The individual named below has requested the housing accommodation of a support animal in University Housing. Coastal Carolina University provides disability accommodations through Accessibility & Disability Services, which determines eligibility and appropriate accommodations.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment.” Disabilities involve substantial limitations and are distinct from common conditions not substantially limiting major life activities.
Individuals seeking approval for support animals in University Housing must provide appropriate disability documentation in order for Accessibility & Disability Services to:
a) determine eligibility for accommodations, and
b) if eligible, determine appropriate accommodations.
Please note, completion of this form does not guarantee a particular accommodation outcome.
Documentation required to verify the condition, severity, and functional limitations includes completion of this form or provision of equivalent information on official letterhead to ADS by a licensed psychologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, or in rare circumstances other licensed treating professional who has established a diagnostic and therapeutic relationship with the patient.
Requests for a support animal require documentation that is recent, first-hand, and speaks to a continuing diagnostic and therapeutic relationship between the professional and the student that justifies the support animal recommendation. It should include statements specific to: the provider’s specific diagnosis of the condition; how the animal serves as an accommodation; and how the need for the animal relates to the ability of the resident to pursue and enjoy the living arrangements provided by the university. Generally, documentation from mental health care professionals who are not licensed to practice in South Carolina or in the state in which the student primarily resides and who have had no contact with the student except for a single encounter that resulted in the documentation are not reliable. Diagnoses of disabilities documented by family members are unacceptable.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits employers and other entities covered by GINA Title II from requesting or requiring genetic information of an individual or family member of the individual, except as specifically allowed by this law. To comply with this law, we are asking that you not provide any genetic information when responding to this request for medical information. 'Genetic information' as defined by GINA, includes an individual's family medical history, the results of an individual's or family member's genetic tests, the fact that an individual or an individual's family member sought or received genetic services, and genetic information of a fetus carried by an individual or an individual's family member or an embryo lawfully held by an individual or family member receiving assistive reproductive services.