Director of Accessibility Resources

Director of Accessibility Resources

 

Position Title: Director of Accessibility Resources

# of Positions to Fill: 1

Department/Program: Student ADA Support 51500

Remote Work Authorization: Hybrid On-Site/Remote

Campus Location: Arapahoe Campus

Reports to: Senior Director of Well-Being & Resilience

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt/Hourly

FTE: 100% (40 hrs/week)

Type of Employment Regular/FT (30+ hrs/week)

DEI Tier: Tier I

Compensation: $68,700 – $79,000 depending on experience

 

Job Summary

 

The Director of Accessibility Resources is a department leader and champion for creating a fully inclusive learning environment that complies with and oversees all local and state ordinances, as well as ADA, FERPA, and HIPAA. This leadership role oversees all aspects of accessibility services, from developing effective programs to advocating for students and ensuring adherence to local, state, and federal disability laws as a compliance officer for the institution related to this area.

 

The Director spearheads compliance efforts by interpreting ADA law, proactively addressing accessibility concerns, and making recommendations to campus leadership and appropriate campus stakeholders. They also ensure equal access for students with disabilities through oversight of quality service delivery and serve as a strategic leader, guiding accessibility programs and training initiatives. By fostering collaboration across the university, the Director empowers staff and faculty to understand and implement reasonable accommodations, ultimately promoting student success within an inclusive environment.

 

Job Duties

 

Administrative (50%)

 

• Design and implement strategies such as faculty/staff training and resource curation to support students in determining accommodations for ADA compliance.

 

• Collaborate with stakeholders (academic deans, IT, academic affairs leadership and student success staff) to ensure university-wide compliance of accommodations for residential, online, and low-residency programs.

 

• Develop and manage OAR (Office of Accessibility Resources) operations, including development and updating of policies, procedures, and hiring, training, and supervision of staff (full-time and/or paraprofessional). Establish and maintain department budget and serve as point person for contracts and current or prospective vendors.

 

• Provide expert consultation to university leadership, faculty, staff, and students on university policies related to applicable laws such as ADA section 508 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, HIPAA waivers, FERPA, Title II/Title III and serve as a compliance officer for the institution related to these areas.

 

• Promote and provide advocacy for student needs as it relates to accessibility, barriers, and equity.

 

• Strategically plan and deliver OAR services, including student accommodations, faculty training, and education programs. Assess student satisfaction and data to ensure compliance by faculty and staff of approved accommodations.

 

• Develop and implement marketing and communication strategies to ensure access to OAR information for current university community as well as external community members and prospective Naropa community members.

 

• Other duties as assigned.

 

Direct Student Support (30%)

 

• Manage student accommodations database: Review applications, determine eligibility and reasonableness of accommodations, develop individualized accommodation plans, and maintain confidentiality (Family Education Rights and Privacy – FERPA/HIPAA). Use database to communicate accommodations to students and faculty/staff.

 

• Promote Systemic Accessibility and Student Success: Champion a proactive approach to ADA compliance. This includes conducting accessibility audits, developing a university-wide accessibility plan, and integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into curriculum and instruction. Collaborate with stakeholders like IT, faculty, and student success teams to identify and remove barriers across physical spaces, online platforms, and student services. Train faculty, staff, and students on using OAR services and resources.

 

• Support university accessibility: Analyze data, generate reports, and advise on preventing barriers in on-campus, off-campus, and online programs.

 

• Facilitate communication and problem-solving: Engage in customer service, mediate complaints between students, faculty, and staff, and ensure clear communication.

 

Direct Faculty and Staff Support (20%)

 

• Advise faculty and departments on appropriate and recommended reasonable academic accommodations as outlined by the ADA & Rehabilitation Act Sec. 504/508 and relevant federal and state disability laws.

 

• Champion University-wide ADA compliance by serving as a trusted advisor and advocate for university leadership and staff on all aspects of ADA compliance, including providing expert consultation on policy and procedures (e.g., ADA, Section 508, FERPA, HIPAA), conducting accessibility audits with other campus partners of infrastructure and facilities, proposing solutions and advocating for proactive, and fostering a culture of awareness through training programs for faculty, staff, and student leaders.

 

• Coach faculty on how to implement accommodations that are more unique or complex. Communicate with faculty and Academic Affairs to ensure timely receipt of early syllabi for students with accommodations requiring advance preparation, including auxiliary aids, interpreters, and text conversion.

 

What Naropa Requires…

 

• Seven years of experience working with students with disabilities within an educational environment postsecondary level facilitating student self-advocacy and providing academic accommodations.

 

• Highly effective verbal and written communication with diverse populations, including students with a wide range of learning styles, academic faculty, senior and executive level university administrators, and entry level professionals

 

• Budget planning and management experience.

 

• Functional knowledge of assistive technologies.

 

• Experience reviewing and interpreting medical, psychiatric and psychological documentation, and providing appropriate accommodations.

 

• Experience collaborating with students to develop and implement individualized accommodations based on their specific needs.

 

• Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with faculty and support staff to promote an inclusive and accessible educational community.

 

• Ability to work with minimal supervision and possess a high degree of personal accountability.

 

• Familiarity with neuropsychological/psycho-educational instruments; demonstrated expertise in the interpretation of results to identify and implement appropriate accommodations.

