Medical Documentation Guidelines
Individuals who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations must submit current (within a year) documentation (i.e., medical/educational/diagnostic reports) from licensed physicians, psychologists, or other qualified professionals, as well as supporting historical records and materials. School plans such as IEPs or 504 Plans are helpful but may not substitute for complete and current documentation.
The medical documentation guide is provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is complete and supports requested accommodations. A diagnosis of a disorder/impairment alone does not qualify an individual for an accommodation under applicable university policy. For the purpose of receiving consideration for reasonable accommodations, an individual must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Under applicable university policy, the U of A reserves the right to determine if a condition or diagnosis rises to the level of a disability and what constitutes as reasonable, necessary, and appropriate accommodations according to the functional limitations of the disability.
Accommodations may not alter the essential skills and/or the fundamental nature of a course or program.
Qualifications for Medical Provider
The professional conducting the evaluation and making the diagnosis must be qualified to make the diagnosis and recommend appropriate accommodations related to the employee’s current position and job responsibilities.
All reports should be in English, typed or printed on professional letterhead, dated, signed, and otherwise legible. The Office of Accommodation and Accessibility Services reserve the right to receive the documentation directly from the evaluator and/or request additional information.
Current Evaluation and Diagnostic information
Since reasonable accommodation requests are based on job duties at the time of submission, the provided medical evaluation and documentation must also assess the current impact of any condition related to the job duties. Evaluations that also have differing standards for child versus adults, but also be done on adult scales, as appropriate.
There must be evidence that establishes a clear link between the functional limitations and the specific deficit areas, along with a justification for the need of the recommended accommodations. The evaluation should demonstrate that a major life activity is substantially limited by providing evidence of the frequency and severity of the condition. The evaluator must clearly state the specific diagnosis along with the appropriate diagnostic code. Indirect language in the wording of the diagnosis such as “weakness,” “suggests,” “seems to indicate,” “appears,” “is indicative of,” “learning difficulty or difference,” “presence of” does not support a conclusive or specific diagnosis.
If the documentation is inadequate in scope or content, or fails to sufficiently address the employee’s current functional limitations and need for accommodations, the Office of Accommodaiton and Accessibility Services may require additional information to be submitted. School plans such as Individual Educational Plans (IEP) or 504 Accommodation Plans are helpful in providing historical data but may not be substituted in lieu of the above requested documentation.
Rationale and Justification
A diagnosis alone does not necessarily warrant an accommodation under the ADA. Approved accommodations must be related to the job duties of the individual, be appropriate, and be reasonable. The university’s obligation under the ADA is to provide a reasonable accommodation for a disability, not necessarily the individual’s preferred accommodation.
Recommended accommodations from a medical professional should establish a clear link between the request, functional limitations, and how the accommodation will mitigate the limitations.
Examples of reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to, making existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, appropriate adjustment or modifications of examinations, training materials or policies, auxiliary aids and services such as providing qualified readers or interpreters, assisting a current employee to seek a vacant position for which the individual is qualified, and other similar accommodations.
Please note that the provision of a past accommodation in another setting does not necessarily guarantee or assure the requested accommodation will be implemented. Having that information is helpful and will be considered in making current decisions about necessary, reasonable, and appropriate accommodations and services.
If a requested accommodation is not clearly stated and supported in the Medical Statement Form, the Office of Accommodation and Accessibility Services reserve the right to seek additional clinical information pertaining to the determination of eligibility. It is the employee’s responsibility to obtain the requested additional information when the request is made.
Confidentiality
Medical information obtained in connection with a request for reasonable accommodation shall be maintained by the ADA Coordinator in files separate from the individual’s personnel file. Such information should be restricted to a need-to-know basis. The Office of Accommodation and Accessibility Services may share certain information with an employee’s supervisor or other university official(s) as necessary to make appropriate determinations on a reasonable accommodation request. Employees receiving such information in connection with the reasonable accommodation process must keep the information confidential.
The fact that a reasonable accommodation has been requested or approved and information about functional limitation is also confidential.
Employees are not required nor encouraged to disclose medical information or information about an impairment(s) to their supervisors.
Submitting Documentation and Questions
Any documentation or questions related to medical information should only be submitted to the Office of Accommodation and Accessibility Services within the department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Title IX. Information can be submitted by email at access@uark.edu or by fax at (479) 575-7637. You can also mail the information physically to:
c/o Director of Accommodation and Accessibility Services/ADA Coordinator
346 N. West Avenue
1 University of Arkansas
4 WAAX
Fayetteville, AR 72701