UC Berkeley has established the Creekside Center as a centralized location for its Disabled Students’ Program (DSP). The facility is situated in a rehabilitated building that originally served as Dwinelle Annex, designed by campus architect John Galen Howard in 1920. Over the years, the DSP has expanded from its humble beginnings behind Top Dog on Durant Avenue, growing to support more than 5,500 students from its initial launch in 1970.
Carmen Varela, the executive director of DSP, stated, “Now, for the most part, we will all be in one place. The majority of services will be centralized and will reduce the need for students to navigate across campus. We’ll be similar to a one-stop shop.”
The center features offices for 15 disability specialists, meeting spaces for students, a conference room, and a communications team suite. Proctored exams will continue in the Martin Luther King Jr. Building, and the Disability Cultural Community Center remains at the Hearst Field Annex.
The Creekside Center renovation, led by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, emphasizes sustainable design, historic preservation, and universal accessibility within its 8,800 square feet. “The source of funding really speaks to how much our students care about the collective student body,” said Martha Velasquez, DSP associate director, referring to funding from the Berkeley Life Safety Fee. The total project budget was approximately $16 million.
Ryan Manriquez, a DSP graduate student, described the space as “welcoming and accessible and can be experienced by disabled and non-disabled students alike.” Since 2006, the number of DSP students has grown from 500 to 5,500, with 41 staff members now supporting the program.
The Creekside Center aligns with a broader commitment to inclusivity and accommodations, reflecting changes like those in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the growing emphasis on post-secondary readiness for students with disabilities nationwide.
