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, First Time

Once you have registered for classes through myUW, please allow 2 business days for your class schedule to appear on your myDRS profile.
After logging into myDRS, from the DRS website, with your UW credentials…

  • 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 services for
    • Don’t see all your classes yet? Courses may take up to 2 days to appear in myDRS
  • 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”.
    • Some accommodations require DRS and faculty consultation and/or additional forms
  • Click the “Submit your Requests” button.
  • Once you activate accommodations, Faculty Notification Letters (FNLs) will be sent out to all associated professors. For classes in progress, they will be sent within 1 day. For future quarters, they will be sent 1 week prior to the start of the quarter
  • Contact your professor(s) to discuss how your accommodations will be implemented in each class.
  • 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.

Activate Accommodations in myDRS, Quarterly

Once you have registered for classes through myUW, please allow 2 business days for your class schedule to appear on your myDRS profile.
After logging into myDRS, from the DRS website, with your UW credentials…

  • 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 services for
    • Don’t see all your classes yet? Courses may take up to 2 days to appear in myDRS
  • 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”.
    • Some accommodations require DRS and faculty consultation and/or additional forms
  • Click the “Submit your Requests” button.
  • Once you activate accommodations, Faculty Notification Letters (FNLs) will be sent out to all associated professors. For classes in progress, they will be sent within 1 day. For future quarters, they will be sent 1 week prior to the start of the quarter
  • Contact your professor(s) to discuss how your accommodations will be implemented in each class.
  • 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.

Requesting New or Revised Accommodations in myDRS

After logging into myDRS, from the DRS website, with your UW credentials…

  • Click on ‘Submit Additional Documentation for Review’ on right side under black box labeled ‘ACCOMMODATIONS’
    • Note- not all new requests will require additional documentation. This button is used for ALL requests for revised or new accommodations, regardless of documentation. If you
      need to submit new documentation, your Access Coordinator will let you know.
  • Click ‘START NEW APPLICATION’.
  • Select the ‘Start Term’ you’d like these revised or new accommodations to start in.
  • Answer the questions to help your Access Coordinator better understand what your updated needs are.
  • Submit your request there.
  • OPTIONAL: If you have new documentation to provide that speaks to your needs, you can upload it on the next screen.
  • Your Access Coordinator 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.

  1. Talk to your Instructor about how testing accommodations will be implemented.
    • The DRS Alternative Testing Agreement must be completed by your instructor before you are able to schedule. Your instructor is given a link to complete the agreement in the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL)
  2. After your instructor has submitted the DRS Alternative Testing Agreement, submit your exam scheduling request.
    • Log into myDRS
    • Click on Alternative Testing under the ACCOMMODATIONS box on the right 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
  3. 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: You should schedule all your exams at once.

DRS Staff monitors the DRS Testing Center during all exams.  

If you have any issues scheduling exams or have questions, reach out to the UW Seattle DRS Testing Center at drstest@uw.edu or 206-221-9117. Review DRS Testing information at our website.

 

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.

After logging into myDRS, from the DRS website, with your UW credentials…

    • 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.

    Navigating Your myDRS Account

    My Dashboard

    You may be prompted to complete required forms when you first use your dashboard. Before you will be able to access other areas of myDRS, you will need to read these forms carefully and scroll down to the bottom of the page and type your name in the electronic signature box. In the My Dashboard tab you will be able to print copies of your faculty notification letter, see all of the accommodations you requested for the current quarter by class. You will also be able to see day and time the faculty notification letter was sent. Your DRS Coordinator’s information is located below the left table of contents menu should you need to reach them for any reason.

    My Profile

    This is where your personal information (school ID number, birthdate, address, phone number and UW email) is located. Remember that, if you update your information in this section of myDRS it also needs to be updated in myUW)

    SMS (Text Messaging)

    myDRS can send you automatic text message reminders about

    • Upcoming appointments
    • Upcoming approved scheduled exams
    • Notes that have been uploaded by a note taker
    • Accessible instructional materials that are ready to be downloaded

    You have to opt into this service since normal text messaging rates apply based on your current phone plan. Enter in your phone number and phone provider.

    Equipment Checked Out

    View the status of any equipment such as smart pens, FM systems, or furniture, you have checked out from DRS. If an item is overdue please contact a DRS staff member to renew.

