Student Services
The University of Washington is committed to ensuring that qualified students with documented disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the educational, recreational and social opportunities available at the University.
The Students that DSO Serves
Non-matriculated Students - The Disability Services Office (DSO) serves non-matriculated students: those students taking courses primarily through Educational Outreach, Certificate Programs, International and English Language Programs, and Online Learning and Summer Youth Programs.
Matriculated students who are regularly enrolled, seeking a degree and need accommodation, including classroom interpreting, should contact the appropriate office below:
- Disability Resources for Students, UW Seattle campus
- Disabled Student Services, UW Bothell campus
- Disability Support Services, UW Tacoma campus
DSO Student Services
The DSO provides accommodation, referral information, and assistance for non-matriculated students with a documented physical, mental or sensory disability. Accommodations are determined for each student on an individual basis based on input from a health care provider. Potential accommodations include, but are not limited to: note taking, books on tape, sign language interpreters, room relocation, priority registration, and additional time on exams. The accommodation process involves discussion with a DSO staff member - see below under "Requesting Accommodation".
The DSO is not involved in University admission. For undergraduate admission information, contact the Office of Admissions by phone at (206) 543-9686 or email at askuwadm@u.washington.edu. For graduate admission information, contact Graduate Admissions by phone at (206) 543-5929 or email at uwgrad@u.washington.edu. To request that your disability be considered during the review of your admission application, please ask to speak with an admissions counselor.
If you are a student employee seeking employment related accommodation, please see the information on the Services for Faculty and Staff web page.
Requesting Accommodation - Non-matriculated Students
Non-matriculated students who believe that a medical condition is affecting their academic performance or ability to participate in University activities are strongly encouraged to contact the DSO to discuss their accommodation needs.
Plan Ahead: Accommodations can take time to arrange, so planning ahead is essential. If you are a new student, schedule your intake appointment well in advance of the quarter you plan to attend. If you are currently enrolled, you can set up an intake appointment at any time.
In order to request accommodation:
- Contact the DSO by phone at 206-543-6450 (voice)/206-543-6452 (TTY) or email at dso@u.washington.edu to arrange an intake appointment. The Disability Services Office is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. For Distance Learning students who do not reside locally, or for any student for whom commuting is a disability related hardship, the intake interview may be conducted by telephone. Contact the Disability Services Office dso@u.washington.edu 206-543-6450 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.
- Ask the DSO to explain what kind of health care provider documentation you will need to submit.
- Obtain the requested health care provider documentation (if you do not already have it), and provide it to the DSO well in advance of your intake appointment. Without the requested documentation, action on your accommodation request may be delayed.
At the intake meeting you will discuss your disability-related needs with the Disability Services Coordinator in order to determine reasonable accommodations.
Confidentiality
It is your choice whether to disclose your disability to your professor. To assist you, the DSO will prepare a letter for you to submit to your professor regarding your disability and your accommodation needs.
The DSO will not discuss or disclose your medical information unless you give us written permission to do so. When DSO staff talk with your professor, we discuss how needed accommodations can be implemented, not the nature of your disability.
