Document your Disability
Please note that any information you provide to us is strictly confidential.
As per the Ontario Human Rights Guidelines, you are not required to disclose your diagnosis. If you do not wish to disclose your diagnosis, see the Functional Limitations Assessment form option below, which allows for the confirmation of a disability and its effects without the disclosure of the diagnosis itself.
To document your disability, see the three options below.
You have 3 options:
Submit existing documentation:
- You can submit existing medical documentation that either discloses a diagnosis or indicates the presence of a disability and its effect on you.
- Examples might include a medical, psychological or psychoeducational assessment.
- If documentation is older than 5 years, your Accessibility Consultant will review it and let you know if it needs to be updated.
Submit a Functional Limitations Assessment form:
- If you do not want to disclose your disability diagnosis you can download a Functional Limitations Assessment form which must be filled out by an appropriate health-care provider.
- Your health-care provider can confirm that you do have a disability, and will give us information about the effect of your disability on your daily functioning.
- The completed form will help our Accessibility Consultants set up appropriate accommodations for you.
If on OSAP, submit a Disability Verification form:
- If you are on OSAP, you have the option of completing the Disability Verification Form (DVF) as proof of permanent disability.
- We can use this form towards supporting your accommodations instead of the Functional Limitations Form.
- The form can be downloaded form from the OSAP website, and your Accessibility Consultant can guide you through the process of filling out and submitting it.
- To learn more, ask your Accessibility Consultant about the advantages of completing a DVF.
What do we need to know?
When submitting documentation, or when your Doctor is filling out the Functional Limitations Assessment form, it will be helpful to know:
- Your typical symptoms
- The impact of your disability on your schooling, ie; attention, concentration, learning ability, fatigue, absences etc.
- The type of medication prescribed and the possible side effect(s)
- Any permanent or temporary impairment
- Any treatment that may disrupt your academic program
- Any other special considerations
If you have a learning disability, we would also find it very helpful to review your:
- IEP Documents
- IPRC Documents
- Any other documents pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses
If you are a high school student, make sure you ask for help from your resource teacher or guidance department before the end of the school year in order to get all this information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Documentation from a Regulated Health Care Professional. Currently, most institutions require supporting documentation for disabilities, listing specific functional limitations, from one of the following types of health care professionals:
- Family Physician/General Practitioner
- Specialist Practitioner
- Audiologist
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Chiropractor
- Optometrist/Ophthalmologist
- Psychiatrist
- Psychological Associate
If your doctor is filling out the Functional Limitations Form, they will be required to:
- Verify that you have a disability, and;
- Identify any functional limitations you will experience in a college/university setting as a result of that disability.
According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability, your health care provider does not have to share your diagnosis or treatment details unless your accommodation needs are complex.
Reviewing your documentation can help you to understand more about your disability and the type of Academic Accommodations you may need. These are some questions you can ask your health care professional or Accessibility Consultant about your documentation.
- Are my functional abilities and limitations accurately described in my documentation?
- How might my disability impact my ability to participate at college/university?
- How does my disability affect my writing, reading, listening, comprehension, organization, problem-solving and social interaction?
Currently, an IEP alone does not meet the requirements for documentation in most colleges and universities.
Your IEP may be a useful starting point in determining your Academic Accommodations at college/university. Some institutions (but not all) use IEPs as the basis for providing temporary Accommodations while awaiting more current documentation from one of the sources specified above. Temporary Accommodations are usually only granted for one semester.
Register with HWAS and get a file started; we may be able to provide temporary Accommodations while awaiting documentation about your functional limitations from a qualified health care professional. Temporary Accommodations are usually granted for one semester only.
The information you disclose to the HWAS office is confidential; your privacy is protected by law. The HWAS office will not disclose your personal information to a third party, including your parents, without your consent – except in certain emergency situations.
To arrange your Academic Accommodations, your Accessibility Consultant may need to speak to:
- Other HWAS staff,
- Administrators, and
- Other staff at your institution (e.g. the Test Centre, Faculty).
The Accessibility Consultant will only disclose the amount of information needed to make arrangements for your Academic Accommodations.
When registering with Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services, you will be asked to review and sign Confidentiality and Consent/Release of Information forms. These forms will explain how, when and with whom your information may be shared by the HWAS office. If you choose to sign the Consent/Release forms, you are permitting Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services to share such information with the people or departments designated for the purpose of arranging and managing your Accommodations.
Your Personal Information is protected by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA, 1990). Ontario post-secondary institutions must comply with the FIPPA which contains rules and regulations related to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information which are designed to protect your security and privacy.
Your personal health information is also protected by the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA, 2004).
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