Accessibility Specialist Intermediate (Associate...

The University of Michigan is seeking a creative, innovative, and thoughtful individual to join its Disability Equity Office (DEO) within the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office (ECRT). The primary responsibilities of the successful candidate include reviewing and assessing disability-related accommodation requests for faculty, staff, and visitors, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The candidate will provide consultation to university partners, including executive leadership of departments and schools/colleges, on a wide range of accessibility and disability matters and review of unit and department policies, processes, procedures, and activities, including events and services, to ensure compliance with the ADA, Title II, and other applicable state and federal disability laws. Additionally, the candidate may assist the ADA Coordinator in resolving claims of disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, including holding educational conversations with individuals and/or units regarding disability-related ECRT matters.

Responsibilities*

Essential:

Interactive Process Facilitation - 50%

• Use professional, independent judgment and specialized knowledge to determine disability status for faculty and staff with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 508, and relevant case law and regulatory guidance.

• Collaborate with campus partners through the interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations for all faculty, instructors, and staff with disabilities seeking workplace support via the Disability Equity Office.

• Review job descriptions and information from campus partners, supervisors, and human resources to assess essential job duties.

• Research and identify effective, reasonable accommodations to overcome workplace barriers while maintaining the essential functions of their positions.

• Conduct a second-level review of third-party medical documentation submitted by employees to assess whether it is sufficient for a disability determination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and to participate in the interactive process, or identify if additional documentation is needed.

• Manage timely and effective efforts to resolve accommodation cases for employees and campus community members, ensuring compliance with EEOC timelines.

• Represent the Disability Equity Office in meetings with employees and unit representatives, demonstrating expertise in policies and procedures aligned with federal and state disability laws and regulations.

• On behalf of the Director of the Disability Equity Office, consult with unit supervisors, HR representatives, and campus community members on complex disability and accessibility issues.

• Provide building accessibility walkthroughs to evaluate accessibility needs, address barrier-to-access requests, and assist in identifying solutions to meet the access needs of employees and visitors as required.

Training and Education 30%

• Collaborates with other Disability Equity Office staff to create content and resources for accessible presentations for workshops on various disability and accessibility topics.

• Independently presents workshops and trainings on a wide variety of disability and accessibility topics across colleges, schools, and workshops ensuring specific relevant content is developed to address unique needs participants.

• Maintains an up-to-date understanding of current disability-related federal and state laws and relevant civil rights provisions to ensure compliance with all applicable laws requiring equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Communication and Collaboration 10%

• In consultation with Sr. Accessibility Specialists and other DEO and ECRT staff communicates and collaborates with campus partners, parties, and others to address concerns of disability discrimination and harassment through educational consultations, trainings, resources, policy review and development, and other methods.

• Maintains collaborative relationships with campus academic and administrative units and human resources offices to foster intentional coordination of efforts to support faculty and staff with disabilities within the campus community.

Administrative 10%

• Maintains highly sensitive information with discretion and good judgment to maintain data privacy and confidentiality in compliance with all applicable laws (ADA, Title VII, etc.)

• Maintain complete and accurate files and records, including documentation in the Disability Equity Office database.

RELATED DUTIES

Performs related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree and at least two years of specifically relevant experience facilitating reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to manage high volume and time-sensitive workload and meet demanding deadlines.

• At least one to two years working in a highly complex case management system with complex reporting deliverables.

• Ability to create and present accessible and engaging training materials and resources on disability inclusion and compliance matters.

• Ability to prioritize tasks, including managing multiple matters while meeting deadlines and documenting actions consistent with internal Disability Equity Office procedures.

• Ability to provide consultations and educational programming, and to develop resources to promote a disability-inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment.

• Ability to utilize independent judgment to make decisions without direct oversight.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, aligned with the university’s mission and culture.

• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.

• Excellent organization skills and effective time management abilities.

• Competent in using Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Adobe, Dropbox, and complex databases.

Skills You Have

• Advanced degree, license, or certificate in related fields including Occupational Therapy, Disability Studies, legal studies, or compliance.

• Experience providing workplace accommodations in a high-volume, complex workplace environment.

• Experience reviewing and analyzing medical documentation.

• Knowledge of, experience working with, and ability to apply all relevant federal and state civil rights laws, regulations, and guidance.

• High degree of accuracy and strong attention to detail.

• Ability to work in a diverse environment.

• Flexibility to adapt to changing procedures and unit growth.

• Competency in creating accessible presentations and documents consistent with Title II of the ADA and WCAG standards., Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about thework modes (https://hr.umich.edu/working-u-m/my-employment/ways-we-work-resource-center/ways-we-work-implementation-group/modes-work) . We work in a flexible hybrid office with an expectation of in-person as needed to fulfill the essential functions of the position.