How are Accommodation Letters Created? | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by David Johnston, Counselling and Accessibility Services

in the Spring 2017 issue

Faculty often ask how Accommodation Letters are created.

The process begins when a student meets with one of our counsellors. The student is invited to bring in any documentation they have concerning their disability. This could be an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a psychoeducational assessment, a medical report, or a diagnostic record. The counsellor in this initial interview will take time to gather a history and review all documentation.

It is likely that additional information will be required as the documentation standards for postsecondary students are different than for high school. For example, we require that a psychoeducational assessment must not be more than 5 years old, or must have been completed as an adult. If a medical note does not provide information about the functional limitations of a disability, then a Functional Limitation Assessment Form will need to be completed by a recognized health professional.

Some temporary accommodations may be granted pending receipt of these updates or additional documentation. But no permanent accommodation letter can be granted unless there is sufficient documentation supporting the need for specific accommodations.

Our files are audited by the Ministry and our records may be requested in legal matters and human rights cases. In these situations, they are scrutinized to ensure that the accommodations provided are consistent with the available documentation. We are questioned as to why we granted (or didn’t grant) specific accommodations, so we must be ready to provide the evidence to substantiate our decisions.

Temporary academic accommodations may also be provided to students who have experienced an unexpected event in their life (e.g., concussion, victim of physical/sexual violence, or an accident).

We appreciate your support in working with students who rely on accommodations to access their academic program. Please don’t hesitate to contact Counselling and Accessibility Services if you have any questions.

View the Spring 2017 issue of the Academic Newsletter.