Your rights
As a person with a disability, you have rights to ensure your accommodations are implemented and that you are not discriminated against on the basis of your disability. If you feel your accommodations are not being implemented or you have been discriminated against, there are resources available on and off campus. You can find more information on your rights as a student with a disability at the Civil Rights Compliance Office.
DRS staff or office complaints/issues
If you have a complaint about your DRS office or a DRS staff member, you are encouraged to contact DRS leadership. Please reach out to the appropriate leadership member at your campus’s DRS as listed below. If your complaint concerns the leadership or the office as a whole, contact the Vice President/Dean who oversees that DRS office.
Seattle
Assistant Director, Academic Services: Andy Andrews, andy4@uw.edu
- Testing, classroom relocation, alternate course formats, assistive and adaptive technology, IT, captioning, scribes, notetaking, furniture
Assistant Director, Student Services: Brad Elmendorf, brade@uw.edu
- Application process, emergent students, Access Coordinators, provision and implementation of accommodation
Director: Adiam Tesfay, adiamt@uw.edu
- Admin, Operations, Front Desk, Academic Services, Student Services
Associate Vice President for Student Life: Glenna Chang, glennac@uw.edu
Bothell
Director: Alice LeFlore, uwbdrs@uw.edu
Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs: Emily Christan, emilyc24@uw.edu
Tacoma
Associate Director: Victor Flores, vflores@uw.edu
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life: Bernard Anderson, bander48@uw.edu
Still have complaints?
If you are having difficulty with a DRS staff member or DRS generally and have already reached out to DRS leadership and believe you have or may be experiencing mistreatment or discrimination on the basis of your disability, you can contact the UW campus resources listed below. Please read through each of the descriptions to know the appropriate contact.
General access complaints/issues
DRS is not the entity that resolves general complaints, issues or discrimination. However, DRS is available to consult.
If you have difficulty with a person, office, or department at the University of Washington and believe you have or may be experiencing mistreatment or discrimination on the basis of your disability, you can contact the resources listed below for assistance. Please read through each of the descriptions to know the appropriate contact.
For more information about the process and your rights as a student, please review University policies.
Tips for addressing the conflict yourself:
- You can try to resolve issues with faculty and/or staff directly. If that does not work, you can find out who their supervisor is and reach out about the issue and potential resolutions.
- You can contact DRS for assistance in determining the appropriate resources for you to contact.
- When making a complaint, be specific. It can be helpful to document the incident(s) and the action(s) taken, including dates, times, names, and a statement explaining the interactions. State what individual(s)/office(s) you believe has discriminated against you when the incident occurred, and describe the incident.
- If you are attempting to resolve a problem that includes several offices, it may help to let each office know what other efforts you have made to try to resolve the complaint.
- Keep a record of all written correspondence between yourself and the various offices you work with.
Resources
UW campus resources
The Office of the Ombud serves the UW community on all three campuses by providing high-quality, client-focused services for preventing, managing, navigating, and resolving conflict at the UW. Through active participation in problem-solving, clients develop the ability to prevent, manage, and resolve future conflicts. Please visit the Office of the Ombud website for more information.
UW Facilities can help resolve reported physical barriers preventing access to a University building or area. UW facilities will triage with appropriate University resources from the specific campus or location to assess and determine potential remediation options. Students may use the UW Facilities form to report a physical accessibility barrier.
Academic Departments can help with resolving issues with a specific instructor or academic personnel. Some departments have their own appeal/complaint processes. You can contact the department to learn more. If a department does not have an official appeal/complaint process, then you can reach out to the chair or department head.
Civil Rights Investigation Office investigates complaints made about University employees and students that raise concerns relating to civil rights, such as protection from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct. It is the place to request a formal University investigation and resolution of complaints regarding nondiscrimination and/or non-retaliation policies. Please visit the Civil Rights Investigation Office website for more information.
The ADA Coordinator can provide information and assistance to individuals who wish to raise a complaint or have concerns or questions regarding ADA/Section 504 guidance. Additionally, DRS may consult directly with the ADA Coordinator on areas of UW policy and process. Please visit the ADA Coordinator website for more information.
Off-campus resources
The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) is the state agency responsible for administering the Washington Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60); they serve as a neutral, fact-finding agency to investigate and resolve complaints of discriminatory practices. For more information, visit the Washington State Human Rights Commission website.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education is the enforcement agency for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). OCR will examine the factors of the alleged discrimination and interview appropriate persons to establish the facts, determine if discrimination has occurred, and resolve the complaint. When a student is unsatisfied with the on-campus efforts to resolve a complaint, OCR is a place to turn. For more information, go to the Office for Civil Rights website.
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