Documentation Requirements and Forms

The Kean University Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) provides services and accommodations for students with diagnosed disabilities. Documentation is required to demonstrate a disability diagnosis covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended in 2008. The ADA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Disabilities Covered by the Above Laws

• Learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia)
• Medical health (such as cardiac disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, seizure disorder, etc.)
• ADD/ADHD
• Physical/mobility impairments (ambulatory, wheelchair)
• Hearing impairments
• Visual impairments
• Emotional/psychological impairments (such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, etc.)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Traumatic brain injury
• Temporary disabilities – disabilities existing only for a short period of time (6-months or less) as a result of injuries, surgery or short-term medical conditions

Documentation of your disability should include:

• Statement of specific diagnosis
• Explanation of the substantial impact of the disability or multiple disabilities on academic performance
• Specific recommendations for accommodations and/or academic adjustments to ensure equal access to college programs and services. Note: Final determination of accommodations is based on what is appropriate and reasonable and is at the discretion of the OAS at Kean University.

Disability Verification Forms

The Disability Verification Forms below are provided to assist in providing the required information. These forms are to be completed and signed by a licensed healthcare professional:

• Disability Verification Form for Medical Providers  - Use for chronic medical conditions impacting:  ambulation; motor function; hearing; vision; cognitive processes including concentration, information processing speed, fatigability, etc.
• Disability Verification Form for Mental Health Providers - Use for conditions having a DSM 5 Diagnosis
• Disability Verification Form for Traumatic Brain Injury -  Use for concussion, brain trauma of any etiology

Individuals qualified to complete the above forms are those who have been trained in the assessment and treatment of the relevant condition. Recommended practitioners include: physicians; physicians assistants or other medical personnel qualified to diagnose and treat these medical conditions. The Disability Verification Form must be issued by a medical or other qualified, licensed professional, unrelated by birth or marriage to the student, dated, signed, and include the professional’s licensing information. No information may be redacted. The University reserves the right to require that a certified copy of the report be transmitted directly from the evaluator to the University.

Please submit only one of the above forms for each condition for which the student is requesting accommodations. If the student has multiple conditions, the OAS will require a separate form for each condition.

Other Forms of Supporting Documentation

Medical Evaluations and diagnostic reports may serve as other forms of acceptable supporting documentation to demonstrate the presence of a disability. No information may be redacted.

The generally acceptable documentation content and currency guidelines are shown below. If requesting accommodations due to a chronic medical condition, submitted documentation must be dated within 6 months

For a physical or sensory disability

• Physician’s diagnosis and report

For a learning disability (within 3 years)

• Comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation completed by a licensed psychologist or a psychological evaluation and educational evaluation completed by a certified school psychologist and a certified learning disabilities specialist (Note: An IEP alone is not sufficient) plus Current IEP and/or Exit IEP with Summary of Performance statement

For a psychological disability (within 1 year)

• Diagnosis and report from a licensed psychiatrist, or psychologist including current medications and history of harm to self or others, if applicable.

For ADD/ADHD (within 3 years)

• Specific diagnosis from a physician based on DSM-V diagnostic criteria

For Multiple Disabilities

• Please include all of the above and explanation of the impact of each condition and specific service recommendations.

For Housing Accommodations

• Please include the relevant items above and/or the relevant Disability Verification Form(s) and have your physician/psychologist etc. include a rationale AND explanation of the impact of each condition and how the specific intervention recommendations will assist the student..

For Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Accommodations

• Please review the On Campus Animal Information pages to understand the documentation required to apply to keep and care for an Emotional Support Animal on a Kean University Campus.  

 All submitted materials will be held in the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) office as educational records under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). Students have a right to review their educational record. However, students are encouraged to retain their own copies of disability documentation for future use, as the university is not obligated to produce copies for students. Under current New Jersey record retention requirements, disability documentation is mandated to be held for only two years after a student has stopped attending the college. Please contact the OAS if you are interested in removing your file or if you require copies of your documentation.

Please contact the Office of Accessibility Services via email at accessibilityservices@kean.edu or at (908) 737-4910 if you have questions or concerns.