Disability Resources for Students

myDRS Student Guide

What is myDRS?

myDRS is the online system that students with disabilities use to register, request, and track their accommodations while attending the University of Washington and working with Disability Resources for Students.

Information Privacy on myDRS

Information entered or uploaded to myDRS is available to Disability Resources for Students (DRS) staff. Entry into myDRS requires use of your UW login and password. To ensure privacy and security, do not share your UW login or password with anyone else. All information documentation submitted to the DRS office is kept separate from an academic record and is considered private under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  For more information on FERPA please visit

Before the Access Planning Meeting (APM)

Fill out the New Student Application

In order to request disability accommodations, you must complete the New Student Application on the DRS website, which includes submitting documentation of your disability(ies). Please review the documentation guidelines established by DRS on our website: DRS Documentation Guidelines

    • Go to disability.uw.edu and click on the PURPLE box that says “New Student Application.”
    • Enter your information.
    • Answer the questions.
  • Click “Submit Application.”
  • Upload your documentation. The max size for documents is 3 MB per upload. Your documentation should include your student ID#, last name, first name.
    • e. 0123456 Smith, Claire Documentation
  • Click “Submit Documentation.”

Once your application has been processed, and assuming it contains all the necessary information we need in order to proceed, we will contact you within 3 business days to schedule an Access Planning Meeting (APM). If additional information is needed we will contact you regarding next steps.

How to submit additional documentation requested by DRS prior to the APM

Additional documentation can be submitted by scanning or photographing the document(s) and emailing them to uwdrs@uw.edu using your UW student email address. If you are experiencing issues with your UW email address, contact UW IT here. A hard copy can also be mailed to University of Washington, Disability Resources for Students, Box 352808, Seattle, WA 98195-2808, faxed to 206.616.8379, or delivered in person to Mary Gates Hall, room 011.

After the Access Planning Meeting (APM) – Follow-up

Receiving the Student Eligibility Letter

You will receive the Student Eligibility Letter (SEL) outlining the accommodations that were approved during the APM. You can view a copy of this letter in your myDRS account. If you will be participating in fieldwork, clinicals, internships, or study abroad trips, the standard Faculty Notification Letter does not apply. You will need to schedule a separate appointment with your DRS Coordinator to discuss accommodations appropriate to that setting. You should initiate this discussion before your program assigns you a placement.

Logging in

  • Go to disability.uw.edu and click on the YELLOW box that says “myDRS”.
  • Log in with your UW NetID and password.
  • You will be asked to review and sign the students “Rights and Responsibilities”.
  • In addition to the “Rights and Responsibilities”, there may be other agreements that will need your review and acceptance.

Activate Accommodations in myDRS

  • Register for UW classes
  • Wait 2 days to log into myDRS with your UW credentials
  • [First time and annually]
    • Click on E-forms and Agreements, then Available Forms: Rights and Responsibilities.
    • Click ‘Continue to Sign Electronically’
    • Read the info and sign by typing your name in the box under ‘YOUR CONSENT’.
    • Then click ‘Submit Form’.
  • On ‘Overview’ in your Dashboard, click ‘Add Requests’ for the quarter you are activating accommodations for.
  • Check the box(es) for the class(es) you would like to request accommodations for
  • Check the box(es) for the accommodations you’d like to activate for each course.
    • If you do not want to activate any accommodations for a course, check the box labeled “I do not need accommodation for this course”.
  • Click the “Submit your Requests” button.
  • Activating accommodations sends Faculty Notification Letters (FNLs) to your instructors, before classes begin.
  • Plan with your instructors how your accommodations will be implemented.
  • A PDF version of your FNL will be available to print after your letter has been sent to your professor. You can choose to deliver it to your faculty directly if needed. A copy of this letter can also be found in your myDRS Mailbox.
  • Any changes to your course schedule will take 24 to 48 hours to appear on your myDRS profile.

Some requests will require completion of additional steps. You can find links to these specific topics on your myDRS Dashboard after your accommodation requests have been submitted. You will be reminded of this via a message on your home screen.

Communicating with your Access Coordinator in myDRS

Many questions and concerns can be addressed via the DRS AC Connect form in myDRS. This is often the most timely way to get your issues resolved. If a meeting is necessary, your Access Coordinator (AC) will reach out to you via email and let you know.

