Contact Information:
Mary Mittag, Coordinator, Disability Services
LTB 1155
3433 Winter Lake Road
Lakeland, FL 33803
863-667-7063 (Voice)
863-667-7096 (Fax)
mary@poly.usf.edu

Eligibility and Documentation

To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the ADA and Section 504, a person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities (walking, standing, seeing, hearing, sitting, breathing, learning, or taking care of oneself).

Section 504, as well as the ADA, prohibits discrimination against otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities in recruitment, admission, or the treatment of students. Students with documented disabilities may request accommodations which will enable them to participate in, and benefit from, all university programs and activities.

Professional documentation must include:

• Documentation cover sheet by the professional
• Specific diagnosis of disability by a qualified professional
• Must be current
• Functional impact of the disability on academic performance
• Recommended academic accommodations
• Learning disabilities and ADD documentation must comply with AHEAD and ETS guidelines.

Further information on documentation at http://sds.usf.edu/DocumentationRequirements.htm

Student Application

In addition to documentation by a professional, students must complete an application and release form to be officially registered with Student Disability Services. Forms are also available in the SDS Office. Once SDA has received and evaluated the application and release form and professional documentation, the student will be eligible for accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to visit the SDS Office the first week of each semester to obtain accommodation letters to present to instructors.