Disability Outreach Center

Image description: Disability Outreach Center Community Lounge. The walls are white with a trans pride flag on the far right wall. The flooring is blue carpet. There is a front desk on the lefthand side with a computer, informational papers, Know Your Rights cards in a basket, hand sanitizer, masks, earplugs, and a box of stim toys on it as well as a chair behind the desk. Behind the desk is a TV monitor on the left wall. There are two couches in the back left corner, one black against the far-left wall and one orange against the left of the back wall. There is a door that leads outside at the back wall. In the right corner of the room, there are 2 tables with computers and a large air purifier on them and a chair behind a computer. Against the right wall are cubbies, a bookcase with books, a stack of chairs, and a table with snacks. There is a large blue bean bag near the left back corner of the room. In the center left of the room, there is a circular table with three chairs. The table has signs and a tissue box on it.

The Disability Outreach Center including the Community Lounge in Wilson Library 165 is open Mondays - Fridays 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM during the academic year. 

The DOC is closed on weekends, holidays, and university closures. Hours may vary during the summer and intersessions.

The DOC is on the ground floor of  Wilson Library. Wilson Library is an ADA accessible building. The accessible entrance to the DOC is through the external door west of the skybridge that connects Wilson Library and Haggard Hall. There is signage for the Disability Access Center, the Disability Outreach Center, and lecture hall WL 164. 

Please refer to the Campus Map for information about the nearest accessible doors, elevators, walkways, routes, and parking spots.

This building has an accessible and all-gender restroom around the corner from the DOC in WL 165A. Additional all-gender bathrooms are in WL 182 (ADA accessible), WL 668, and WL 669. 

The accessible all-gender restroom in WL 165A has free menstrual products.

Wilson Library has a changing room on the 1st Floor in WL-182C (Women's restroom) and a lactation room on the 3rd Floor in WL-367B (women's restroom). 

Black Couch

• Standard height (16 inches tall) couch with lumbar support and 42 inches of seating space between arm rests and an official weight capacity of 500 lbs.

Orange Couch

• Standard height (17 inches tall) couch with minimum lumbar support and 50 inches of seating space between arm rests. Official weight capacity is unknown, but can support at least 300 lbs.

Blue Armless Chairs

• Standard height armless chairs with lumbar support and a 250 lbs. official weight capacity.

Black Desk Chair

• Standard height rolling desk chair with lumbar support, arm rests and a 300 lbs. official weight capacity. Arm rests are height and width adjustable. The width between arm rests can be adjusted between 18 to 20.5 inches.

Blue Desk Chair

• Standard height rolling desk chair with minimal lumbar support, a 300 lbs. official weight capacity and fixed arm rests 20.5 inches apart.

Masks are strongly encouraged at the Disability Outreach Center. Help protect our community by wearing a mask. KN95 masks are available at the door and upon request.

The DOC has an air purifier that has four-stage hospital-type filtration with a true HEPA filter.

Please refrain from wearing scented products such as perfume, cologne, and fragrant personal care products while using this space, as they can trigger serious health issues for those with fragrance allergies and/or chemical sensitivities. We appreciate your cooperation in making this area accessible! For more information, visit the Accessible Spaces: A Fragrance-Free Toolkit.

The DOC Community Lounge has free snacks for students! Come check out our snacks to eat in the lounge and grab it to go.

We aim to have allergen friendly options as well as options that meet a variety of dietary restrictions and observations. If you have a recommendation for snacks, let a DOC Office Coordinator know!

Our library collection of Disability Studies books is currently under development! Check back soon for information about our upcoming plans for book checkouts.

The Community Building Team focuses on building community between disabled students at Western. The team also builds intergenerational community between students, staff, and faculty.

The Education and Advocacy Team focuses on creating programming and digital materials that educate Western students about disability and access, inclusion, and equity for diverse people with disabilities. The Education and Advocacy Team also provides education for students, faculty, and staff about access, inclusion, and equity for disabled students. 

The Disabled Peer Mentorship Program through the Disability Outreach Center (DOC) provides first year, transfer, and recently self-identified or newly disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, Blind and low vision, d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing students with individual mentorship from upper-level peers to increase community building, retention, academic excellence and inclusive success, and wellbeing of mentees and develop mentors as leaders. Mentors help mentees transition to college life while providing academic, social, and personal connections in a caring and supportive environment. Mentors offer guidance and encouragement and answer questions about WWU student life and resources.  
 