 

• An understanding of the dynamics of privilege and oppression, and the impact these have on equity, access, and opportunity in the workplace/higher education.

 

• Commitment to co-create an inclusive community and actively participate in related professional development including openness to feedback and on-going self-examination.

 

Educational requirements:

 

• Master of Arts in Special Education, Psychology, Counseling or related field or an equivalent combination of a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience.

 

• Thorough understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, relevant disability case law and the applications of the aforementioned to postsecondary education.

 

May prior relevant experience substitute for degree? (If yes, please explain.) ☐Yes ☒No

 

If “Yes”, describe experience and educational equivalents in the space below:

 

Physical Fitness for Duty exam required? ☐Yes ☒No

 

Credit check required (for finance, accounting, and executive-level roles only)? ☐Yes ☒No

 

What We’d Like You to Have…

 

• Familiarity with high functioning autism spectrum disorders and knowledge of effective strategies and accommodations for this population in higher education.

 

• Ability to educate faculty in the creation of inclusive instructional settings.

 

• Conversant with recent rulings/settlements regarding direct threat, emotional support animals, use of emergent technologies, and instructional accessibility and their implications for university practice.

 

• Practical knowledge of the principles of accessible electronic communications and accessible document production.

 

Physical Requirements & Environmental Conditions

 

Maximum amount of weight employee must be able to lift/carry with or without reasonable accommodation(s):

 

• 50 lbs

 

During regular daily activities, employee must be able to do the following with or without reasonable accommodation (check all that apply):

 

☒ Stand

☒ Walk

☒ Sit

☐ Run

☐ Handle/Finger

☒ Bend at the waist

☐ Reach above shoulder level

☐ Kneel

☐ Crouch

☐ Crawl

 

During regular daily activities, employee may be exposed to the following:

 

☒ Interruptions/Distractions

☐ Heat/Cold

☐ Dust

☐ Dampness

☐ Heights

☐ Moving machinery parts

☐ Other (please list):

 

Supervision Received

 

Choose only one option from the list below to indicate the level of supervision the employee receives in this role by checking the most appropriate description.

 

☐ Direct Supervision: The supervisor gives specific instructions on all assignments. Work is reviewed for completeness and accuracy, or the employee performs tasks which provide inherent checks built into the nature of the work.

 

☐ General Supervision: The supervisor provides continuing or individual assignments by indicating generally what is to be done, limitations, quality and quantity expected, deadlines and priorities. Additionally, specific instructions are given for new, difficult, or unusual assignments. The employee uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments. The supervisor ensures that the work is technically accurate and in compliance with instructions or established procedures.

 

☐ Intermittent Supervision: The supervisor makes assignments by defining objectives, priorities and deadlines, and assists the employee with unusual situations that do not have clear objectives. The employee plans and carries out successive steps and resolves problems and deviations in accordance with instructions, policies, and accepted practices. The supervisor reviews the work for technical adequacy and conformance with practice and policy.

 

☒ Administrative Supervision: The supervisor sets the overall objectives and resources available. Supervisor and employee, in consultation, develop deadlines, projects, and work to be done. The employee plans and carries out the assignment, resolves most of the conflicts, coordinates work with others and interprets policy on own initiative. The employee keeps the supervisor informed of progress, potentially controversial matters, or far-reaching implications.

 

☐ General Direction: Assignments are made in terms of broad practice, precedents, policies, and goals. Work may be reviewed for fulfillment of program objectives and conformance with departmental policy and practice.

 

☐ Long-Range Administrative Direction: The employee generally proceeds independently in accordance with general plans, policies and purposes of the department. Results of work are considered technically authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change.

 

Supervision Exercised

 

List position titles of employees this role supervises (add additional rows as needed).

 

Position Title Number of Employees

 

• Accessibility Specialist (FT) 1

 

• Note Taker (Student Employment) 3

 

Naropa University Employee Benefits

 

Naropa’s health and welfare benefits include the following: medical, dental, vision, FSA, employer-paid short-term and long-term disability, employer-paid life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, 403(b) pre-tax retirement savings plan with employer match, an IRA retirement savings option, and a variety of voluntary, employee-paid supplemental insurance plans that you can tailor to your specific needs.

 

A comprehensive benefits package is available to full-time employees who work a minimum of 30 hours each week.

 

Employees who work 20 – 29 hours each week are eligible only for the employer-paid short-term & long-term disability, employer-paid life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.

 

Employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week are eligible to participate in Naropa’s 403(b) retirement plan only.

 

All employees at Naropa University accrue sick leave benefits per the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act of 2021, irrespective of job title or full-time equivalency. Accrual rates vary based on the position, hours worked, and prior years of service (see Naropa University Employee Handbook for further details).

 

EOE & Title IX

 

Our commitment to diversity aligns with our highest aspirations to apply contemplative inquiry and education to explore and embody the human qualities that facilitate collaboration to create a common humanity and a just society. Individuals who have experience with and commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in workplace communities are encouraged to apply. Naropa University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual and relationship violence in post-secondary educational settings. This law applies to all students, faculty, staff, and independent contractors associated with Naropa University.

 

To apply, visit: https://apptrkr.com/5607318