Non-Burdensome Process: An Argument in Support of Reframing What Constitutes Necessary Disability Documentation

Institutions of higher education and their respective disability offices have been challenged with determining how to apply the 2008 Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) in our present-day work settings. Prior to the amendments, third-party documentation was considered essential almost to the point of being non-negotiable in need for most disability offices to facilitate accommodations for disabled students (The authors have made an intentional choice to utilize identity-first language to challenge negative connotations associated with the term disability and highlight the role that inaccessible systems and environments play in disabling people). The ADAAA questioned this mindset. Students with disabilities often found (and still find) themselves burdened financially and procedurally by disability offices requiring documentation to the point where students may not receive the access they truly need. Furthermore, college campuses are increasingly focusing on the limitations of the environment and not the person. As a result of this evolution, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) offered a new framework in 2012 describing how to define documentation. For professionals in the higher education disability field and for those invested in this work, it is critical to grasp the evolving understanding of what constitutes documentation and necessary information to make disability accommodation decisions. Otherwise, disabiled students may be further excluded from higher education access.

The Spectrum of Disability Documentation Requirements at 12 Institutions A Thematic Analysis

The two laws primarily governing disability services in postsecondary education, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, permit institutions of higher education to determine disability documentation requirements on an individual basis. Many institutions have utilized documentation guidelines delineating a range of domains to be addressed, and often, suggestions for specific tests to be included, as well as strict recency requirements. Following passage of the ADAAA in 2008, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) published documentation guidance practices that reflected the updated ADAAA. The current qualitative study examined the perspectives of 12 directors of disability services (DDS) at postsecondary institutions in the United States regarding the disability documentation requirements at their respective schools and their perspectives on why the standards were adopted. Findings revealed a wide spectrum from flexibility to rigidity in requirements from those who employ traditional guidelines to those who apply selective degrees of the AHEAD guidance. Benefits and drawbacks of documentation and the AHEAD guidance are discussed, as well as suggestions for practitioners and institutions seeking to implement the AHEAD guidance.

Critical Perspectives on Disability Documentation in Higher Education: Current Trends and Observations

The role of disability documentation in establishing eligibility for disability status, student support services, and accommodations in higher education has waxed and waned in the last two decades. At one time, referral for evaluation and the resulting disability documentation were essential prerequisites in establishing postsecondary accommodations. Appropriate documentation describing the disability resulted in legal protections (National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, 2007). Without this documentation, individuals were ineligible for a host of work-related and educational accommodations and support services. But now legal, research-based, and educational perspectives are informing a new approach to the use and importance of disability documentation. This article presents critical and differing perspectives which build on observed trends and practices in disability documentation requirements and accommodation decision-making.

The AHEAD Documentation Guidance at 10 Years: Continuing Concerns

In 2012, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) released guidance for disability documentation meant to help support students’ requests for accommodations. Even at that time, the guidance went against AHEAD’s own prior statements, and was contradicted by a developing body of empirical research. Since the release of the guidance, that body of research has grown substantially, continuing to question the accuracy of students’ self-reports and the value of casual conversations and observations made by disability services professionals. In addition, recent research has suggested that even external documentation from disability evaluators (such as psychologists) must be very carefully reviewed to ensure that there is sufficient evidence to support disability accommodations. We discuss selected findings from the empirical literature and propose improvements to documentation review processes.