Disability services slipping

Students at Northeastern University say disability accommodations are arriving too late, with some requests stretching across weeks or months. (huntnewsnu.com) The Huntington News reported on April 13 that students said emails to Disability Access Services representatives went unanswered for weeks and that some were left to keep pushing for housing, classroom and testing support on their own. Director Kyle Droz told the paper each specialist handles about 350 to 400 students across Northeastern’s degree programs and global campuses. (huntnewsnu.com) Northeastern’s own materials say students must submit an intake packet, including a disclosure form and documentation, before the office reviews eligibility and accommodations. The university says the process is individualized and grounded in the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. (northeastern.edu, northeastern.edu) The strain is not limited to Boston. At George Washington University, 3,052 undergraduate and graduate students were registered with Disability Support Services by the end of 2025, or about 12 percent of students, up from 1,657 students and 6 percent in fall 2019, according to University spokesperson Skyler Sales. (gwhatchet.com) The George Washington University’s office has been rebuilding after turnover. The GW Hatchet reported in November 2024 that the office grew from seven personnel in June to 14 personnel by November after officials filled three vacancies and added four graduate student employees. (gwhatchet.com) That staffing push followed a longer slide. The GW Hatchet reported in June 2023 that Disability Support Services had fallen from 11 staffers in the 2018-19 academic year to six in 2022-23, and former employees said low staffing and broader responsibilities left the office overburdened. (gwhatchet.com) Higher education experts told The GW Hatchet the increase in accommodation requests reflects national patterns, including more students arriving with documented supports, more diagnoses and less stigma around seeking help. Students also told the paper that faster communication after recent hiring made it easier to register with the office. (gwhatchet.com) Both universities publicly frame these offices as access points, not optional extras. Northeastern says Disability Access Services exists to provide equal access for students with documented disabilities, and George Washington University advertises weekly virtual drop-in hours for students who want to discuss accommodations before filing requests. (northeastern.edu, gwu.edu) The gap students describe is between that promise and the calendar. When approvals, replies or meetings take weeks in the middle of a semester, the missed exam, housing problem or inaccessible class session happens on schedule anyway. (huntnewsnu.com, gwhatchet.com)