Our mission
By fostering community connections and offering vital resources, together we can cultivate empowerment and belonging for all.
Our aim is more than mere inclusion; it’s about creating a culture that elevates diverse experiences and perspectives. We center the social model of disability and adhere to the principles of disability justice, disability culture, disability allyship, and disability gain. We consider disability, neurodivergence, and chronic health and mental health concerns as valuable facets of diversity.
Our objectives
To address the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in higher education, their lower likelihood of degree completion, and the broader challenges they face—including economic hardship and poor health outcomes—we aim to enrich our workplace through:
- Inclusive Design: Advocate for the adoption of inclusive design principles across the UW campus.
- Diverse Representation: Ensure that disabled-identifying staff and faculty, including those with complex intersectional identities, feel supported and celebrated.
- Community Building: Foster a robust, welcoming community through role models and varied support mechanisms.
Committees
There are many ways to get involved including event planning or hosting, communications/marketing, employee outreach, employee support and more. If you have a specific skill you want to share or develop, please let us know at dsfa@uw.edu. Committee members serve two-quarter terms.
Employee Support Committee – We are working on building community. Online, in Zoom, and at events, we gather to share experiences, resources, and comradery. We help each other navigate getting leave or accommodations, and with life or office hacks. If you can be a supportive ear and/or help with ideas and solutions, please let us know.
Change Makers Committee – We are dedicated to making the UW a more inclusive place for those with disabilities to work. We are currently looking at priorities and opportunities to influence UW culture and policy. We need people to help brainstorm challenges and solutions and then advocate for change. We meet monthly.
Events Committee – We plan both large all-UW events (such as the moving screening of Ride Ahead) and small events both in-person and virtually. We are also creating an event accessibility guide. We are looking for members to help plan events. We meet monthly.
Communications Committee – This year, we plan to send a quarterly newsletter, post regular messages on Teams, and send welcome emails to new members. We also create materials for events and other committees. New and experienced communications/marketing professionals are welcome to join. We meet monthly.
Administration Committee – Each committee can use a person to help take notes, schedule meetings, and other administrative tasks. The administration committee gets administrators from the other committees together to streamline, communicate, and share best practices. If you are interested in helping this way, please let us know.