Document Your Disability

Documentation Overview

Students requesting accommodations need to provide documentation that speaks to the existence of a disability and provides evidence of the need for disability-related accommodations. To qualify as a person with a disability, a student must have a physical and/or mental impairment that substantially limits them in one or more major life activities. GW is guided by the federal definition of disability, which describes an individual with a disability as someone who has:

a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (e.g. speaking, hearing, seeing, walking, learning, etc.)
a record of such an impairment
is regarded as having such an impairment

In order to establish disability status with the university, Disability Support Services requires you to submit diagnostic documentation with your DSS Registration Form to finalize your eligibility determination and register with DSS.

Ideal documentation should include the following:

Credentials: Should be provided by an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional who has relevant experience and no personal relationship with you.

Diagnosis: Should include a description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, and dates of administration, along with observation/clinical impression notes.

Functional Limitations: Should include the current impact of the disabling condition(s) and describe the severity and frequency of the condition on one or more major life activities.

Prognosis: Should clearly describe the chronic or episodic nature of the disability, outline conditions or situations that trigger reoccurrence.

History & Recommendation: Should describe what accommodations have been helpful historically and suggest helpful accommodations for the future, including overall effectiveness in a post-secondary academic environment or residential setting. Illustrates the connection between the disability and the accommodations you are requesting.

On their own, a Summary of Performance (SOP), Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), or a 504 plan are not considered adequate documentation. DSS will not accept documentation provided by family members or close relatives to avoid any conflict of interest.

All documentation must be printed on official letterhead, dated, and signed by the credentialed professional.

If you have any questions about our documentation guidelines, please send those questions to DSS by email ([email protected]).

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Documentation should include a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment or neuropsychological assessment completed by a qualified practitioner, customarily a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist. This assessment should be signed, dated, and completed on official letterhead.

ADHD documentation must include the following components:

Diagnostic Interview, offering a description of the problem(s) reported by the student; the student’s developmental, medical, and psychological histories; family history; and, as appropriate, a discussion of dual diagnosis. The student’s academic and educational history should also be discussed.
Assessment, demonstrating that the diagnosis is based on a comprehensive review that does not rely on any one test or subtest. Evidence of a substantial limitation to learning or other aspects of academic performance must be apparent. The domains to be assessed should include:
- Aptitude, measured using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or an equivalent tool
- Academic Achievement, measured using a comprehensive battery, often the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, that assesses academic functioning and fluency in relevant areas such as reading, mathematics, and oral and written language
- Information Processing, measured by assessing short and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed, executive functioning, and motor ability
Test Scores, provided for all measures, and valid for use with an adolescent or adult population
Specific Diagnosis, using current DSM terminology
Clinical Summary, containing the following components: an interpretation of the test findings that lead to the diagnosis; a description of the effects of that diagnosis on the student’s academic performance; recommendations for specific accommodations with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate academic performance difficulties

Please note that DSS does not endorse unlimited absences or unlimited extended time as appropriate accommodations.

You are encouraged to submit any prior assessments or evaluative reports together with your current documentation.

Chronic Health Condition

Documentation should include a signed and dated medical assessment, on letterhead, completed by a physician or health care provider.

We ask that this assessment include three components:

a specific diagnosis with a date of onset
a clear prognosis (with a clearly defined time frame, as appropriate)
recommendations for specific accommodations with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate personal and academic performance difficulties

Vague descriptions of general conditions—“allergies,” “breathing complications,” etc.—on their own are not sufficient to allow us to make effective determinations about your eligibility for accommodations.

Likewise, isolated photographs of medicine bottles or scanned prescription pad notes are not sufficient documentation to substantiate eligibility for accommodations.

Hearing Disability

Documentation should include a signed and dated audiological evaluation report or audiogram (or both), on letterhead, administered by a physician, audiometrist, or audiologist that verifies the extent of hearing loss.

Learning or Cognitive Disability

LD documentation must include the following components:

Diagnostic Interview, offering a description of the problem(s) reported by the student; the student’s developmental, medical, and psychological histories; family history; and, as appropriate, a discussion of dual diagnosis. The student’s academic and educational history should also be discussed.
Assessment, demonstrating that the diagnosis is based on a comprehensive review that does not rely on any one test or subtest. Evidence of a substantial limitation to learning or other aspects of academic performance must be apparent. The domains to be assessed should include:
- Aptitude, measured using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or an equivalent tool
- Academic Achievement, measured using a comprehensive battery, often the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, that assesses academic functioning and fluency in relevant areas such as reading, mathematics, and oral and written language
- Information Processing, measured by assessing short and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed, executive functioning, and motor ability
Test Scores, provided for all measures, and valid for use with an adolescent or adult population
Specific Diagnosis, using current DSM terminology
Clinical Summary, containing the following components: an interpretation of the test findings that lead to the diagnosis; a description of the effects of that diagnosis on the student’s academic performance; recommendations for specific accommodations with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate academic performance difficulties

Please note that DSS does not endorse unlimited absences or unlimited extended time as appropriate accommodations.

