See below to determine what requirements are needed to verify your disability:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder must be made by a physician or clinical psychologist.
If you have already been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder, please have the professional who diagnosed you send us information regarding the diagnosis, how the diagnosis was made, how it affects you academically, and what accommodations are recommended at the college setting. You may choose to use the Documentation of Disability form to verify ADHD.
If you suspect that you have Attention Deficit Disorder, but have not been diagnosed, we recommend that you take all of the following tests: the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Wechsler Memory Scale, and appropriate subtests from the Achievement Battery of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Test Battery (to show the effects of possible ADD on your academic achievement). If these test lead to a diagnosis, please follow the instructions in the previous step.
Deafness or Hard of Hearing
To verify the extent of your hearing loss, please have your physician or audiologist send us a copy of a recent (within the last two years) audiogram.
Learning Disabilities
To verify your learning disability, please send us records of a psycho-educational evaluation completed by a qualified professionala licensed educational or clinical psychologist, educational therapist, learning disabilities specialist, or speech and language pathologist. Your verification must fulfill the following requirements:
Your evaluator must have used widely recognized tests that have been standardized for adult populations. These should assess your cognitive processing as well as your academic achievement.
For cognitive processing, we recommend the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities. For academic achievement, we recommend the corresponding Wechsler Individual Achievement Test or Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement.
Your documentation must include specific test scores along with any write-up or narrative test report that was done in conjunction with your diagnostic testing.
The assessment should have been completed no more than three years before the date of your application.
Legal Blindness or Visual Impairment
To verify your legal blindness or other visual impairment, please have your ophthalmologist or optometrist send us a copy of your most recent eye examination results. In general, to be eligible for services from D2A2, students who use corrective lenses must have a corrected vision of not less that 20/200. If you do not meet this requirement, but have a visual impairment that significantly affects your academic performance, please contact our office.
Mobility Impairment, Speech Impairment, Chronic Illness, or Other Disability Not Listed Above
Please have your physician or other appropriate professional send us a short letter of verification with information regarding the diagnosis, how it was made, how it affects you academically, and what accommodations are recommended at the college setting. You may choose to use the Documentation of Disability form.
Brain Injury (TBI and Concussion)
To verify disabilities related to brain injury (such as Traumatic Brain Injuries or Concussions), documentation such as described for a learning disability is useful. However, the Documentation of Disability form (TBI and Concussion) may also be useful.
* The Department for Disability Access and Advising (D2A2) has established requirements because non-standard tests and incomplete or outdated assessment reports may make it difficult for our office to accurately determine appropriate accommodations.
* Note: If you are admitted to IUP, we may ask you to have further testing done if this testing is deemed necessary for planning and provision of appropriate accommodations and services.
If you have further questions about how to verify your disability with D2A2, or need assistance, please contact our office at 724-357-4067 or disability-access@iup.edu.
The above information can be downloaded here.
Updated April 2011