Documentation Guidelines

McDowell Technical Community College is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (2008). FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal statute that precludes McDowell Technical Community College from providing student record information to anyone but the student without the student’s written authorization.

Documentation should: 

• Include the credentials of the evaluation professional(s).
• Be current. 
• Include a clear diagnostic statement identifying the disability or disabilities.
• Describe the diagnostic tests, methods, and/or criteria used including specific test results and the examiner's narrative.
• Describe current functional limitations resulting from the disability. 
• Describe the expected progression or stability of the disability over time. 
• Include a thorough educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability. 
• Describe the student's specific limitations. 

An individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, if you have one, may help identify services that have been effective for you. This is generally not sufficient documentation, however, because of the differences between postsecondary education and high school education.

• Vocational Rehabilitation may be able to help if you do not have documentation or your documentation is older than 5 years.