Update on UC San Diego's Accessibility Efforts

UC San Diego continually strives to understand issues affecting individuals with disabilities and to improve the infrastructure that serves people with disabilities. In Winter 2021, UC San Diego initiated an external review of access and inclusion for students with disabilities. Due to the pandemic, the review, which was completed by the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), was conducted virtually. It should be noted that a review of Health Sciences, including the School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, was conducted separately.

The purpose of this page is to provide the community with an update on the work that has been conducted in the past three years, and to provide a roadmap for the future. We will be working with Associated Students (AS), Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), Staff Association, and Academic Senate to review and address the identified recommendations provided by AHEAD.

We acknowledge the recommendations made by AHEAD and value the opportunity to continuously improve access and inclusion for students, staff and faculty with disabilities at UC San Diego.

The following section details the current progress of campus accessibility using the AHEAD recommendations as a guide. Regular updates will be provided quarterly.

Please refer to the AHEAD Report (Word Document) for the detailed recommendations.

Spring 2024 Update

Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)

Purpose and Mission: The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) continues to partner with the Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives (OSI) to update its mission and vision statements, and to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to comment before its final adoption. During the Spring quarter, OSI facilitated focus groups with students, staff, and faculty to gather feedback on the draft statements. The OSD is reviewing the synthesized feedback and revising their mission and vision as appropriate. A special thank you to our students, staff, and faculty who provided their invaluable feedback!

OSD Staffing and Organizational Structure: The OSD is hiring for a Disability Specialist 3 to join the team and support our UCSD students. The job posting closed on May 24th and the OSD is in the process of reviewing candidate applications and scheduling interviews.

Programmatic Updates: The OSD participated in UC San Diego’s 2024 Triton Days, where OSD staff set-up a table to provide information about OSD services to engage prospective students and their families. The OSD also provided a 30-minute presentation about OSD services to students and their families.

The Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs’ inaugural student intern, dedicated to fostering community among graduate and professional school students with disabilities, facilitated a session with UC San Diego graduate students to share about disability services available to graduate and professional students that are available through the OSD and DCC.

Disability Counseling and Consulting (DCC)

DCC Staffing and Organizational Structure: The DCC and Human Resources are actively recruiting and hiring for the open position of Director, Disability Services.

Campus Accessibility: Facilities, Technology, Culture

Digital Accessibility: Updated federal guidelines for web content accessibility were published by the U.S. Department of Justice in April 2024. UC campuses are expected to be in full compliance by April 2026. The Website Standards Committee is reviewing the final report and preparing to make recommendations for a path forward.

Physical Accessibility: In the Spring quarter, Peterson Hall underwent upgrades, including the installation of automatic doors, to enhance accessibility within the building.

The University of California Systemwide Advisory Workgroup on Students with Disabilities: In Winter 2024, the report and recommendations from the University of California Systemwide Advisory Workgroup on Students with Disabilities was shared. The AHEAD Steering Committee continues to review the report and determine an approach for prioritizing recommendations in collaboration with campus constituents. Ongoing quarterly updates will be shared on this page.

This page is updated as of July 12, 2024

If you have any comments related to this report, they may be submitted on the comment form.