Through the Disabled Peer Mentorship Program, we aim to address retention rate, academic success and graduation rate, and community wellbeing through addressing the identified gaps of peer mentors, friends and community, self-advocacy skills, and connection to services and resources on campus by providing direct peer mentorship, hosting opportunities for making friends and finding community, hosting and facilitating events and activities for students, offering student leadership and professional development opportunities including self-advocacy skills, and connecting students with the Disability Access Center, Disability Outreach Center, and Centers for Student Access, Community, and Intercultural Engagement as well as campus and community partners. 
 
The Disabled Peer Mentorship Program is funded through a WWU's Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund (SEJF) grant.

Disability Access Center (DAC) - Wilson Library 170

Western students can apply for DAC services at their Student Services Application page. The application process is brief and DAC staff are eager to support you!

Disability Access Center (DAC) - Wilson Library 170

Through services, programming, and advocacy centering disabled Western students, the DAC advances holistic student development and inclusive achievement. Focusing on disability outreach services, DAC helps ensure institutional legal compliance and fosters a justice-oriented campus community that centers disability-positive identity formation. DAC increases access, equity, and inclusion for disabled Western students through collaborative transformation of structures, policies, and practices.

Western students can work with the DAC obtain accommodations. If you are unsure if you would qualify for DAC services, reach out to ask and they will do their best to help you. If you would like to talk with a peer about getting accommodations or to join you for a meeting with a DAC access manager, reach out to a DOC staff member.

Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance - Old Main 126

The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (CRTC) is responsible for ensuring that Western complies with federal and state civil rights laws, including the ADA and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you have a concern about your civil rights, contact CRTC. The Director of CRTC is also Western's ADA Coordinator.

Structural Equity and Bias Response Team (SEBRT)

Western's Bias Response Team supports students, staff, and faculty who experience bias incidents. You can Report a Bias Incident on their website. Reports may be made anonymously.

Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic - Academic Instruction Center 394

The department of communication sciences and disorders offers a variety of clinics and services for different types of communications disorders; they also have a hearing aid bank available for people with financial need. There are treatment options available for people of all ages. They are funded based on donations; donating is not required to receive services. The clinic accepts referrals from “physicians, educators, other speech-language-hearing professionals, allied health service providers, and directly from clients, as well.”

Counseling and Wellness Center - Old Main 540

The Counseling and Wellness Center offers a variety of services including short term individual counseling, couples counseling, group counseling, workshops, and crisis services. Their groups include Divergent Minds, Build Your Social Confidence, Anxiety Group, and Depression Group. If you have paid the health service fee, you are eligible to receive services.

Academic Technology and User Services (ATUS) - Haggard Hall 123

ATUS has services to facilitate Digital Accessibility at Western for members of the community. These services include accessible web design training, laptop loans, speech to text software, screen reader software. They can also help you set up accessibility features on your computer or mobile device.

Ershig Assistive Technology Resource Center (E-ATRC) - Miller Hall 250

The E-ATRC is a resource center that lends out various assistive technology tools. Their goal is to “increase awareness and use of assistive technologies in order to improve participation in life and increase access to learning for a wide range of individuals with diverse needs.

Student Health Center - Campus Services 2nd floor

The student health center offers basic medical care services, including same day appointments for urgent visits. Their services include primary care, reproductive health, and psychiatric health services. They also can refer you to medical specialists in the greater Whatcom area. Any student who has paid the health and wellness fee is eligible for services.

Veteran Services -  Viking Commons 525

Veteran Services offers up-to-date services and resources to support veterans, reservists, and their dependents who are using their GI Bill educational benefit. They have step by step guides, links to forms, and various other resources.  If you have questions about your benefits, reach out to Veteran Services.

Western Hub of Living Essentials (WHOLE) - Viking Union 435

The goal of WHOLE is to provide students experiencing food insecurity with living essentials including non-perishable food and personal care products.

Disability Studies and Action Collaborative (DSAC)

The purpose of this collaborative is to create more disability studies experiences along the West Coast. This includes beginning the process of creating a disability studies minor and institute at Western Washington University, as well as hosting open collaborative events like the UnConference.

Accessible Parking Spaces on Campus

This website will direct you toward information about accessible parking spaces on campus, as well as how to obtain an accessible parking pass.

For comments or concerns related to physical or digital barriers and accessibility please fill out the Western Accessibility Barrier Form.

Campus Map

Classroom Details

Explore the Buildings

Find a Space @ Western Libraries

Viking Union spaces

Reflection and Meditations Spaces

Accessible parking spots on campus

• Critical Disability Studies minor
• ICDS Student Advisory Council
• Disability Studies and Action Collaborative Support and Discussion Groups

• Adaptive Sports Club
• Disabled Theatre Coalition
• Disability and Neurodivergence Club