Disability Documentation Guidelines
Documentation helps the Disability Resource Center (DRC) understand how a student’s condition impacts their functioning, how that impact creates barriers in Purdue academic or campus environments, and what accommodations may be reasonable to support equal access.
Diagnosis Alone Is Not Enough
A diagnosis alone does not automatically establish that a student has a disability or is eligible for accommodations under the ADA or Section 504. The DRC must understand how the condition substantially limits one or more major life activities and how that limitation creates access barriers in the Purdue environment.
Documentation must go beyond naming a condition and clearly describe functional impact, frequency and severity of symptoms, and how those symptoms affect academic or campus participation.
On this page
Information for Students
Students should complete the Accommodation Request Form (ARF) and describe their condition, barriers, and requested accommodations.
You do not need documentation to contact the DRC. We are happy to answer general questions about the accommodation process, documentation requirements, and available services. To begin the interactive process and discuss potential accommodations, we encourage you to submit your Accommodation Request Form and any available documentation before your initial appointment.
Information for Providers
Strong documentation focuses on the student’s individual experience, not general information about a condition.
Provider Prompt
- Condition: What condition is present?
- Functional impact: How does it affect the student?
- Barrier: What academic, housing, or campus barrier exists?
- Accommodation: How does the requested accommodation address that barrier?
How the DRC Makes Decisions
The DRC uses multiple sources of information, including student narrative, interaction, and third-party documentation. No single source determines eligibility.
We look for a connection between condition, functional impact, barrier, and accommodation.
Accommodations are based on equal access, not guaranteed academic success.
Documentation Elements
Required Information
- Letterhead, dated, and signed
- Identified condition
- Functional impact
- Effect on academic, housing, or campus activities
- Severity, duration, and frequency
Optional Information
- Medication or treatment effects
- Prior accommodations
- Provider recommendations, with rationale
Note: Provider recommendations are considered but are not automatically approved.
What Helpful Documentation Does
- Explains how the condition affects the student’s functioning
- Describes the nature, frequency, duration, or severity of symptoms when relevant
- Connects functional impact to specific academic, housing, or campus barriers
- Explains why a requested accommodation may be needed to address those barriers
Less Helpful
Student has anxiety. Extended time recommended.
More Helpful
Student experiences reduced processing speed during timed exams due to anxiety, which affects their ability to complete exams within the standard testing period. Extended time is recommended to address this disability-related barrier.
What May Not Be Sufficient
- A diagnosis without information about functional impact
- General statements about a condition without information specific to the student
- Documentation that does not identify an academic, housing, or campus barrier
- A recommendation without an explanation of why the accommodation is needed
- Documentation that does not provide enough individualized information about the student’s current disability-related functioning
Emotional Support Animal Documentation
If you are requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) as a housing accommodation, please ask your healthcare provider to complete the DRC’s Emotional Support Animal Documentation Form.
A letter from your provider may also be sufficient if it addresses all of the information requested in the form.
What the DRC Needs to Understand
An Emotional Support Animal is not a pet. An ESA provides disability-related support that alleviates one or more functional limitations associated with a disability.
Documentation should help the DRC understand:
- the student’s disability-related functional limitations;
- how those limitations affect the student’s ability to use and enjoy university housing;
- what disability-related barrier exists in the housing environment; and
- how the requested Emotional Support Animal helps alleviate or address that barrier.
The provider should have sufficient knowledge of the student and their disability-related functioning to make an individualized recommendation. Documentation based primarily on a single evaluation for the purpose of obtaining an ESA letter, or from providers whose primary service is providing ESA documentation for a fee, may not provide enough information for the DRC to determine whether the requested accommodation is necessary.
The ESA Process Has Two Steps
Approval of an Emotional Support Animal accommodation and approval of a specific animal are two separate decisions.
Step 1: Disability Resource Center
The DRC determines whether an Emotional Support Animal is a reasonable and appropriate disability-related housing accommodation for the student. This review considers the student’s individual circumstances, disability-related functional limitations, housing barriers, and supporting information.
Step 2: University Residences
If the DRC approves the ESA accommodation, University Residences then reviews the specific animal the student intends to bring into university housing and completes the applicable housing approval process.
DRC approval of the accommodation does not automatically approve a specific animal. Students should complete the University Residences process before bringing an animal into university housing.
Note: A healthcare provider’s recommendation for an ESA does not automatically result in approval. Each accommodation request is reviewed individually based on the student’s disability-related needs, supporting information, and the requested accommodation.
Submitting Documentation
Submit documentation through the Accommodation Request Form, by email, by fax, or in person.
Submit documentation at least 2–3 weeks in advance when possible.
FAQ
Can I meet without documentation?
Yes. If you have general questions about the accommodation process, documentation requirements, or DRC services, you're welcome to attend one of our daily drop-in hours or contact our office.
To begin the interactive process and discuss potential accommodations, we encourage you to first submit your Accommodation Request Form and any available documentation. Having this information allows your Access Consultant to better understand your situation and make the most of your initial appointment.
If you're unsure what documentation is needed or are having difficulty obtaining it, please contact us. We can explain our documentation guidelines, answer your questions, and discuss possible next steps.
Does a diagnosis guarantee accommodations?
No. A diagnosis alone does not automatically qualify a student for accommodations. The DRC considers how a disability functionally impacts you in the university environment and whether it creates barriers to equal access. Accommodation decisions are based on an individualized review of your disability-related barriers, supporting documentation, your personal experiences, and the essential requirements of your courses or university programs.
Can the DRC request more information?
Yes. In some cases, we may request additional information or documentation if the materials submitted do not clearly establish the existence of a disability, the functional impact of the disability, or the need for requested accommodations. This helps ensure we have enough information to engage in the interactive process and make individualized, well-informed accommodation decisions.
Can my IEP or 504 Plan be used as documentation?
An IEP or 504 Plan may be helpful and can be submitted for review. Because college accommodations are determined under different standards than K-12 services, the DRC may request additional information about your current functional impact or accommodation needs.
Will my provider’s recommended accommodations automatically be approved?
No. Provider recommendations are considered as part of the review process, but they are not automatically approved. The DRC determines reasonable accommodations based on functional impact, access barriers, documentation, student narrative, and the university environment.
Is there specific documentation for an Emotional Support Animal?
Yes. Students requesting an Emotional Support Animal as a housing accommodation should ask their healthcare provider to complete the DRC’s Emotional Support Animal Documentation Form. A provider letter may also be submitted if it addresses all of the information requested in the form.
If the DRC approves my Emotional Support Animal accommodation, is my animal automatically approved?
No. The DRC determines whether an Emotional Support Animal is an appropriate disability-related housing accommodation. After the accommodation is approved, University Residences separately reviews the specific animal and completes the applicable housing approval process. Students should complete both steps before bringing an animal into university housing.
Contact Us
Phone: (765) 494-1247
Email: drc@purdue.edu
YONG Room 830
155 S. Grant St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907