NC State University's Disability Services Office is a unit of the Office for Equal Opportunity and Equity. The DSO facilitates and monitors the university's compliance with applicable federal laws and state laws in regard to non-discrimination of persons on the basis of disability. The DSO does not evaluate individuals or determine functioning levels. The ADA Coordinator, who is also the Director of Disability Compliance Programs, reviews documentation to determine if an individual is eligible for accommodations and/or services. If eligible, based upon the documentation, the ADA Coordinator meets with the individual and his/her supervisor to determine the appropriate accommodations. If the individual is not eligible for accommodations, the ADA Coordinator may refer the individual to other community resources, if known.

Eligibility Process
The process of determining legal eligibility for accommodations at NC State University is a formal and rigorous one. The eligibility determination is based strictly upon what is documented by the diagnostician. The ADA Coordinator does not use information reported by the individual or implied by the diagnosis to determine eligibility. However, the ADA Coordinator does use information reported by the individual to help determine appropriate accommodations.

Legal eligibility determination is an individualized process done in a case-by-case basis. The eligibility decision made by the ADA Coordinator is specific to NC State University. It does not apply to other colleges, universities, agencies, places of employment, or programs (i.e. Social Security, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.) Likewise, eligibility decisions made by other entities do not determine eligibility at NC State University.

Documentation
Documentation standards are more stringent than usual clinical practice. Documentation must include very specific information regarding the individual's actual current functional limitations/restrictions. The ADA Coordinator does not base eligibility on what could/might occur or what often occurs with those that have been given the diagnosis.

Three-Step Inquiry
Documentation must clearly answer the following questions.

Does the individual have a physical or mental impairment?
- Documentation must be current and include a mental or physical diagnosis made by a qualified diagnostician.
Does the impairment affect a major life activity?

Legal eligibility requires that the physical or mental impairment substantially affects a major life activity.
A major life activity is a basic function of life. Disability laws list the major activities as: breathing, caring for self, hearing, learning, performing manual tasks, seeing, speaking, walking, working, or other (activity that is a basic function of life).
Documentation must clearly state which major life activities are affected by the impairment.
If an impairment only interferes with certain functions that are not major life activities, although the individual is restricted, the individual is not eligible under disability laws.

Does the impairment substantially limit the individual's ability to perform related specific sensory and/or physical activities required in the workplace?
- Documentation must state what specific activities the individual is unable to perform or is significantly restricted (condition, manner, or duration) in performing when compared with an average person in the general population.
- Documentation must state the nature and severity (mild, moderate, severe) of the impairment, the duration or expected duration of the impairment, and the permanence or expected long-term impact.
- If the impairment significantly restricts a major life activity, the documentation must state the severity level (mild, moderate, severe), frequency (how often) and duration (how long) of the limitation

Incomplete Documentation
Missing information delays the eligibility decision and the delay may affect the employee's work performance evaluation. Accommodations are not retroactive. Diagnosticians can submit new or additional documentation at any time for the ADA Coordinator's review.

Thank you for your assistance
The ADA Coordinator appreciates your assistance and apologizes for any inconvenience this process may cause you. Any expense required for the documentation is the responsibility of the employee.

PLEASE NOTE: As the diagnostician, if you are approaching the process with the goal of acquiring temporary modified duty or light duty for your patient until he/she is able to return to his/her regular job, you and your patient, our employee, should contact his/her supervisor and/or Human Resources.