What is supporting documentation?
Supporting documentation shows what your disability, significant ongoing illness,
Specific Learning Difficulty (SLD) or mental health condition is and how it affects you.
If you have an SLD. e.g. dyslexia, you must provide an Educational Psychologist’s
report of not more than 5 years old which clearly states that you have an SLD.
If you have any other disability you must provide a report from an appropriately
qualified consultant or specialist. See the table below for details on acceptable
reports.
Students who do not have appropriate evidence of their disability should forward the
‘Evidence of Disability Form’ to their Medical Consultant/Specialist to be completed.
Please note that evidence from a GP/Family doctor, physiotherapist, or support
organisation is not accepted as verification of disability.
If you applied via the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) and ticked the
box marked disability/Specific Learning Difficulty on your CAO application and
provided documentation on your disability, we have a copy of this information. We do
not need any more documentation from you.
Table of Accepted Reports
Disability
Acceptable Evidence of disability
Age of report
Autistic Spectrum
Disorder (including
Asperger’s syndrome).
Diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s
syndrome by a Psychiatrist or
Psychologist.
No age limit.
ADD/ADHD.
Diagnosis of ADD/ADHD by a
Psychiatrist or Psychologist.
No age limit.
Blind/Vision Impaired.
Evidence of disability from an
Ophthalmologist/Ophthalmic Surgeon
OR Letter from the National Council for
the Blind confirming registration with
the Council, OR a letter on headed
notepaper signed by the principal of a
school for the Blind which confirms
attendance.
No age limit.
Deaf/Hearing Impaired.
An audiogram from a professionally
qualified Audiologist and/or ENT
Consultant (the diagnosis should
indicate moderate to profound bilateral
No age limit.
UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, July 2013.
hearing loss (i.e. above 40dB)) OR a
letter on headed notepaper signed by
the principal of a school for the Deaf
which confirms attendance.
Mental Health Condition.
Diagnosis of a significant mental health
condition by a Psychiatrist.
The report
must be no
older than five
years.
Neurological Condition.
Diagnosis of a significant neurological
condition by a Neurologist or other
relevant Consultant.
No age limit.
Neurologically-based
Speech, Language and
Communication
Disorders.
Report from a Speech and Language
Therapist diagnosing a moderate or
severe communication disorder; or
where a mild communication difficulty
has a moderate to severe
psychological impact on the individual.
No age limit.
Significant Ongoing
Illness (including, but not
exclusive to, the
following: Uncontrolled
Epilepsy, Diabetes Type
1, Cystic Fibrosis,
Severe Crohn’s Disease,
Severe Ulcerative Colitis
and IBS, Chronic
Fatigue, Cancers).
Report from below, as appropriate,
should diagnose a significant ongoing
illness.
The report
must be no
older than five
years.
Physical/mobility

Epilepsy: Neurologist

Diabetes Type 1:
Endocrinologist

Cystic Fibrosis: Consultant
respiratory physician or
paediatrician

Gastroenterology Conditions:
Gastroenterologist

Others: Relevant Consultant in
area of condition, or Consultant
Registrar.
Report by an Orthopaedic Consultant
or other relevant Consultant (e.g.
Paediatrician or Rheumatologist)
diagnosing a significant physical or
UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, July 2013.
No age limit.
mobility difficulty.
Developmental Coordination Disorder
(Dyspraxia).
Both of the following are required:

No age limit.
A full psycho-educational
assessment from a Psychologist
diagnosing Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia),
AND

Specific Learning
Difficulties (Dyslexia or
Dyscalculia)
A report by an Occupational
Therapist/Neurologist
diagnosing Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia).
Full psycho-educational assessment
from a Psychologist diagnosing a
Specific Learning Difficulty.
UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, July 2013.
The report
must be no
older than five
years unless it
was completed
when you were
at least 17
years old using
adult-scaled
tests.