These are some common reasons you may want to connect with your Access Coordinator:

  • Professor / Department Issue
  • Expired Accommodation Issue
  • Current Accommodation Issue
  • Needing new accommodation(s)
  • Uploading new documentation for review
  • Request committee review of unapproved accommodation(s) – Joint Review (JR)
  • General Question(s) / Other

These are directions on how to log into myDRS and use the AC Connect form:

  • Log into myDRS with your UW credentials
  • Click on ‘AC Connect’ on left side under ‘ACCOMMODATIONS’
    • Note: You are not required to upload documentation to use this form, but you may upload any new documents you’d like us to review.
  • Click ‘START NEW APPLICATION’
  • Select the ‘Start Term’ for the requested accommodations to begin.
  • Answer the questions to help your Access Coordinator better understand what your updated needs are.
  • Click ‘SUBMIT REQUEST’
  • OPTIONAL: If you have new documentation to provide that speaks to your needs, you will need to upload it on the next screen.
  • Monitor your UW email for communication from your Access Coordinator. They will review the request and reach out to you if they need any more information.

Scheduling Exams in myDRS

Note- these instructions are ONLY for in-person exams taken in the DRS office.

During the first two weeks of the quarter, talk to your instructor about how testing accommodations will be implemented. If you are testing at DRS, your instructor must submit the DRS Alternative Testing Agreement, and then you will be able to schedule your exams. Your instructor is given a link to complete the agreement in the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL).

You must schedule your exams in myDRS in advance to avoid a late request: *at least 5 business days prior for exams, 10 business days prior for finals.
Helpful hint: Schedule all your exams at once.

  • Log into myDRS
  • Click on Alternative Testing under the ACCOMMODATIONS box on the left side
  • Select your course from the dropdown menu
  • Click on ‘Schedule an Exam’
  • Select the test from ‘Available Exam Dates’ dropdown menu.
    • If you have permission from your instructor to take the exam on a different day or time than what is indicated, adjust the date/time below accordingly. The DRS Testing Center staff will review your request to see if permission is indicated in the DRS Alternative Testing Agreement and they will contact you to reschedule if not.
  • Click the checkboxes for the accommodations you plan to use for your exam.
  • Read through the Terms and Conditions
  • Click ‘Add Exam Request’ to submit
  • Contact the DRS Testing center (drstest@uw.edu) if you see any conflicts with scheduling or need assistance

DRS Staff monitors the DRS Testing Center during all exams.

Assessments are administered at the DRS Testing Center associated with the class campus. If you have questions or any issues scheduling exams, contact:

  • UW Seattle: drstest@uw.edu or 206-221-9117.
  • UW Bothell: uwbdrs@uw.edu or 425-352-5426.
  • UW Tacoma: drsuwt@uw.edu or 253-692-4508.

Acknowledgements & Release Of Information

Information entered or uploaded to myDRS is available to Disability Resources for Students (DRS) staff. All information and documentation submitted to the DRS office is kept separate from an academic record and is considered private under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). All UW employees are covered under FERPA so DRS can share information with them without any prior approval from a student. DRS will only share information with UW employees, outside of DRS, if it pertains to implementing student’s accommodations. For more information on FERPA please visit the FERPA for Students website.

Students will need to submit a Release of Information (ROI) Consent Form if they would like their DRS Coordinator to discuss disability accommodations with a family member, healthcare provider, or other non-UW staff. FERPA is related to academic record, and an ROI is related to disability/accommodations. DRS cannot communicate with anyone outside of the UW via email, phone or in-person regarding your disability accommodations without an ROI on file. An ROI is not needed for anyone in a meeting where the student is present.

  • Log into myDRS
  • Select the Information Release Consents link in the column on the left side of the screen, in the box labeled MY DASHBOARD.
  • Click on the button ‘NEW INFORMATION RELEASE’ on the right side.
  • Click the Consent Type in the dropdown menu in the center of the screen. Select Acknowledgements and Release of Information. Then click the SELECT AND CONTINUE button
  • Complete the form on the next page, remembering to put in the name and contact information of the person you are giving consent to
  • Select ‘Confirm to Proceed’ under the statement, “I have read and understand the above statement regarding the information release consent.”
  • When you are finished, click the Submit Information Release Consent Form button.