In order to fully evaluate requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids and to determine eligibility for services, the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) needs documentation of your disability. The documentation you provide should include an evaluation by an appropriate licensed professional that makes evident the current impact of the disability as it relates to the accommodation(s) requested and include a description of any and all functional limitations. Those accommodations prescribed by the OSD are provided so that students have equal access to activities and programs at UTA. Professionals conducting assessments and rendering diagnoses must be qualified to do so. Such documentation should be on letterhead and contain the professional's signature and license number. The evaluator must be impartial and not related to the person being evaluated.

The general guidelines listed below are developed to assist you in working with your treating/diagnosing professional(s) to prepare the information needed to evaluate your request(s). If, after reading these guidelines and reviewing disability specific information provided below, you have any questions, feel free to call OSD at 817-227-3364.

Documentation:

In order to receive services from OSD, documentation must be submitted in advance. Documentation validates the disability, which allows consideration for accommodation requests. The currency of documentation is dependent upon the nature of the loss of vision. Thus, if the condition that leads to the loss of vision is progressive, OSD would ask for documentation within the last two years. However, each case will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Documentation should include but is not limited to:

• Current functional impact of the condition in an academic setting
• Treatments, medications, accommodations/auxiliary aids, services currently prescribed or in use as related to the previously mentioned functional limitations.
• The expected progression or stability of disability over time
• A diagnostic statement identifying the disability

Listed below are recommended forms of documentation and appropriate professionals to complete the documentation.

Types of Documentation:

Visual acuity and Certificate of Blindness (if applicable)

Qualified Professional or Organization:

• Licensed Ophthalmologist
• Licensed Optometrist
• Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)-Division of Blind Services (DBS)

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You must Register with the OSD to receive any official accommodations at UT Arlington. It is your responsibility to disclose or not disclose your visual impairment. However, if you choose not to, the university is under no obligation to provide accommodations.

Please see Steps for Requesting Accommodations.

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Service animals must be permitted to accompany a person with a disability everywhere on campus or off campus as the activity (e.g. internship, field work, etc.) pertains to the curriculum.

For more information, see Service Animals.

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Audio Text and Electronic Text Resources:

1. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D)

RFB&D's materials are for all people who cannot effectively read standard print because of a visual, perceptual or other physical disability. RFB&D records educational and reference materials that are not available on tape or disc from other sources, in areas such as history, math, science and economics. RFB&D records audiobooks in specialized formats, such as the four-track cassettes or the password-protected digitally recorded books on CD, to comply with US copyright law. Individual membership entitles members to unlimited access to RFB&D's library and a reference librarian service. For more information, please visit the RFB&D website.

2. Bookshare.org

Individuals with visual impairment and print disability can subscribe to this online accessible etext library. This online community enables book scans to be shared, thereby leveraging the collections of thousands of individuals who regularly scan books, eliminating significant duplication of effort. Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into specialized formats. For more information, please visit Bookshare.org.

3. The American Printing House for the Blind

The American Printing House (APH) for the Blind is the world's largest company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind or visually impaired. Under the 1879 federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, APH is the official supplier of educational materials for students with visual impairment in the U.S. who are working at less than college level. For more information, please visit APH website.

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The Adaptive Resource Center (ARC) is equipped with various adaptive hardware and software programs that students with visual impairment can use for classroom and testing purposes. For more information on the various assistive technology is available at the ARC website.

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