DRC Documentation Policy

Americans with Disabilities Act Image

Federal disability statutes, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, require that persons with qualifying disabilities receive equal access to education in curricular and co-curricular activities at Truckee Meadows Community College. Anyone requesting services and accommodations are responsible for providing documentation at their own expense.

The purpose of providing adequate documentation is two-fold:

  • To establish that a person has a qualifying disability, and
  • To describe and document the functional impact created by the disability and the need for accommodation.

The Documentation Guidelines provide assistance to self-identifying individuals with disabilities who seek accommodations and services to obtain the documentation necessary to register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC).

This allows the DRC to conduct an intake interview to evaluate each person's needs based on the diagnostic information received on a case-by-case basis and develop an individualized accommodation list that addresses the disability(s) in the higher education setting.

The DRC may request additional information from the treating professional when the presenting documentation regarding affected major life activities and the extent to which the impairment(s) affect those activities. This may be appropriate when presenting documentation is deemed inadequate by a professional DRC staff member to justify the approved and/or assigned accommodations. This call for additional information may occur at the time of the intake interview, when new accommodations are requested by the student or if the status of the student's condition may have changed.

It is the student's responsibility to obtain the necessary documentation. If adequate documentation is not received, the college may elect on a case-by-case basic to hire an independent, qualified professional to obtain the requested information to determine disability status and/or appropriate accommodations

General Guidelines for Documentation of a Disability

In order to fully evaluate requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) will need formal documentation of the disability that consists of an evaluation by an appropriate professional and describes the level of limitation and current impact of the disability as it relates to the accommodation request(s). All contact information and documentation received is kept in separate confidential files within the DRC. Information concerning details included in the documentation will be not be released without written consent (see Authorization to Release Information).

Documentation provided will be used by the DRC to evaluate requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids. Detailed documentation is especially valuable in evaluating specialized accommodations or services outside the standard ones assigned by the DRC. The evaluation process includes a review of the documentation itself and in the context of comparing it to the fundamental goals and essential standards of the program, course, service, or benefit in question.

The evaluation process will generate a list of potentially reasonable and approved accommodations that will then be reviewed based on potential effectiveness, preferences of the requester, maximum level of integration, and the potential for an undue financial or administrative burden.

The guidelines below were developed to assist you in working with your treating professional(s) in preparing the information needed to evaluate your request. If, after reading these guidelines, you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

For individuals who have recently been receiving services from a public school system, the information requested would most likely be contained in the Psycho-Educational Evaluation from your most recent Triennial Review (which should be no more that three years old). Some of the supplemental information may also be contained in an IEP, 504 Plan or Transition Plan. You must request this information separately (from your special education department) from your high school transcripts. If you have already exited a Washoe County High School, please visit their website to find out how to obtain your records.

For individuals transferring from another college, information related to your disability will not be sent with a transcript request. You must request that information separately from the disability services office at the school(s) you have previously attended. The information Truckee Meadows Community College is requesting may or may not have been a part of your previous college's evaluation process. You should check the information against the guidelines below.

As appropriate to the disability, documentation should include: