Students who are requesting support services from the Office of Accessible Educational Services (AES) at Indiana University Southeast are required to submit documentation indicating that a disability substantially limits some major life activity, such as learning, to verify eligibility under the ADA of 1990.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing
Documentation guidelines
The following guidelines are provided in the interest of ensuring that the documentation is complete and appropriate.
Things to include as documentation of a hearing impairment:
- Cause of hearing loss (prenatal influence or congenital, infectious disease, injury, general disease, undetermined); and if it is non-progressive, progressive, or involves secondary complications.
- Onset of hearing loss.
- Clinical diagnosis (deaf or hard of hearing) and/or level of hearing loss (moderate, severe, profound). Be specific.
- Audiogram (most recent).
Including if the person was prelingually deaf and/or has a secondary disability such as Ushers Syndrome. Clinical terms should be expressed in ways appropriate for the setting of higher education.
A summary of the condition and evidence of a substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity must be provided.
Specific cognitive processing strengths, weaknesses, and deficits should be discussed. Clear documentation of deficit areas is necessary in order for the college to provide appropriate, reasonable accommodations.
A statement of functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.
- Intelligence/Aptitude testing
- Sensory/Motor skills
- Academic skills/ Concept development
- Social/Emotional/Affective information
- Any assistive listening devices that are used
- Names of the assessment instruments used.
- Quantitative and qualitative information which supports the diagnosis.
- The areas of educational impact and the severity of the condition.
- Recommendations for prescriptive treatments.
- Notation of medications prescribed, if any, and potential impact on learning.
- Additional observations or recommendations which could assist us in adequately serving the student.
- The names, titles, addresses and phone numbers of the evaluator(s), as well as the date(s) of testing.
How to submit documentation
Documentation may be submitted by email to ods@ius.edu, dropped off at the Office of Accessible Educational Services between Monday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or via snail mail. Our office is located in the Academic Success Center in University Center South, Room 207.
Note: To keep your medical information private, please do not slide documentation under the door when the office is closed.
Reviewing your request
These guidelines are provided so that AES can respond appropriately to the individual needs of the student. The office reserves the right to determine eligibility based on the quality of the submitted documentation. If the documentation does not demonstrate the existence of a hearing impairment, its impact on the student's educational performance and the need for accommodations, further documentation will be required for services.
Please note that in reviewing the specific accommodation requested by the student or recommended by the physician/evaluator, AES may find that while a recommendation is clinically supported, it is not the most appropriate accommodation given the requirements of a particular student’s academic program. In addition, AES may also propose clinically supported accommodations that would be appropriate and useful for the student, but which neither the student nor the evaluator have requested. All documentation is confidential.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email the Coordinator of the Office of Accessible Educational Services at ods@ius.edu, or call (812) 941-2243.