Accessibility Services Specialist

Essential Job Functions

• Analyze psychoeducational, psychological, and case study reports to determine reasonable accommodations under the ADA.
• Advise a case load of students with disabilities on appropriate accommodations, strategies for success in the college environment, working with instructors, and campus and community supports.
• Facilitate and provide disability-related accommodations and services for all college programs including degree and certificate programs, individual classes, Adult Education, Early College, Community Education, and summer camps and community events such as art gallery, planetarium, commencement, and sports events.
• Implement reasonable accommodations under the ADA.
• Research, evaluate, and recommend appropriate auxiliary aids based on student need.
• Serve as a resource and consultant for faculty and staff to ensure access to programs and services for prospective and current students who self-identify with Accessibility Services.
• Meet with faculty to assess the needs of students based on the requirements of each individual course.
• Meet with students and parents to address sensitive and confidential issues regarding their disability and to resolve concerns.
• Provide basic training for students on proper use of assistive technology and work with Campus Technologies for troubleshooting adaptive equipment.
• Conduct personal follow-up meetings with new and returning students to determine their acclimation to Parkland College.
• Attend monthly Counseling and Advising forums to stay abreast of program and course updates.
• Oversee classroom assisting schedule to ensure compliance with student accommodations.
• Affirm and assist in transfer transitioning and additional program needs, which may include exploring different institutional, state, and international regulations and accommodations options.
• Remediate concerns, problem-solve, and mediate between faculty and student to resolve complaints.
• Work with vendors to obtain accessibility materials and auxiliary aids.
• Hire and supervise hourly staff including but not limited to sign language interpreters, CART providers, lab aides to work in the classroom with students’ office assistants, and student workers.
• Train staff.
• Afford assistance in office operations when needed such as covering front desk needs.
• Serve as a test reader when needed.
• Serve as a classroom assistant when needed.
• Work with campus tech to obtain data on registered students and services for monitoring caseload and grant requirements.
• Afford assistance in the development of surveys needed for data collection.
• Maintain a working knowledge of current disability law and best practices by participating in continuing education opportunities, staying abreast of ADA updates and monitoring Office of Civil Rights and other offices.
• Collaborate with Campus Technologies and Professional Development and Instructional Technology departments to coordinate the research and implementation of emerging assistive technology on an ongoing basis.
• Participate in disability-related professional organizations to keep abreast of current best practices.
• Afford assistance in monitoring alignment of Parkland policies and procedures with disability laws, regulations, and best practices and make recommendations for policy and procedure revisions and development.
• Afford assistance in analysis of accessibility strengths and weaknesses for the campus and help prioritize goals to enhance accessibility.
• Participate in college committees/organizational units to make recommendations on materials and accessibility best practices.
• Assess the needs of visitors who self-identify to provide access to facilities and programs.
• Administer placement tests and interpret placement scores for new students.
• Administer state board exams for participants needing accommodations.
• Cook up the A Day at Parkland event which includes speaking to students, parents, counselors, and representatives from area high schools.
• Act as a liaison with high school staff to facilitate college courses for students with disabilities.

Office responsibilities

• Oversee classroom assisting schedule to ensure compliance with student accommodations.
• Afford assistance in office operations when needed such as covering front desk needs.
• Serve as a test reader when needed.
• Serve as a classroom assistant when needed.
• Work with campus tech to obtain data on registered students and services for monitoring caseload and grant requirements.
• Afford assistance in the development of surveys needed for data collection.

Accessibility enhancements

• Maintain a working knowledge of current disability law and best practices by participating in continuing education opportunities, staying abreast of ADA updates and monitoring Office of Civil Rights and other offices.
• Collaborate with Campus Technologies and Professional Development and Instructional Technology departments to coordinate the research and implementation of emerging assistive technology on an ongoing basis.
• Participate in disability-related professional organizations to keep abreast of current best practices.
• Afford assistance in monitoring alignment of Parkland policies and procedures with disability laws, regulations, and best practices and make recommendations for policy and procedure revisions and development.
• Afford assistance in analysis of accessibility strengths and weaknesses for the campus and help prioritize goals to enhance accessibility.
• Participate in college committees/organizational units to make recommendations on materials and accessibility best practices.

Community responsibilities

• Assess the needs of visitors who self-identify to provide access to facilities and programs.
• Administer placement tests and interpret placement scores for new students.
• Administer state board exams for participants needing accommodations.
• Cook up the A Day at Parkland event which includes speaking to students, parents, counselors, and representatives from area high schools.
• Act as a liaison with high school staff to facilitate college courses for students with disabilities.

Minimum Requirements

• Master's degree in social work, clinical psychology, counseling, special education, public health, disability studies, or other fields that provide training in accessibility, disability services, or inclusive practice; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• One (1) year of demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities.