.
• Provide recommendations for equal access and/or compensatory measures, commonly referred to as accommodations.

Information contained in disability documentation is used by postsecondary disability service providers to determine eligibility of disability status as well as individualized academic accommodations and services.

Guidelines for Submitting Documentation

The following information is provided for evaluators, physicians, medical professionals, students, and family members to guide the process of submitting documentation to Disabilities Services. Our goal in providing these guidelines is to facilitate Student Accessibility Services (SAS) review process for students with disabilities or medical conditions requesting documentation.

• A Summary of Performance (SOP), Individualized Education Program (IEP), and/or a 504 Plan alone are not considered adequate documentation.
• Evaluators, physicians, medical professionals, etc. are encouraged to submit any prior assessments and/or evaluative reports together with the current documentation.
• Documentation must be printed on official letterhead and signed by the credentialed professional.
• Documentation must be submitted by a qualified practitioner who is not a family member of the student.
• Reasonable accommodations are determined based on the nature and resulting impairment(s) due to the disability.
• While the law requires that priority consideration be given to the specific methods requested by a student, it does not imply that a particular accommodation must be granted if it is deemed not reasonable or other suitable techniques are available.
• Prior receipt of accommodations (e.g., in high school) does not guarantee receipt of the same accommodations at University of Bridgeport.
• Missing disability documentation information may result in a delay in reviewing a student’s request for accommodation.