The University of Washington is committed to ensuring that graduate students receive appropriate, reasonable accommodations, so that all students are supported in all aspects of their educational experience, including their employment related to their graduate education. There are campus resources available to help graduate students with disabilities navigate the accommodation process. Consult the information below if you are a graduate student who has been diagnosed with a disability, or who believes that you may have a disability requiring accommodation and would like to explore formal and informal options for obtaining academic or appointment-related accommodation.
Academic accommodations
All academic accommodations for students with disabilities are handled by the Disability Resources for Students (DRS) offices at the Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma campuses. It is important to make an appointment to speak with someone in DRS as soon as possible to pursue requesting accommodations in your academic program. DRS staff will work with you to determine reasonable academic accommodations. The myDRS digital management system used by DRS allows students, faculty, and staff to manage accommodations, obtain accommodation letters, and check the status of other service requests such as note-taking, alternative material formats, and exam scheduling.
Considerations for accommodations for research sites and qualifying or preliminary exams
Graduate students with disabilities should also consider the type and nature of the research that you may be doing either independently or with a supervising faculty member. This could include—but is not limited to—a thesis or dissertation that could be eligible for accommodation. Be sure to discuss these needs early with your faculty supervisor, and/or DRS staff.
In the case of extraordinary exam situations such as comprehensive, qualifying, and preliminary exams, graduate students should begin well in advance of the exam date to pursue appropriate accommodations for that unique testing situation. This might include:
- Working with committee and faculty members in advance to determine possibilities for accommodation(s).
- Engaging early with DRS regarding accommodation options.
Employment or appointment accommodations
Human Resources serves as the central administrative unit managing workplace accommodation requests. Two HR units’ partner to facilitate the accommodation process:
- Disability Services Office (DSO): receives the Disability Accommodation Request (DAR) form and medical documentation of disability.
- Leave and Accommodation Team: manages the accommodation request submitted and consults with HR partners as needed.
Complete two steps to start the process:
If an employee has worked with DRS for academic accommodations, the Disability Services Office will be able to request, receive, and store medical documentation directly to determine if it is sufficient for workplace accommodations at the employee’s request. This may reduce the need to collect additional medical documentation for the workplace accommodation process.
Questions about requesting employment or appointment accommodation can be directed to the HR Leave and Accommodation Team via email: hrleaves@uw.edu.
Pregnancy accommodations
The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for known limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions as described in UW APS 46.7. The accommodation process is intended to be interactive and collaborative, relying on open communication and active participation between you and the University.