Disability Documentation Guidelines

Documentation must be submitted for each disability. If a student has more than one diagnosis, documentation for each diagnosis is required. Documentation must be on letterhead, typed in English, dated and signed by a qualified professional (not to include family members). The qualified professional must provide a rationale and supportive data to substantiate the diagnosis. There must be a description of the specific functional limitations and how the disability impacts the student in the academic setting.

ADHD and Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder diagnoses typically should be provided by way of a comprehensive psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation report including a diagnostic interview and the use of appropriate diagnostic instruments. These evaluations generally should be completed using an adult-normed instrument within three years of a student’s registration with the office. The documentation should reflect a substantial limitation for which the student is requesting an accommodation and should include standardized scores and/or percentiles that establish the need for accommodations. An assessment might include testing of language, attention, achievement, working memory, processing speed, reading fluency/comprehension etc. This information is needed to determine the degree to which the disability impacts the student’s access to law school. Please email accessibilityservices@georgetown.edu to request a list of providers, including those who provide reduced cost options. It can take time to schedule and complete these evaluations. A student who does not have a current evaluation should submit any documentation that may support a request for temporary accommodations. Permanent accommodations will be determined once disability impact is confirmed.

Psychological Disabilities

Documentation should include a diagnosis and a description of the current symptoms (frequency, duration, and severity) across settings. Documentation must include more than just the student’s self-report. Given the changing nature of psychological disabilities, recent documentation is needed to reflect the current functional limitations that rise to the level of a disability. Documentation should be within six months of a student’s registration with the office and indicate current treatment information and prognosis (if relevant).

Physical and Chronic Health Disabilities

Documentation should be from a qualified provider and describe the diagnostic criteria, tests administered, and an interpretation of the results. A qualified provider must describe how the current functional limitations impact one or more major life activities. Documentation should indicate whether the disability is permanent, temporary, fluctuating, etc. If a disability is permanent, then the student should submit a report from their most recent evaluation. Documentation of disabilities that are temporary or fluctuating should be from an evaluation within the past 12 months. 

Visual Disabilities

In most cases, an optometrist or ophthalmologist should provide documentation for visual impairments. Documentation should include the current diagnosis, whether the disability is progressive or stable, and visual acuities for distance and near vision. An evaluation should be provided within the last three years given the changing nature of many visual impairments. However, if an impairment is permanent, then a diagnosis from a qualified provider and a description of the functional limitations may be sufficient.

Supporting Documentation

Examples of supporting documentation may include approval forms for national standardized exams, letters verifying past accommodations, and/or an IEP or 504 Plan. Students with functional limitations that rise to the level of a disability as defined by the ADA may not receive the exact same accommodations at Georgetown Law as they received at a previous institution.

Accommodations are not retroactive. A student may not present documentation and ask for accommodations after a grade has been reported. After a grade has been reported, it may be re-examined only as outlined in the Student Handbook of Academic Policies.