Documenting your disability

Your disability must be documented in order to receive accommodations. Such documentation must be recent (within 3 years) and should include:

• A diagnosis of your disability or disabilities
• Expected duration of the condition and associated limitations
• The date of the diagnosis and name and credentials of the professional evaluator
• The tests, criteria and/or processes used to determine your disability
• Your educational, developmental and medical case history
• Your current functional limitations
• Suggested accommodations

After you have applied and been accepted to Northwestern, you may use our Student Intake Form to submit the above information. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan can also be used as part of the documentation. We'll also allow alternative methods and sources of documentation as long as the essential goal of adequately describing the current impact of your disability is met.

Submit your documentation by fax, mail or email to:

Northwestern College
Disability Services Office
Attn: Samantha Winn
101 7th Street SW
Orange City, IA 51041
accessibility@nwciowa.edu

Reasonable accommodations are individually determined and based not only on documentation but also on information gained from an interview with the student requesting accommodations. Northwestern’s accessibility specialist will examine the functional impact of your disability within the context of the accommodations requested. There is also an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) statement on each class syllabus so students know how to gain access to accommodations.