The Disabled Students Program (DSP) is responsible for coordinating academic services for students with disabilities. This includes determining which services a student is eligible for, instructing students on how to activate and utilize their services, communicating accommodation guidelines to faculty, and working with campus partners to coordinate exam accommodations, accessible furniture, etc.
Note: Only currently admitted students with a UCSBnetID may apply for services. Documentation for newly admitted students will be reviewed starting in late June, with the exception of students taking summer courses.
How to Apply to DSP
- Create an online profile through the DSP Services Portal.
- Submit your documentation. We welcome documentation by mail, fax, email, in person, or uploaded directly to the Portal.
- A Disability Specialist will review your documentation. It can take up to 5 business days for paperwork to be processed and reviewed depending on the time of the quarter.
- If you are confirmed eligible, your Specialist will reach out via email to initiate the interactive process. This is the final step before you can begin utilizing your services.
The following list shows the variety of disabilities for which we commonly provide services. However, this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you are unsure if your condition/diagnosis would qualify, please follow the application steps and submit your documentation through the DSP Services Portal. A Disability Specialist in our office can only confirm whether a student is eligible once they have reviewed the student's documentation.
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Step 1:
Log into the DSP Services Portal using your UCSB NetID and password.
Step 2:
Click on the blue Application tab at the top of the screen.
Step 3:
Provide the requested information and click "Sumit Application Now" at the bottom of the screen.
Clarifications:
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Disability(ies): Please select one or more disabilities you have from this list. You may choose one or more, but you will be required to provide supporting documentation for each disability you list if you are to receive appropriate services from our office for that disability.
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Primary Disability: Please choose what you feel is the disability that most greatly affects your day-to-day life from this menu. Your choices will be limited to the disabilities you’ve disclosed in the previous step.
Please visit our Documentation Guidelines page for:
- in-depth information on documentation requirements
- downloadable forms that can be taken to your provider to be filled out
- campus resources that are available to assist students in establishing eligibility for DSP services
Feel free to upload any documentation you may already have for consideration (e.g., IEP, 504 plan, junior college or other UC accommodation plans, Veteran Disability Rating, standardized testing, visit summary, etc.).
Submit documentation to DSP by uploading your forms to your DSP portal profile (step-by-step instructions can be found using the link above), sending them via fax to 805.893.7127, or dropping them off at our office at Student Resources Building 2120. If you have questions, please contact us at 805.893.2668 or email us at dsphelp@sa.ucsb.edu.
A temporary impairment does not constitute a disability for purposes of Section 504 unless its severity is such that it results in a substantial limitation of one or more major life activities for an extended period of time. The issue of whether a temporary impairment is substantial enough to be a disability must be resolved on a case-by-case basis, considering both the impairment's duration (or expected duration) and the extent to which it limits a major life activity of the affected individual. In the Amendments Act, Congress clarified that an individual is not “regarded as” an individual with a disability if the impairment is both transitory and minor. A transitory impairment is an impairment with an actual or expected duration of 6 months or less.
FAQs About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
Temporary disability examples:
- Extended duration & substantial severity resulting from:
- Prolonged but not permanent medical conditions
- Conditions secondary to pregnancy
- Surgical complications
- Atypical concussions or persistent post-concussive symptoms
- Other conditions
Documentation
We offer the form attached below for students to take to their provider to be filled out and returned to us.
If you are not using our form, your documentation must still come from the treating physician (written on the physician’s stationary) and include a specific diagnosis, the expected duration, and the limitations imposed by the condition described.
Information pertaining to the student's condition will be reviewed by a specialist, and students will be contacted regarding DSP status. Please note that in some circumstances, follow-up documentation will be required before we can evaluate a student's need for services from our office.
Download Temp Documentation Form 
Injuries and Illnesses
Some conditions may not qualify for temporary disability status, including testing COVID-positive, illnesses (MONO, flu, etc.), and some injuries (sprains, simple concussions, etc.) because they may not meet the criteria for duration and severity. In these cases, and while the DSP application and documentation is being reviewed, DSP suggests:
Send the following email to each of your faculty:
Dear Prof X,
I am a student registered in your x course and am experiencing impacts from an illness, injury, etc. I have attached a note from my doctor that confirms my short-term impacts. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with notes, extra time on exams, etc. while I recover from my injury. If my condition qualifies as a disability, I will also follow up with a request for formal accommodations through DSP.
Kindly,
Student name (perm#)
If your faculty does not respond to your request, please email the Student-Parent Liaison for assistance: sa-studentparentliaison@ucsb.edu or call 805.893.4521