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Step 1: Registration and Documentation
Step 1 in registering with the Accessible Learning Centre includes the following process:
- Complete the ALC Registration Form.
- Review the ALC Documentation Requirements.
- Submit your disability documentation. Refer to:
- Check your Laurier inbox for an email from the ALC.
Once we receive both pieces of information, we will email your Laurier email address about next steps.
Documentation Requirements
Students seeking academic accommodations for reasons of a disability at Laurier are required to submit documentation to support their request.
Disability documentation supports academic accommodation planning by:
- Confirming you are a person with a disability.
- Describing how your disability affects you at school.
Disability Categories
To access the correct form, select the category that best reflects your disability or disabilities. Please ask a health care practitioner who is qualified to diagnose and treat your disability to complete your form.
Email intakeALC@wlu.ca with questions about our documentation requirements or for forms in an alternate format.
Attention Disability
Examples of attention disability include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes either:
- ALC Disability Verification Form: Attention Disability (PDF).
- Psycho-educational assessment (completed using Adult Measures).
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Registered psychologist.
- Psychiatrist.
- Family physician.
Brain Injury
Examples of brain injury include acquired brain injury, concussion, or post-concussive syndrome.
You may be required to provide updated documentation throughout your degree in order to determine if your disability remains, if functional limitations have changed, and if accommodations are still required.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes either:
- ALC Disability Verification Form: Brain Injury (PDF).
- Neuro-psychological assessment completed within the past six months (completed using Adult Measures).
- Current medical assessment including SCATS, dated within the past six months.
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Neurologist.
- Neuropsychologist.
- Psychologist.
- Psychiatrist.
- Psychological associate.
- Family physician.
- Sports medicine physician.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Examples of autism spectrum disorder include autism spectrum disorder or social pragmatic communication disorder.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes either:
- ALC Disability Verification Form: Medical (PDF).
- Psycho-educational assessment (completed using Adult Measures).
- Neuro-psychological assessment (completed using Adult Measures).
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Registered psychologist.
- Psychiatrist.
- Family physician.
- Developmental pediatrician.
Hearing-Related Disability
Examples of a hearing-related disability include deaf, deafened, hearing loss, central auditory processing disorder.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes either:
- ALC Disability Verification Form: Hearing Impairement (PDF).
- Current audiologist assessment (completed within past year).
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Audiologist.
- Family physician.
Learning Disabilities
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes a Psycho-Educational Assessment completed using Adult Measures.
A Psycho-Educational Assessment must include the following:
- Appropriate standardized tests of ability; for example, the WAIS-IV
- Appropriate standardized tests of Information Process; for example, the WMS-IV.
- Appropriate standardized tests of achievement. Ideally, each of the following achievement areas are sampled:
- reading (decoding, comprehension, fluency)
- writing (mechanics, expression, fluency)
- math (calculation, conceptualization, fluency)
- memory (Working, Auditory, Visual – immediate and delayed)
- Evidence of a significant discrepancy between (at least) normal ability and one or more achievement areas (such as reading, writing, and math), along with evidence of a significant impairment in at least one type of information processing that may logically account for this discrepancy.
- Relevant medical developmental, educational, and family history.
- The ruling out of other potential causes of the discrepancy noted above.
- Behavioural observations and a statement confirming the validity of test results.
- Test results reported and interpreted.
- A clear diagnostic statement.
- Recommendations and suggestions directly tied to test results, relevant to the postsecondary setting.
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include (signature required):
- A registered, licensed psychologist.
- Psychological associate.
Medical Disability
Examples of a medical disability include cancer, diabetes, epilepsy/seizure disorder, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes:
Qualified Professionals
Medical Professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Specialist physician.
- Family physician.
Mental Health / Psychiatric Disability
Examples of mental health or psychiatric disability include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorder, etc.
Documentation
In accordance with the Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities (2018) by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, students are not required to disclose a mental health related diagnosis in order to access accommodations.
Instead documentation must confirm the presence of a diagnosis and provide sufficient information regarding functional limitations in the postsecondary environment.
Acceptable documentation includes:
Qualified Professionals
Medical Professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Registered psychologist.
- Psychiatrist.
- Family physician.
Physical / Functional Disability
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes:
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Rheumatologist.
- Chiropractor.
- Neurologist.
- Sports medicine physician.
- Orthopedist.
- Family physician.
Vision-Related Disability
Examples of vision-related disability include cataracts, glaucoma, nystagmus, retinal detachment or blindness.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation includes:
- ALC Disability Verification Form: Vision (PDF).
- Ophthalmologist’s report.
- Physician assessment.
- CNIB card/registration number.
Qualified Professionals
Medical professionals qualified to complete documentation include:
- Ophthalmologist.
- Optometrist.
- Family physician.
Interim Accommodations
Students who do not have disability documentation may be eligible for interim accommodations and support while waiting to obtain documentation. Interim accommodations usually expire after one or two terms.
Students seeking interim accommodations should submit any documentation they have including Grade 12 Individual Education Plans (IEP), outdated psycho-educational assessments, or letters from health care providers (HCP). Letters must be dated, on original letterhead and contain the HCP's signature and license number.
Interim academic accommodations granted in:
- fall term will expire on April 30
- winter term will expire on Aug. 31
- spring/summer term will expire on Dec. 31
Students must submit updated documentation before their interim accommodations expire.
Submit Documentation
Do not email a copy of your documentation to the ALC. Due to security and privacy concerns, the ALC cannot accept copies of documentation by email or fax.
Prepare Your Documentation
Documentation must include all the pages, be legible and uploaded in a single PDF file. If taking photos of your documentation, convert the photos to a single PDF file.
The ALC will not review your documentation if it is illegible or missing pages.
If you:
- are new to the ALC and completing the registration form, include your documentation with the form
- have already completed the ALC Registration Form but did not include your documentation, email accessibility_learning@wlu.ca for a unique and secure upload link
- are already registered and active with the ALC and want to submit new or additional documentation,
- log in to Accessible Learning Online
- click the "Additional Documentation Submission" button