Americans with Disabilities Act
Under the Americans for Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights to accommodations based upon documentation. The documentation must indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity.
The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids:
- Documentation must be comprehensive and current
- The report must include a specific diagnosis
- Tests used to document eligiblity must be technically sound
- Actual test scores must be provided
- A description of requested accommodations, including the rationale, must be provide
Definition of Disabilities
An individual is considered to have a disability if that individual either: (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of that person's major life activities; (2) has a record of such impairment; or (3) is regarded by the covered entity as having such an impairment.
A disability can be categorized into one of many different categories:
- Hearing Impairment
- Physical Impairment
- Visual Impairment
- Chronic Health Conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Learning Disability
- Psychiatric Disability
Major Life Activity
Functions such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, working, or learning.
Psychological Disorders
These include any emotional or behavioral neurosis that creates an unstable condition in the individual's actions. For Example:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- A chronic debilitating illness that is marked in the majority of cases by the sudden onset of fatigue and flu-like symptoms.
- Traumatic Brain Injury- An injury that occurs when the brain hits another surface, such as when another surface hits the head or when the brain remains in motion and hits the skull.
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity- A disorder where a person is extremely allergic to chemicals found anywhere in the surrounding environment.
- Bipolar (Manic Depressive Disorder)- A complex mental disorder that has a person living between episodes of deep depression and elevated or expansive moods (mania).