Procedures for Verifying Disability Accommodations

1. Verification of Disability

A student with a disability must provide professional verification by a licensed physician, psychologist, audiologist, speech pathologist, rehabilitation counselor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or other professional health care provider who is qualified in the diagnosis of the disability. The student shall provide the verification documentation to the Director of Compliance and Administration (The Director).

The documentation must verify the student's disability by objective medical and/or educational records that provide a clear diagnosis. Clinical observations may also be relevant. The reports must identify the disability and describe how the disability personally affects the individual relative to a major life activity. The data should provide sufficient information to determine the duration, severity, and extent to which the disability impacts the student's ability to perform. The records must demonstrate that the student is severely restricted in a wide range of tasks that impact a major life activity.

If appropriate, the provider should suggest what reasonable accommodations may be appropriate. The Director will consider the provider's opinion as one relevant factor in making the determination of accommodations.

The cost of obtaining the professional verification shall be borne by the student. If the initial verification is incomplete or inadequate to determine the present extent of the disability and appropriate accommodations, the University shall have the discretion to require a supplemental assessment of the disability. The cost of the supplemental assessment shall be borne by the student. If the University requires an additional assessment for purposes of obtaining a second professional opinion, then the university shall bear the cost not covered by any third party payer.

2. Verification of Temporary Disability

Neither federal nor state law require accommodations for a temporary disability. However, it is the policy of the law school to provide reasonable academic accommodations for such disability.

Students seeking accommodations on the basis of a temporary disability must provide documentation verifying the nature of the condition, stating the expected duration of the condition, and describing the necessary accommodations. The verification must be provided by a professional who is qualified in the diagnosis of the condition and demonstrate how the disability substantially limits the student's major life activities. Documentation must be dated within the last 60 days.

The cost of obtaining the professional verification shall be borne by the student. If the initial verification is incomplete or inadequate to determine the present extent of the disability and appropriate accommodations, the University shall have the discretion to require a supplemental assessment of the temporary disability. The cost of the supplemental assessment shall be borne by the student. If the University requires an additional assessment for purposes of obtaining a second professional opinion, then the University shall bear the cost not covered by any third party payer.

3. Determination of Reasonable Accommodations

  • The Director will review all documents submitted to verify a disability and will conduct a personal interview to explore the needs of the student in the law school setting.
  • Students may be asked to submit to The Director a history of accommodations received in postsecondary institutions or in places of employment. The history may be subject to verification by the institution or place of employment that facilitated the accommodations.
  • After considering the verification documents, the results of the personal interview, and the history of accommodations, The Director will determine the reasonable accommodations appropriate for the student to receive from the University. The Director may confer with appropriate faculty, administrative staff, and professional consultants of the University in making the determination. The accommodations cannot fundamentally alter the nature of a course or program of study or present an undue hardship for Washburn University.

Updated: January 19, 2022.