Documentation Guidelines for Deaf, Hearing Impaired & Hard of Hearing
Muhlenberg College students with diagnosed disabilities are eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) (revised in 2008) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). The ADA Amendments Act 2008 retains the definition of a "disability" as (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual; (b) a record of such an impairment; or (c) being regarded as having such an impairment.
Students requesting accommodations, auxiliary aids, and/or services based on a diagnosis of Deafness, Hearing Impaired, or Hard of Hearing, are required to submit documentation by an appropriately qualified professional who verifies the presence of a condition that rises to the level of a disability and confirms the need for reasonable accommodations based on the diagnosed condition.
Students requesting accommodations based on a qualifying diagnosis must submit current, detailed documentation from an appropriately qualified or licensed healthcare professional who is:
- qualified to diagnosis the condition and is currently or recently associated with the student in a healthcare professional/patient relationship
- familiar with the challenges and functional limitations of the condition and possible impact on access to the college environment
- an impartial evaluator or diagnostician who is not a family member nor in a dual relationship with the student
- qualified to verify the presence of a condition that rises to the level of a disability and confirms the need for reasonable accommodations based on the diagnosed condition.
The medical evaluation/documentation must be current. In order to reflect present functioning for the post-secondary environment, the evaluation must be within one to two years, must include a clear statement of the diagnosis and prognosis as well as the extent, duration, and current functional impact of the condition. The diagnosis and recommended accommodations must be clearly linked to the test data and must include an explanation of each.
Assessment:
If the condition is progressive, or a student experiences any change in the severity that would affect accommodations, please provide updated documentation that reflects the change in status. An Audiologist can provide information regarding diagnosis and treatment of those individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. If the condition involves progressive loss, a more current diagnosis may be required. In these cases, recommended current documentation should be within 1 year. The documentation should be written in narrative report format with the name, address, phone number and title and/or credentials of the specialist making the assessment.
The evaluation/report must include the following information:
- a detailed summary of audiometric procedures and/or audiological testing indicating the nature and the degree of hearing loss, and any speech recognition/ discrimination evaluations
- a summary of assessment procedures used to make the evaluation and a narrative summary of results
- pertinent history and a current diagnosis of hearing impairment including the level of severity
- narrative of whether the hearing loss is stable or progressive
- whether assistive devices such as hearing aids or FM systems are used and their effectiveness
- a description of the student's functional limitations in an educational setting
- suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level
- recommendations supported by the diagnosis
