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To request and receive reasonable accommodations at Hood College, students must provide appropriate and current documentation that verifies the presence of a disability covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended in 2008. As disabilities vary, the required documentation will vary as well, therefore we have listed specific documentation recommendations for differing disabilities.

Important Notes About Documentation 

• The age of acceptable documentation depends on whether the condition is static or changing.
• A student that had a Section 504 plan or an IEP in high school may submit those as secondary documentation, but those alone will not qualify a student for accommodations.
• Formal assessments must be scaled for adults (generally that means that evaluation date should be within the past three years or after the age of 16-years old).
• We accept disability documentation from healthcare providers in or near the state of Maryland and/or the student’s home state who have an established relationship with the student and are not relatives or close friends of the student.
• Students requesting accommodations who have not entered college directly after high school or within the past several years will be reviewed by the Director of Accessibility on a case-by­ case basis. Documentation that is more than 3 years old may be accepted if: a) the documentation indicates the condition is static; b) if documentation is scaled for adults.
• If students need assistance in gathering documentation, or gathering documentation presents a hardship, they are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Director of Accessibility. 

Documentation Requirements for All Disabilities

Students are encouraged to use Hood College’s Disability Verification Formto gather the information listed below. Providers can also submit a letter on office letterhead if all the fields below are included. 

1. Qualified professional’s information:
   1. Name,
   2. Title,
   3. Signature,
   4. Contact information,
   5. Professional credentials,
   6. Affiliation
   7. Date of the most recent evaluation
   8. Date of first meeting with the student
   9. Date of most recent meeting with the student.
2. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, including current symptoms and level of functioning.
3. Quantitative and qualitative information to support the diagnosis
   1. Summary and interpretation of assessment instruments (e.g. clinical interviews, behavioral checklists, observations, etc.)
   2. Recommendations for prescriptive treatment, including medication
4. Rationale and justification for all requested accommodations.

Please use the table below for guidance on the appropriate providers and supporting documentation needed for each disability category. 

Table 1: Documentation Guidelines Based on Disability Category

For questions regarding required documentation please reach out to the Office of Accessibility Services at AccessibilityServices@Hood.edu or 301-696-3421.