Documentation Guidelines

Individuals with disabilities who attend or plan to attend a postsecondary institution in Wyoming may need reasonable accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids in order to have equal access to the programs and services offered. The laws that require postsecondary institutions to provide these services to otherwise qualified students include: Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). To receive accommodations in the postsecondary environment, a student must notify the institution’s Office of Student Accommodations (or other designated office) and initiate the process for determining their eligibility for accommodations.

Read the guidelines in full. (Word doc)

Purpose

These documentation guidelines are provided to assist students in obtaining appropriate documentation from qualified professionals. While appropriate documentation of a disability is only one part of determining eligibility for accommodations, the provision of this documentation assists the disability service provider to understand the impact of the disabilities, needs, and potential accommodations. Institutions might also request documentation for the following reasons:

to verify the existence of a disability
to support the request for each specific accommodation
to review the nature of the disability or disabilities and its’ impact in the postsecondary environment
to assist in the collaborative determination of eligibility for auxiliary aids and services to minimize the impact of the disability

Please note: An Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or General Education Initiative from a secondary school may not provide enough information for the documentation of disability and needed accommodations. Please refer to the institution’s documentation guidelines for the required information.

Rights and Responsibilities

In addition to providing notification and documenting the need for accommodation(s), students with disabilities also have the following rights and responsibilities:

Rights

to an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from courses, programs, services or activities
to an equal opportunity to work, to learn, to receive reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services
the assurance that all disability-related records will be confidential and maintained separately from college/university records

Responsibilities

to meet qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for courses, programs, services or activities
to initiate all requests for accommodations and services
to give institutions advance notice of needed accommodation(s)

Documentation accepted at this college or university might not be accepted by other institutions, agencies and/or programs (e.g. testing agencies, licensure exams, certification programs). Please check with the specific institutions and/or programs to determine their documentation requirements.