Student Accessibility Resources Policies & Procedures
Student Accessibility Resources provides assistance to students, faculty, and staff with documented disabilities.
Registration with Student Accessibility Resources has four main components:
- Completing the Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) profile application
- Submitting appropriate medical or psychological assessment documentation.
- Engaging in the interactive process by scheduling an appointment to discuss your accommodation needs with a SAR advisor. Registration with SAR prior to situations requiring accommodations is essential.
- Sharing the appropriate accommodation memo/letter with other university personnel as appropriate.
Request Support from Student Accessibility Resources
Documentation of Disability
Documentation of a disability must be current, and written within the last 5 years.
Written documentation is also accepted, and must appear on official letterhead from a licensed physician, psychiatrist, social worker, or other mental health professional with their License/Certification number, the State of Licensure, and include::
- A specific statement of the diagnosis or diagnoses
- A summary of related functional limitations
- Recommendations for accommodations
If you need assistance with obtaining sufficient documentation, please review any relevant guidelines for documentation along with verification forms. These forms can be downloaded from our website. Completed paperwork can be faxed to (616) 331-3880, emailed to [email protected] or brought to our office at 215 The Blue Connection on the Allendale Campus.
A Note on "Fee for Documentation" Websites
There are numerous online entities that offer documentation of a disability in exchange for a fee. These predatory companies often operate completely on a self-report surveys and the “patient” does not have direct contact with a licensed clinician/evaluator. We’re seeing this most often with ADHD diagnoses, and emotional support animal (ESA) recommendations. We cannot accept this kind of documentation and will support students to retrieve additional documents to complete their registration. We want to make sure our students are protected; if you have questions about an online diagnosis service, please feel free to reach out to Student Accessibility Resources !
Documentation Forms
The documentation forms (below) are recommended for current or incoming students seeking to verify the presence of a disability and register with Student Accessibility Resources. Faculty and staff seeking to request disability support should visit the Faculty & Staff Disability Support website.
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Ideally we would like a psychological assessment or a neuropsychological test that was completed within the last 5 years using adult testing measures only) If these are not available, submit a Documentation Form for ADHD.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Submit a Documentation Form for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Brain Injury: Submit a Documentation Form for Brain Injury. Alternatively, you can provide a psychological evaluation.
- Chronic Health Condition: Submit a Documentation Form for Chronic Health Condition.
- Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Submit a Documentation Form for Hearing Impairment.
- Learning Disability (LD): Submit a Documentation Form for Learning Disability. See the Guidelines for Learning Disability Documentation.
- Mental Health Condition: (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or other mental health-related condition) Submit a Documentation Form for Mental Health Condition.
- Mobility Impairments (temporary or permanent): Submit a Documentation Form for Mobility Impairment.
- Visual Impairments: Submit a Documentation Form for Visual Impairment.
- Don't see yourself represented here? For any disability not listed above please contact the Student Accessibility Resources Office at (616) 331-2490 or [email protected].