Students requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 must provide documentation of a diagnosed traumatic brain injury that substantially limits a major life activity. Documentation and recommendations must be appropriate to the postsecondary setting. The report must describe the current impact of the disability on the student’s academic performance.

Accommodations are individually determined each semester. Once the Ross Center receives documentation, it is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment with the Ross Center to discuss eligibility and receive academic accommodations that semester.

Confidentiality Statement

Ross Center for Disability Services will not release any information at any point in the disability accommodation process regarding an individual’s diagnosis or medical information without his or her informed written consent or under compulsion of legal process. Information will be released only on a “need to know” basis, except where otherwise required by law. All documentation will be stored in a secure place.

Relevant Terminology

Traumatic Brain Injury: Include but are not limited to injuries caused by physical accidents, neurological damage, or lesser known clinically verified brain trauma events.

Major life activity: Examples of major life activities include walking, sitting, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.

Current functional limitation: A substantial impairment in an individual’s ability to function with respect to the condition, manner, or duration of a required major life activity.

Documentation Guidelines

1. Documentation must be current: Although some individuals have long-standing or permanent diagnoses, because of the changing manifestations of traumatic brain injury, it is essential for those individuals to provide recent and appropriate documentation from a qualified evaluator.



2. Documentation must be comprehensive and should include:
   
   
• A clear statement of diagnosis and specifically how the student is substantially limited in one or more major life activities
  
  
• Date of diagnosis along with prognosis. Specifically state if the condition is expected to improve over time or if it is permanent
  
  
• A statement of the impact of the disability and how it limits academic performance in a university classroom. Include medical history related to current use of medication and the impact on the student’s ability to meet the demands of his/her academic program. Cognitive or achievement assessments that contribute to the diagnosis may be included with results given in standardized scores or percentiles.
  
  
3. Recommendation for choosing a qualified professional:
   
   
• Qualified evaluators are defined as those licensed individuals who are qualified to evaluate and diagnose individuals with traumatic brain injury. These individuals or team members may include physicians, clinical nurse specialists, psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, and other relevantly trained healthcare professionals qualified to make such diagnoses.
  
  
• Finally, the name, title, and credentials of the qualified professional writing the report should be included. Information about licensure or certification, including the area of specialization, employment, and the state or province in which the individual practices, should also be clearly stated in the documentation. All reports should be typed on professional letterhead, dated, and signed.
  
  
4. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis. Include rationale for each accommodation requested. The clinician must describe the degree of impact of the disorder on a specific major life activity, as well as the degree of impact on the individual. A link must be established between the requested accommodations and the functional limitations of the individual that are pertinent to the anticipated academic situation. If there are co-existing learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required. Please note that Disability Services will make the final determination of eligibility for accommodations.