    My Mailbox (Sent E-Mails)

    In the My Mailbox tab you will be able to access email communication from DRS regarding accommodations. Copies of communication from DRS include your Student Eligibility Letter and your Faculty Notification Letters.

    Information Release Consents

    This is where you will find any Information Release Consent forms that you have created and signed.

    My Eligibility

    This is where you will see a list of your accommodations approved by your DRS Coordinator.

    List Accommodations

    You can search here for the accommodations that you have activated for a given quarter. You can also refine the search result to look for those accommodations that have been activated and then canceled.

    Alternative Testing

    If you have been approved for alternative testing or testing accommodations, you will find the Alternative Testing Agreement form here. This is also where you schedule exams.

    Accessible Instructional Materials

    If you have been approved for accessible instructional materials, you can see the status of the texts that are being converted. You can also request an additional book or reading materials to be converted.

    Checking on List/Status of Texts

    • Log in to your myDRS profile.
    • On the left hand bar in the “My Accommodations” Menu, click on ‘Accessible Instructional Materials.’
    • The list of texts are available in a table format. Next to each text is the end product preference, indication if a receipt has been turned in and the status of the text.

    Submit Additional Text to Convert Request

    • Log in to your myDRS profile.
    • On the left hand bar in the “My Accommodations” Menu, click on ‘Accessible Instructional Materials.’
    • Scroll down below the list of texts. There is a multi-field form that asks you to indicate what class the text is for, the title, author, ISBN, publisher and other fields. Complete the form with as much information as possible.
    • Submit the additional text.
    • Upon submission, the text will show in the list of needed materials. It will have a “custom – not listed” status next to it. This status indicates that you, the student, entered in the book information as opposed to DRS entering the text information.

    Notetaking Services

    If you have requested Notetaking services for at least one of your classes, this page will allow you to View uploaded course notes through your myDRS profile. Please download notes you wish to keep for your use. Notes are hosted for one quarter post the end of the course.

    To Confirm Your Notetaking Request

    Two days after classes have been in session, you must confirm or cancel your request for notetaking. You can do this two ways:

    • Respond to the “Notetaking Reminder – First Notice” email
      • Click on “Yes, I still need a notetaker for my course” if this applies.
      • Click the corresponding reason in the “No” box.
    • In your myDRS profile:
      • Click on the “Notetaking Services” menu on the left.
      • Click on “Confirm now” next to the request you wish to confirm.

    To Download Your Notes

    • Click on the “Notetaking Services” menu on the left of your myDRS account.
    • Click on “Available Note(s) for Download”
    • Click on “Download Note” next to the note you wish to download

    Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    When approved, this page includes a list of all courses for the current quarter and shows the interpreter or real-time captioner that is assigned to the course. There is also a link to the form one would use to submit any additional custom request for an interpreter or captioner.

    My Signed Forms

    A list of all forms signed previously is included here. Any form can be viewed by clicking on the ‘View’ link.

    Trouble Shooting

    Logging In

    • Be sure to use your UW NetID credentials.
    • Some browsers work better with myDRS. Firefox is the recommended browser.
    • If your account is locked, please contact DRS.

    Difficulty Uploading Documentation

    • Ensure that documentation is under 3MB. Contact DRS if you have a file that is bigger than 3 MB.

    Glossary

    Access Planning Meeting

    The Access Planning Meeting is for the purpose of you to be able to discuss with a DRS Coordinator appropriate accommodations/services that can be implemented to create equal access for you in the areas where there are or may be anticipated barriers.

    Accommodations

    Accommodations are academic adjustment or services designed to give students with disabilities the same opportunity to succeed or fail and those without a disability.

    Student Eligibility Letter

    The Student Eligibility Letter is an email from your DRS Coordinator notifying you of your approved accommodations. This Student Eligibility Letter (SEL) will also confirm the next steps that you should take to request accommodations for your classes. If your accommodations ever change, you will receive an updated SEL.

    Faculty Notification Letter

    The Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) is an email requested by the student through myDRS, for each class. It notifies each faculty member which accommodations you have selected for their specific course.

    Still have questions? Please call the office at 206-543-8924 or email uwdrs@uw.edu.