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About Us

Our mission

Disability Resources for Students (DRS) facilitates a consistent, legally compliant interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations for matriculated students in accordance with the ADA, Section 504, and University policy. We also support campus partners with the implementation of DRS-approved accommodations.

Core functions

We collaborate with students, faculty, and campus partners to ensure equal access to academic programs, services, and activities by identifying and removing barriers to access.

Core functions include:

  • Evaluating, coordinating, and facilitating the implementation of accommodations.
  • Serving as a resource to students, faculty, and staff to ensure the effective provision of accommodations.
  • Offering resources and referral information to prospective students and their families.

Learn more about what we do.

Vision

DRS envisions an environment where students with disabilities can equitably access all educational opportunities and reach their full potential.

Values

Our core values include:

  • Access
    We are committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities can participate fully in the university’s academic programs, services, and activities.
  • Respect
    We believe everyone should be treated with professionalism and courtesy and have their individual needs honored.
  • Empowerment
    We support students in understanding their rights, exploring options, and making informed choices about accommodations and academic participation.
  • Collaboration
    We partner with students, instructors, and staff to identify appropriate solutions for academic access.
  • Compliance
    We uphold all applicable federal and state disability laws and university policies, maintaining a consistent, fair, and responsible process for determining and implementing accommodations.

Historical background

Although the University of Washington was founded in 1861, students with disabilities were not entitled to programs or services to support their educational access until more than a century later.

In 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was signed into law. It was the first civil rights protection in the United States to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funding. The federal guidelines stated that institutions receiving federal financial assistance needed to survey both physical structures and procedural policies for accessibility by mid-1978.

A specially appointed committee at the UW completed this assessment. One of their recommendations was to establish an office within Student Affairs to coordinate direct services to disabled students. DRS, called Handicapped Student Services (HSS) at the time, began operating in October of 1978 and changed its name to Disability Student Services (DSS) in 1979.

Timeline

  • 1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was signed into law.
  • 1977: The provision of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was implemented on a national scale. The University of Washington formed the Handicapped Self-Evaluation Advisory Committee to help the University comply with Section 504, including proposing physical modifications to the built environment (i.e. curb cuts, ramps, etc.) and the establishment of an office within Student Affairs (now Student Life) to coordinate direct disability services.
  • 1978: The University of Washington Handicapped Student Service (HSS) office opened in October to provide formal accommodations to students with disabilities. In the academic year 1978-79, HSS served 0.7% of the total student population.
  • 1979: HSS changed its name to Disabled Student Services (DSS). In the academic year 1979-80, DSS served 0.7% of the total student population.
  • 1980: In the academic year 1980-81, DSS served 0.8% of the total student population.
  • 1981: In the academic year 1981-82, DSS served 1.1% of the total student population.
  • 1982: University of Washington Disabled Student Services stated in a statistical report: “With the advent of Section 504, better identification of disabled persons at the elementary and secondary levels, establishment of service programs such as the DSS at the postsecondary level, and the general increase in rehabilitative services coupled with the independent living movement in over the last ten years, a steadily growing number of disabled persons attending college and universities is to be expected … We estimate that as much as 3-5% of the UW student population may be eligible for DSS services within the next ten to fifteen years.”
  • 1989: University of Washington Bothell was founded and created a DSS office.
  • 1990: University of Washington Tacoma was founded and created a DSS office.
  • 2004: DSS changed its name to Disability Resources for Students (DRS).
  • 2012: Seattle campus DRS moved from Schmitz Hall to Mary Gates Hall (MGH).

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