Students who have a documented or suspected disability that may warrant academic and/or housing accommodations should utilize the following process the Office of Student Accessibility Services:

1. Student applies for academic and/or housing accommodations at: https://library.spalding.edu/StudentAccessibilityServices/Application
2. Student provides documentation related to their disability (for additional information, please see https://library.spalding.edu/StudentAccessibilityServices/Guidelines)
3. Student completes an intake appointment with Office of Student Accessibility Services staff. Please see portal for scheduling links.

           i. Students who lack a psychological evaluation/assessment: 

• Student emails the Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) at caps@spalding.edu and requests a psychological assessment. Assessment via CaPS is provided at no additional cost to the student. 
  
  
• Students may opt to use a mental health provider of their choice in the community. Student is responsible for associated costs.  
  
  ii. Students with current (adult-normed psychological evaluation less than 3-years old, documentation for other medical condition) documentation that meets the documentation requirements  may submit documentation as per the process outlined by the Office of Student Accessibility Services.

If accommodations are approved, student receives a notice of accommodation (accommodation letter) from the Office of Student Accessibility Services. outlining approved accommodation(s). Student is responsible for presenting letter to faculty and/or Residence Life staff.  

Students utilizing academic accommodations are responsible for providing each instructor with a copy of their accommodation letter.  Accommodations are not retroactive.  

 Please note that this process must be completed for each academic year in order to continue accommodations.  If the student has medical documentation on file that is current and relevant, then they just need to complete the application for accommodations to renew for each academic year.  It is recommended that students make an appointment with The Office of Student Accessibility Services staff to discuss needs and progress annually or as needed.

A medical diagnosis alone does not establish a need or an entitlement to accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended (ADA-AA). Another way of saying this is that having any disorder or condition does not, by itself, lead to any conclusion under Section 504 or the ADA. Therefore, the documentation required by Spalding University extends beyond the medical diagnosis and encompasses the four key elements of a person's disability status under Section 504 and the ADA. 

Those key elements are that: 

1. The student has a physical or mental impairment. 
2. The impairment* limits the student's participation in a major life activity**.
3. The degree of limitation is substantial and there is something that the college can do that would be reasonable, needed, and predictably effective in responding to the impairment. 
4. Documentation that substantiates each of these four areas serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. If a student seeks accommodations on the basis of more than one disability, then more than one professional may need to be involved in developing the diagnoses and other documentation. 

 *An impairment as defined by the American with Disabilities Act is a disability which substantially limits one or more major life activity. Factors to be considered are: 

• Its nature and severity. 
• Its duration- how long it will last or is expected to last. Its permanent/long term or expected impact. 

 **A major life activity is an activity that the average person can perform with little to no difficulty. Examples are walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, caring for oneself, sitting. Factors to be considered are: 

• What is the specific barrier to access? 
• How does the barrier impact functioning? 
• Is the accommodation reasonable and appropriate? 

Accommodations are determined based solely on the impact of the student’s documented disability. A connection must be established between the requested accommodations and the functional limitations or barrier on the student. 

Please contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services at access@spalding.edu or 502-873-4192 for more information.