You are encouraged to submit any prior assessments or evaluative reports together with your current documentation.

Physical Disability

Documentation should include a signed and dated medical assessment, on letterhead, completed by a physician or health care provider.

We ask that this assessment include three components:

a specific diagnosis with a date of onset
a clear prognosis (with a clearly defined time frame, as appropriate)
recommendations for specific accommodations with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate personal and academic performance difficulties

Vague descriptions of general conditions—“hand tremors,” “mobility issues,” etc.—on their own are not sufficient to allow us to make effective determinations about your eligibility for accommodations.

Please note that The George Washington University does not provide personal transportation assistance for travel within each of its campuses. GW's shuttle services provide ADA accessible transportation solely for the purposes of traveling to and from each university campus.

Psychological Disability

Documentation should include a signed and dated mental health assessment, on letterhead, completed by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health provider. We ask that this assessment be dated within the six-month time period prior to the date of DSS registration. If you have questions about this requirement, please contact Maggie Butler.

The assessment must include:

a description of the diagnosis, using current DSM terminology as appropriate, that describes presenting symptoms, history of their onset (and a description of their severity and duration), and a clear prognosis
a discussion of how the diagnosis affects personal and academic performance in a postsecondary education environment (including matters like academic performance, class attendance, memory and concentration, social interactions, self-care, etc.)
a medication management plan (as appropriate) that discusses pertinent side effects or any other treatment details that can affect personal an academic performance (e.g. sleep disturbances, memory complications, etc.)
specific accommodation recommendations along with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate personal and academic performance difficultie

Please note that test anxiety is not a diagnosis that is covered by the ADA; therefore we cannot approve accommodations for this diagnosis on its own.

Finally, to the best extent possible, we encourage you to establish a connection with a practitioner local to the DC area.

Vision Disability

Documentation should include a signed and dated recent eye examination, on letterhead, from an ophthalmologist or optometrist that verifies the extent of vision loss—be it blindness or low vision.

Temporary Injuries

Important Note: As of the start of the spring 2017 semester, we have begun the process of enhancing this diagnostic category to add additional details about both the registration process for temporary injuries and the nature of the documentation we require to substantiate these registrations. In the interim, if you are experiencing a temporary injury that requires accommodation, please consult our registration section for instructions about how to register with us.

We ask that the documentation you provide at the time of registration include a medical assessment completed by a physician or health care provider. This assessment should indicate a clear diagnosis or description of the injury; a discussion of how that injury will affect personal and academic performance in a post-secondary education environment (including matters like academic performance, class attendance, memory and concentration, social interactions, self-care, etc.); and a clear prognosis that speaks to the anticipated duration of recovery or rehabilitation.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Maggie Butler.

Submitting Documentation

All documentation should be provided to us as part of your DSS Registration Form and must offer credible evidence from a qualified practitioner that attests to the presence of a disability while also discussing the impact of that disability in a post-secondary academic environment and recommending specific accommodations to mediate that impact. Documentation forwarded via email will not be reviewed. Contact [email protected] if you have difficulty uploading your documentation with your registration form.

Information to Consider When Submitting Documentation

Submit a Request for Disability Support Services via the SharePoint Registration portal. Additionally, all supporting documentation must be submitted to DSS with sufficient time for a review of the information before accommodations and services are expected to be implemented. Accommodations may be approved for present and future needs, but they may not be approved/applied retroactively.

DSS may need to ask you to provide additional information if the submitted documentation is incomplete or does not support your accommodation request.

If you do not have documentation, we encourage you to meet with an DSS Staff member to discuss your situation and possible referrals for documentation.

Professionals may recommend reasonable modifications, but DSS (in consultation with appropriate faculty, staff, and/or a third-party reviewer) make the final decision about eligibility and appropriate modifications based on the essential requirements of the academic program or service.

You are encouraged to keep a copy of the documentation that you submit to DSS for your personal records.

Documentation and disability files are destroyed five years after a student leaves the University.

GW documentation requirements may differ from other educational institutions and may not be accepted by other institutions, testing agencies, licensure exams, and certification programs. When seeking accommodations from outside organizations, please check with the specific program to determine their documentation guidelines.

Diagnostic Categories and Documentation Guidelines

The diagnostic categories provided offer additional information about the details that your disability documentation should include. If you have questions about these requirements or feel that your disability status does not neatly align with these categories please contact [email protected].

DSS reserves the right to request periodic documentation updates for conditions that may fluctuate or temporary injuries.