AHEAD best practices disability documentation in higher education

Recommendations for Creating Disability-Specific Documentation Guidelines

While it is not practical or desirable to create specific protocols for documenting every possible condition that might be considered a disability, institutions may choose to establish preferred profiles for the more common conditions. In doing so, AHEAD strongly encourages them to incorporate the Seven Essential Elements of Quality Disability Documentation in order to:

• help ensure that all documentation guidelines are consistent,
• offer direction for the case-by-case review of documentation that doesn’t fit the established protocol for a specific disability,
• clarify specific guidelines for diagnosticians, and
• provide information to individuals seeking services.

Preferred profiles for disability-specific guidelines are more helpful when they request information that describe the condition, validate the need for accommodation AND include information to support educational planning. They also should anticipate accommodation needs in new contexts and facilitate referrals to outside services and agencies.

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