​Questions About DSP

I have been teaching at Berkeley for some time, and the number of students with disabilities in my classes seems to increase every semester. Are more students with disabilities attending Berkeley and receiving accommodations?

In 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended, broadening the definition of disability to include more persons with non-apparent disabilities (for example, chronic health conditions and psychological disabilities). In addition, IDEA, the law that governs K-12 services for students with disabilities, has provided greater opportunity for students with disabilities to excel academically, graduate high school, and successfully matriculate to higher education.

Universities nationwide are continuing to experience growth in the numbers of...

Where can I find data about the students DSP serves and the services that DSP provides?

DSP's Annual Report and Data Dashboard provides a high-level view of DSP's service units from the past five years. It includes a full academic year (Fall, Spring, and Summer) and demonstrates unique, non-duplicative counts illustrating the scale and scope of DSP's work.

Is there a way that we could arrange to have DSP visit our departmental meetings, GSI training seminars, or committee meetings?

Yes! Members of the DSP team are happy to visit with departments, courses, and committees to share information about our work, answer questions about academic access at UC Berkeley, and to pursue opportunities to collaborate to serve our shared students and work together toward a more accessible and inclusive campus. You can email your request for a visit and/or presentation from DSP to dsp@berkeley.edu, and your request will be directed to an appropriate team member to follow up with you.

I would like the GSI for my course to review student Letters of Accommodation and to let me know which students have approved accommodations. Can the GSI have access to AIM?

The instructor of record for a course can authorize proxy access for GSIs in AIM.

When logged into the AIM Faculty Portal, you will find on the furthest right-hand corner of the page an “Add Instructor” link. Clicking this button will allow you to request to add a GSI to those with instructor access to your course.

After you submit a request to have a GSI added as a proxy for your course, the person you selected will receive an email that will require them to CalNet authenticate in order for your request to be processed. You can...

What should I do to access student information in AIM?

An illustrated guide for accessing student information in AIM is available that includes directions for creating a list of students with accommodations in your course and for downloading Letters of Accommodation.

What is AIM?

AIM stands for Accessible Information Management, and it is the platform that DSP utilizes to store student records and to facilitate the provision of accommodations. While AIM is integrated with the campus’s SIS and CalCentral systems, the platform both allows for student medical information to be retained separately from student academic records, and it also allows for facilitating the accommodation process. Every semester, students need to request their Letters of Accommodation and approved services via AIM, and instructors need to review students’ Letters of Accommodation and submit...

I have a timely question. What is the quickest way to connect with DSP staff?

Begin by consulting the student’s Letter of Accommodation (LOA).

DSP is comprised of multiple units, each with its own Supervisor and staff. If you have a question about a specific accommodation, you may find that the LOA provides an email address to directly contact the unit that processes that accommodation. In addition, each LOA concludes with the name and email of the student’s assigned Disability Specialist, who may also be of assistance.

If you have questions or concerns about the logistics of implementing students' proctoring,...