Accessibility Services' staff are not qualified to diagnose and document disabilities. We rely on documentation from qualified practitioners to confirm that a student has a disability, and to explain how the resulting symptoms will impact the student in an educational setting. Students are responsible for any costs involved in obtaining documentation.
A student's documentation is private information and is not shared with instructors or other departments. Students approved to receive academic accommodations are provided with an accommodation letter to share with instructors. The accommodation letter only lists the student's approved accommodations.
For a Permanent Disability, acceptable documentation must be current (usually within 3-5 years), and must confirm the presence of a disability, the resulting functional limitations, and how long the condition is expected to persist. If you don't have current documentation, please ask for a "consult" with an Access Specialist to discuss options.
- Verification of Permanent Disability Form (Section 4 to be filled out by your health care provider)
- Opthalmologist Report
- Psychiatric Report
- Audiologist Report
- Psycho-Educational Report
A temporary disability is a short term disability, injury or illness. The documentation should indicate the nature of the disability, anticipated duration, and the services which would be most appropriate.
- Temporary Disability Form for the physician to complete.
For students with outdated (older than five years) psycho-educational assessments, the BC Learning Disability Assessment Bursary may be available for BC loan-approved students, to help pay for the cost of new assessment. Out-of-province students, please contact your provincial loan office to see if a similar program is available.
Next: Accommodation Letters