Documentation Guidelines

How We Use Documentation

Documentation helps us to understand how your disability affects you in order to determine reasonable accommodations. You know best how your disability impacts you, and your perspective is important. If your disability impact isn’t something we can easily see, documentation from your healthcare professional is typically necessary.

Generally, your documentation should tell us:

  • Who your healthcare provider is and what their qualifications are.
  • Your diagnosis and the history of your disability.
  • How your disability currently affects your daily life, including academics.
  • Any treatments, medications, or helpful tools/services you’re currently using.
  • How those treatments help you, and any possible side effects they might have.

Our Disability Documentation Form is designed for your healthcare provider to easily include all of this information.

Generally Insufficient Documentation

  • Medical records or chart notes, X-rays, and prescription notes are generally not sufficient for determining a disability because they often lack the specific details needed to show how a condition currently affects daily life or learning.
  • IEPs, 504 Plans, and Summaries of Performance from high school are often not detailed enough for the college level, so additional documentation is usually needed.

Classroom Accommodation Requests

Use the Disability Documentation Form​ (PDF)

Your treating health care provider should complete the Disability Documentation Form, linked above, for most disabilities except specific learning disabilities. Include specialized evaluations, such as comprehensive vision reports for visual impairments and audiology reports for hearing impairments or auditory processing disorders, with the Disability Documentation form.

If You Have ADHD:

Students with a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can have their current treating healthcare provider complete our Disability Documentation Form, linked above.

Documentation Requirements for a Specific Learning Disability

If you have a specific learning disability (e.g., reading, written expression, or math), instead of using the standard Disability Documentation Form, you will need to provide a copy of your current full psycho-educational evaluation. This report should be from a qualified professional and include:

  • Diagnosis: A clear statement of your specific learning disability.
  • Diagnostic Tools: A list of the tests and tools used to make the diagnosis.
  • Test Results: The results of all cognitive and achievement tests administered.
  • Adult Norms: The evaluation should use tests and norms that are appropriate for an adult population.
  • Recommendations: Specific recommendations for academic accommodations an educational setting.

Age of Learning Disability Documentation: Generally speaking, documentation should current within the last 5 years, depending on the age of the individual at the time of the evaluation.

Why is this required? A current, comprehensive evaluation helps us understand the unique ways your learning disability impacts you so we can create an effective accommodation plan.

Housing Accommodation Requests

Use the Disability Services Housing Accommodations Request Form (PDF)

For our team to make a determination about the impact of a disability in a residential setting, students requesting disability-related housing accommodations should have their treating health care provider to complete the Housing Accommodations Request Form. Submit the complete form to Disability Services for review once you have made the decision to apply to on-campus housing. Visit the Housing Accommodations webpage for more information and related deadlines.

Dining Accommodation Requests

Use the Disability Services Dining Accommodations Request Form (PDF)

For our team to make a determination about the impact of a disability in a residential setting, students requesting disability-related dining accommodations should have their treating health care provider to complete the Dining Accommodations Request Form. Submit the complete form to Disability Services for review once you have made the decision to apply to on-campus housing. Visit the Dining Accommodations webpage for more information and related deadlines.

Emotional Support Animal Requests

Use the Guidelines and Request Form for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in On-Campus Housing (pdf)

ESAs in On-Campus Housing

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal prescribed to an individual with a disability by a healthcare or mental health professional to play a significant part in a person’s treatment process. Students must follow general procedures to request on-campus housing, including relevant applications through Housing and Residence Life. The Guidelines and Request Form for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in On-Campus Housing, linked below, details the process. Students requesting an ESA must submit the completed Student Section and the completed Provider Section (completed by their treating health care provider).

Generally, documentation acquired from websites or health care professionals who have had no contact with the student except for limited encounters that were specifically intended to produce an ESA letter are not considered to be reliable.

Deadlines: Requests for Housing accommodations, including requests for ESAs, must follow deadlines. ESA documentation should be submitted to Disability Services as follows:

  • Fall semester requests: submit to DS by May 1st
  • Spring semester requests: Submit to DS by Nov 1st

Personal Attendant Guidelines

Personal Attendant Form (PDF)

If you require a personal attendant for daily living and disability management on campus, contact Disability Services early. You are solely responsible for hiring and managing your attendant(s).

Key Requirements:

  • Include the use of a personal attendant on all your Disability Services documentation forms.
  • Additionally, submit the completed Personal Attendant Form, linked above, to Disability Services.
  • If your attendant needs residence hall access, you’ll need to work with Disability Services and Housing and Residence Life well in advance. Early planning with Disability Services and Housing and Residence Life is crucial for a smooth transition.

Visiting Students with Accommodation Requests

Visiting students taking a class at UNC Charlotte may provide documentation of their current accommodations and disability from their current home institution. Often visiting students are enrolled in summer courses, and this allows the student to get connected to Disability Services in a timely fashion for documentation review, an Interactive Meeting, and discussion of accommodation needs.

Need More Information?

If you have questions about your specific situation or the documentation process, please contact our office directly. You can reach us by email at disability@charlotte.edu or by phone at 704-687-0040.

After Submitting Your Documentation

You’ve submitted your documentation—what’s next? Here’s what to expect:

  • Review Period: A DS staff member will carefully review your documentation, a process that typically takes about 7 business days from the date of submission.
  • Notification: Once the review is complete, we’ll notify you via your University email about your eligibility status and next steps.