Access and Disability Accommodations Specialist

University of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

On-site

USD 59,000 - 75,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending

Tuition benefits

Retirement plans

Time away from work

Wellness resources

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania is seeking an Access and Disability Accommodations Specialist to ensure compliance with EEO/Nondiscrimination policies and disability laws. You will respond to accommodation requests from staff, students, faculty, and campus visitors, and help develop accessibility training and policy.

The role collaborates with CCR, Weingarten Center, Deans' Offices, HR, and campus partners to promote accessibility and equal access to programs and services.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree with 2-3 years of relevant experience or equivalent.
Experience in disability services, HR, equal employment opportunity, employee relations, accommodations management, or related field.

Responsibilities

Build partnerships with staff and campus visitors to provide individualized support and guidance on accommodations.
Facilitate interactive process for accommodation requests and coordinate with supervisors and campus leadership.
Develop and deliver training on accessibility and disability inclusion across campus.

Skills

Disability services

Human resources

Equal employment opportunity

Education

Bachelor's degree in appropriate area

Juris Doctor (JD) degree considered

Job description

Access and Disability Accommodations Specialist

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been rankednationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbeswho named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Posted Job Title

Access and Disability Accommodations Specialist

Job Profile Title

Associate Director B, Academic Affairs, Community Engagement

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Equal Opportunity (EO) inthe University's Center for Civil Rights (CCR), the Access andDisability Accommodations Specialist supports efforts to ensurecompliance with the University's Equal Opportunity andNondiscrimination policies and guidelines, as well as federal,state, and local disability laws and regulations. The incumbentwill respond to and facilitate the interactive process in responseto reasonable accommodation requests from qualified staff,student-employees (including graduate workers), faculty, and campusvisitors (except for applicants for admission and visitingfamilies) and serve as a resource to the campus community onaccessibility and disability inclusion, including through thedevelopment of policy and trainings to the Penn community.

Job Description

Position Summary

This role will also work in partnership with CCR's Title IX andReligious and Ethnic Interests subject-matter experts to helpdetermine whether reasonable accommodations and related servicesare appropriate for individuals served through those offices. Thisrole will also actively collaborate with Student DisabilityServices (the Weingarten Center), Deans' Offices, Human Resources(including Talent Acquisition), and other campus partners tosupport the provision of reasonable accommodations and relatedservices. The Accommodations Specialist will support theUniversity's commitment to accessibility by promoting bestpractices and conducting outreach and educational initiatives incollaboration with other accessibility campus partners to increaseawareness of accommodation obligations, accessibility, andaccommodation resources across campus.

The Access and Disability Accommodations Specialist will play a keyrole in cultivating and supporting the University's Center forCivil Rights. Serving as an essential point of contact within EqualOpportunity, this position will engage with qualified staff,student-employees, faculty, and campus visitors seeking reasonableaccommodations, and advance equitable access to Universityprograms, services, and opportunities. This role will provideguidance throughout the accommodation process and help advance theUniversity's commitment to civil rights compliance and equal accessfor all members of the campus community and may also be asked toprovide support for other activities within the CCR.

Duties and Responsibilities

Build trusting partnerships with qualified staff,student-employees (including graduate workers), faculty, and campusvisitors with disabilities and provide individualized support,guidance, and resources to help them thrive in the workplace.
Serve as a primary point of contact for qualified staff,student employees (including graduate workers), faculty, and campusvisitors requesting reasonable accommodations based ondisability.
Facilitate the individualized, interactive process in responseto each reasonable accommodation request, including throughconducting intake and follow-up meetings, consulting withsupervisors and/or other campus leadership, as appropriate,reviewing supporting documentation, and making a writtenaccommodation determination in response to the request.
Work with campus partners on the implementation of approvedreasonable accommodations.
For student employees (including graduate workers), collaboratewith colleagues in the Center for Civil Rights and StudentDisability Services (the Weingarten Center) as appropriate torespond to and facilitate the interactive process in response tostudent-employee accommodation requests, including to provideconsistent support and implementation, and to develop anunderstanding of the external resources available to supportindividuals with accommodation requests.
Document incoming accommodation requests and consultations aswell as the interactive process, including the initial request,intake, activities and steps taken in response, outcome, and theimplementation of accommodations, as appropriate.
Ensure accommodation request files reflect the request, theuniversity's response, and information relied upon to make anaccommodation determination, and document the request and responsetimeline, reflecting prompt institutional responses and/or anydocumented reasons for delay.
Assist with the administration and maintenance of theaccommodation database, ensuring accurate and timely recordkeeping,while promoting best practices in data management, privacy,accessibility, and accommodation processes.
Connect staff, student-employees (including graduate workers),faculty, and campus visitors with University accessibility-relatedresources and promote equitable access to University programs andservices by collaborating with University campus and communityorganizations.
Serve as a resource on disability and accessibility for staff,student‑employees (including graduate workers), faculty, and campusvisitors and the broader University community by providingguidance, consultation, and support on accommodation processes andaccessibility considerations, and by conducting education andtraining on accessibility and disability inclusion.
Participate in the review and revision of the EqualOpportunity's accessibility-related policies and procedures toreflect current federal, state and local legal standards and bestpractices, including under the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Family EducationalRights and Privacy Act, and the Fair Housing Act.
Serve on committees and working groups supporting initiativesand compliance with the University's Equal Opportunity andNondiscrimination policies and guidelines by contributingsubject‑matter expertise and partnership across Universityefforts.
Maintain current knowledge of regulatory requirements and bestpractices related to accessibility and disability inclusion andmonitor developments in relevant laws, regulations, guidelines, andprofessional standards, including under the ADA and theRehabilitation Act.
Develop working knowledge of, and competency with, availableassistive technology, adaptive equipment, auxiliary aids andservices, alternative formats, learning enhancement tools, andgeneral digital accessibility (WCAG 2.1)
Perform other duties as assigned, which may include supportingadditional EO or CCR activities and initiatives as needed.

Essential Characteristics

Knowledge of disability inclusion, accessibility, and relevantfederal, state and local laws, including the ADA, theRehabilitation Act, Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, PhiladelphiaFair Practices Ordinance, FERPA and the FHA.
Ability to facilitate the interactive process through theengagement with the requestor as well as relevant campus partners,as appropriate, to determine potential appropriate reasonableaccommodations.
Strong case‑management, organization, collaboration, andcommunication skills.
Experience in a higher education environment, including inworking with and across higher education student, faculty, andstaff stakeholders and leadership.
Exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments and handlesensitive, confidential information.
Ability to maintain records and manage databases.
Experience developing and delivering training programs.
Commitment to creating an equitable and accessibleenvironment.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Sound judgement, discretion, and cultural competence.

Required Qualifications

A bachelor's degree and 2-3 years of experience in appropriatearea or an equivalent combination of education and experience.Candidates with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree will also beconsidered.
Experience in disability services, human resources, equalemployment opportunity, employee relations, accommodationsmanagement, or a related field.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Human Resources

Pay Range

$58,506.00 - $75,000.00 Annual Rate

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.