To access services through the Student Disability Resource Center, please follow the steps outlined on this page. If you are seeking an emotional support animal accommodation, please follow the steps outlined on the Emotional Support Animals page. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Disability Resource Center at 478-445-5931 or e-mail disability@gcsu.edu.
- When you have been fully admitted to the University, provide your physician and/or psychiatrist with the appropriate Documentation Guidelines and make them aware of the USG Documentation Policy.
- Documentation Guidelines for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) - Brain injury can result from external trauma, such as a closed head or an object penetration injury, or internal trauma, such as a cerebral vascular accident or tumor. Additionally, individuals may acquire brain impairment as a result of neurological illnesses, such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis.
- Documentation Guidelines for ADHD - ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development.
- Documentation Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorders - Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by impairment in several areas of development including social communication and social interaction across contexts, and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities.
- Documentation Guidelines for Communications Disorders - Communication disorders is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in language, speech and, communication. This includes difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including the production of sounds, articulation and fluency deficits, difficulty in the acquisition and production of language across modalities (i.e., spoken, written), and difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication.
- Documentation Guidelines for Learning Disabilities - Learning disabilities is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical skills.
- Documentation Guidelines for Mobility Disorders - Mobility impairments refer to conditions that limit a person’s coordination or ability to move. Some mobility impairments are congenital while others are the result of illness or physical injury. The functional abilities and limitations resulting from the impairment will vary from individual to individual.
- Documentation Guidelines for Psychological Disorders - Many different psychological disorders can interfere with cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Complete descriptions and diagnostic criteria for psychological disorders are available in the current version of the DSM or ICD. Test anxiety by itself is not considered a psychological disorder.
- Documentation Guidelines for Sensory Disorders - Blind and Loss of Vision - Visual impairments are disorders in the function of the eyes that have not been adequately corrected by medical or surgical intervention, therapy, or conventional eyewear. Individuals with visual disorders may not have any usable vision or the vision may be significantly limited.
- Documentation Guidelines for Sensory Disorders - Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing experience a reduction in sensitivity to sound. Amplification may not assist the individual in interpreting auditory stimuli. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing from birth may experience lags in the development of speech and most often have language-based deficiencies.
- Documentation Guidelines for Systemic Disorders - Systemic disabilities are conditions affecting one or more of the body’s systems, including the respiratory, immunological neurological, circulatory, or digestive systems.
- Disabilities as defined by the ADA that are not covered by the guidelines above may be eligible for accommodations within USG policies. For more information, please contact disability@gcsu.edu
- Once you have all of your documentation, including the letter from your physician and/or psychiatrist, and copies of any medical diagnosis(es), psychological evaluations, IEP/504 plans from high school, a final high school transcript and confirmation of accommodations on the SAT/ACT, you may fill out the online Request for Services. Please do not complete this form until you have all of your documentation ready to upload. If you need assistance filling out the online Request for Services, please refer to this document: Completing the Online Request for Services Form (pdf)
Documentation must be from an appropriate licensed professional and follow the University System of Georgia Documentation Policy and documents your impairment(s).
All documentation will be sent to the Regents' Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) for review. The RCLD sets the standard for post-secondary documentation requirements to determine eligibility for appropriate academic accommodations.The RCLD is part of the Board of Regents, the governing body for all public colleges and universities in Georgia. Once our office receives the review from the RCLD (this can take up to 4-6 weeks) you will be contacted via your Bobcats e-mail address to update you on your status.
If the documentation does not meet criteria you should contact the RCLD for an explanation of the review at 912-478-0100. It is your responsibility to contact your medical professional, obtain the appropriate information, and make sure we receive any additional information to add to the original documentation submitted.