Documentation Guidelines & Forms

Documentation submitted to the DRC must provide the following information:

• The credentials of the evaluator(s) - Documentation is to be provided by a licensed or otherwise qualified professional who has undergone appropriate and comprehensive training, has relevant experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested and has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated.
• A diagnostic statement identifying the disability - Information that describes how the condition was diagnosed, notes the functional impact and details the typical progression or prognosis of the condition. Diagnostic codes from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) are helpful.
• A description of the diagnostic methodology used - information on the evaluation methods, procedures, tests, dates of administration, as well as clinical narratives, observations and specific results.
• A description of the current functional limitations - information on how the disabling condition currently impacts the individual in the environment for which accommodations are recommended. Information is to be thorough enough to demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the condition.
• A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability - information on expected changes in the functional impact of the disability over time and context. Information on the cyclical or episodic nature of the disability and known or suspected environmental triggers to episodes provides opportunities to anticipate and plan for varying functional impacts.
• A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications - information on both current and past medications including side effects, auxiliary aids, assistive devices, support services and accommodations, including their effectiveness in ameliorating functional impacts of the disability.
• Recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services - information on the recommended accommodations and how they are related to the impact of the individual's functional limitations in the environment for which accommodations are recommended.

Transfer students should also provide written verification from their previously attended school, which includes the dates served and the accommodations used.

Some websites sell letters, certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Generally, such documentation is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal. In addition, documentation from health care professionals who review emotional profiles and create template ESA letters for public housing and air carriers, or who have had no contact with the student except for limited encounters that were specifically intended to produce an ESA letter are not considered reliable.

If you are seeking approval for an ESA, your provider needs to complete both a Disability Verification Form and an ESA Verification Form.

See below for a list of Disability Resource Center forms. If you can not find the form you are looking for or need a different format, please call 910.962.7555 or email DRC@uncw.edu for assistance.

All forms are fillable PDFs that can be completed electronically or printed out as a hardcopy to be completed by your provider.  If completing electronically, please save the form to your desktop or laptop computer first.

To obtain updated forms, please contact DRC@uncw.edu. 

Disability Verification Form (PDF)

Emotional Support Animal Verification Form (PDF)

Housing Request Form (PDF)

The DRC does not diagnose impairments, assess their severity or identify the current impact and/or functional limitations of a disability, therefore, office medical records, medical chart notes or prescription pad notations are generally not sufficient for determining eligibility and by submitting it could prolong the decision process.

Information based solely on a self-report questionnaire is not a clinically valid assessment. A clinician might appropriately use them to identify areas needing to be explored in more depth; however, they are not diagnostic tools and they do not form an adequate basis for recommending treatments or accommodations.

Documentation guidelines vary from one institution to another.  The DRC documentation guidelines are designed to meet the needs of UNCW.  If the student plans on attending a different institution or taking a standardized test administered by an outside agency, the student is responsible for researching those documentation policies and requirements.  Due to the differences of documentation requirements, it may not be appropriate for DRC staff to complete paperwork certifying eligibility for standardized tests. In such instances, the DRC staff member will explain why completing the eligibility paperwork is not appropriate.