If you are seeking support services from WCC on the basis of a disability, you are required to submit documentation to verify your eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Your protection under these civil rights statutes is determined on a case-by-case basis. It is based on documentation of a disability that currently substantially limits major life activity, including learning. Accommodations are individualized and are intended to provide equal access to programs and courses for students who are otherwise qualified.
Disabilities involve substantial limitations. They are distinct from common conditions that do not substantially limit major life activities. Disabilities may be visible or hidden, which include:
- Deaf or hearing impairment
- Mental Health Diagnosis
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Physical/Mobility Disability
- Blind or Low Vision
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Chronic Health Condition
- ADD/ADHD
- Specific Learning Disability
- Other conditions
How does WCC determine accommodations?
Learning Support Services reviews your documentation. The process requires a lot of diagnostic information. High school IEPs are helpful but generally do not provide enough information. Your accommodations in college may be different from those you received in high school or elementary school. They are renewed each semester based on your needs. Accommodation needs can change over time and are not always identified through the initial diagnostic process. Also, a prior history of accommodation does not, in and of itself, warrant the provision of a similar accommodation.
If the verification you submit isn’t enough to help us determine the present extent of the disability and/or appropriate accommodations, DS may request more documentation or an assessment of the disability. The cost of the supplementary documentation or assessment is your responsibility.
General documentation requirements
To access accommodations, you need to provide documentation that supports your request. Your documentation should be on official letterhead from a licensed medical, diagnostic or psychological professional.
A diagnostic evaluation is preferred. If none are available, please discuss with a Program Specialist. The attached forms outline the minimal information required.
Your documentation should:
- Include the diagnosis and level of functioning including limitations.
- Establish a clear link between the effects of the disability and the accommodation(s) being requested.
- Include information regarding treatment, medication or assistive devices (if any) being used if it affects educational functioning.
- Be relevant and recent: within the last 12 months for psychiatric disabilities, last 5 years for a learning disability and last 3 years for other disabilities except physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature).
- Include school records to determine how your condition impacts you at WCC, including psycho-educational testing reports and accommodations used currently/previously while in school.
If the evaluator or physician is listing specific recommendations for accommodations, he/she should provide a detailed explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended. The accommodations should be matched to specific functional limitations determined through interview, observation, and/or testing. If accommodations are not clearly identified in a diagnostic report, DS will seek clarification and, if necessary, more information.
Specific documentation requirements
If any of these disabilities pertain to your situation, please see the specific requirements for documentation. Please note: physical disability documentation is covered by the general requirements above.
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
- Psychological/Psychiatric Disorder
- Specific Learning Disability
Students with disabilities should expect to follow all institutional policies and to be graded according to the same standards as other students at WCC. Accommodations and support services are intended to provide you equal access by minimizing the impact of the disability, not to remediate. Accommodations cannot eliminate your responsibilities in such areas as conduct, class attendance nor can they alter the technical standards, fundamental elements or basic expectations of the class or course of study.
Document Submission
Please do not email documentation.
- You may fax to: 734-477-8517 (confidential fax)
- You may mail or hand deliver to:
Learning Support Services, LA 104
Washtenaw Community College
4800 E. Huron River Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Questions? Please talk with a Program Specialist. Most concerns are resolved when we know there is a potential issue.