Disability Specialist

Butler University; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Butler University is seeking a Disability Specialist to support students with disabilities as they transition to college life and independence. You will review documentation, determine accommodations, and provide individualized support while collaborating with faculty and campus partners.

The role emphasizes program development, disability-awareness training, and data-driven process improvements to enhance student success and access across campus.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree is required in higher education, social work, psychology, or a related field.
• Experience providing direct support and training to people with disabilities.
• Ability to interpret disability-related documentation, including neuropsychological evaluations, medical reports, treatment plans, IEP and 504 documents.
• Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in postsecondary education.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; interpersonal abilities.
• Willingness to engage with diversity, equity, inclusion, and intersectionality in disability services.

Responsibilities

• Interpret documentation and lead intake meetings to determine and implement reasonable accommodations.
• Maintain rigorous documentation and uphold confidentiality and discretion.
• Provide direct support services to students, including academic coaching and transition to college.
• Collaborate with SDS team and campus partners to coordinate accommodations and support services.
• Develop disability/diversity programming, presentations, and training materials.
• Analyze disability-related data to improve departmental processes and policies.
• Support students seeking accommodations for extracurricular activities.
• Design department marketing materials and manage web content and social media.
• Serve on campus committees to keep accessibility a campus priority.
• Provide administrative backup in the department as needed.

Skills

Disability support

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Judgment under pressure

Diversity & inclusion

Software proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in higher education, social work, psychology, or related field

Experience in higher education

Job description

Position Overview

Disability Specialists work one-on-one to provide support tostudents with disabilities as they navigate the transition tocollege and the independence of being a college student. In thisrole, Disability Specialists review documentation and makeindividualized determinations of reasonable accommodation forstudents with disabilities. Butler University’s SDS Office isunique in that Disability Specialists are also available to providesupport to students regarding the myriads of ways their disabilitymay impact them throughout their time as a Butler student. Severalprimary functions of this position include individualized studentsupport, development and presentation of disability-awarenessprogramming across campus, and close collaboration with faculty andother campus partners.

Note: Please submit a cover letter with your application thathighlights how your skills and experiences have prepared you towork with students with disabilities on the college level, whatdraws you to this position, and what you would need to learn to besuccessful in this role.

Responsibilities

• Interpret disability-related documentation and lead intakemeetings with families and students to determine and implementreasonable accommodations
• Maintain rigorous documentation of student interactions and uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and professionaldiscretion
• Provide direct support services to students, including academiccoaching, support with the transition to college, and training onaccommodation-related software; monitor and track the progress ofSDS-registered students in support of retention efforts; respond to and resolve student and faculty concerns
• Collaborate closely with SDS team members and other relevantcampus partners on a regular basis to coordinate and implementaccommodations & support services
• Develop and implement disability/diversity-based programming,presentations, training guides, and materials for publicconsumption
• Analyze disability-related data for the improvement ofdepartmental processes and procedures, assist in the development ofpolicies and procedural documents as needed
• Support students requesting accommodations for extra-curricularactivities such as Greek Life recruitment and off-campus study
• Design and create department marketing materials, including butnot limited to office bulletin boards, flyers, web content; manage social media accounts
• Serve on campus-wide committees, as assigned, to ensureaccessibility is on the forefront of campus conversations
• Serve as an administrative backup in the department asneeded

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education, social work, psychology,or a related field
• Experience providing direct support and training to people withdisabilities
• Ability to interpret disability-related documentation,including but not limited to neuropsychological evaluations,medical reports and treatment plans, and IEP and 504 documents
• Knowledge regarding how the Americans with Disabilities Act andSection 504 of the Rehabilitation Act apply to postsecondaryeducation
• Proven ability to rapidly master and integrate new softwareinto daily workflows; demonstrates high agility when navigatingmultiple digital platforms simultaneously
• Willingness to engage and learn about diversity, equity,inclusion, and intersectionality of identities in disabilityservices
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communicationskills
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment and decision-makingskills under pressure or in uncertain situations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education

BU Benefits and Perks

Please check out Butler’sTotal Rewards website to learn more about our benefitofferings, which include:

• Paid Time Off and Holidays:
  • 20 days of paid time off (vacation and PTO days) per Fiscalyear
  • 8 Paid Holidays
    • In addition, a paid Winter Break between Christmas Eve and NewYear’s Day
  • Paid Parental Leave (after 1 year of full-time employment)
• Health:
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans includingdisability and life insurance programs
• Retirement:
  • 10% employer contribution after 1 year of full-time employment
• Tuition Assistance:
  • Tuition Exchange Program for Dependents
  • Remission of tuition for classes taken at Butler for employees,spouses, and dependent children.
    • Eligibility after 9 months of full-time employment
    • Employees & spouses- undergraduate/graduate degrees
    • Dependents (under age 26)- undergraduate degree
    • Covers tuition only
• Butler Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks:
  • Access to Butler’s on-site fitness facility and libraries forfull-time staff and faculty
  • LinkedIn Learning Courses
  • Free premium subscription to the Calm App
  • Free subscription to the WSJ, The Economist, and NYT
  • Discount at the College Bookstore
  • Discount on select Athletic and Arts/Events CenterPerformances

About Us

Butler University is a private, nationally recognized comprehensiveuniversity encompassing seven colleges: Arts, Business, Communication, Education, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Pharmacy& Health Sciences and Founder's College. Approximately 4,500undergraduate and 1,000 graduate and doctoral students are enrolledat Butler, representing 46 states and 24 countries.

Join us at the crossroads of tradition & transformation. Acareer at Butler University offers more than just a job—it’s anopportunity to join a dedicated, innovative, and supportivecommunity grounded in equity, academic excellence, and meaningfulimpact. Aligned with Boldly Butler, our strategic plan, faculty andstaff play a vital role in delivering transformational learningexperiences, enriching our campus and community, and ensuring athriving Butler for generations to come.

Butler University is an equal opportunity employer. We welcomeapplications from all individuals, regardless of age, sex, race,religion, color, disability, protected veteran status, nationalorigin, or any other legally protected category.