Faculty Accessibility and Accommodation Officer

**Schedule**
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

**Education Level**
Master’s degree in a relevant field of study.

**Career Level**
Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

**Unit/Project Description**:
With over 8,000 undergraduate students and 215 faculty members, the Faculty of Science is an integral part of McMaster University. The Faculty offers a wide range of upper-level programs, stemming from seven Level 1 programs. The Office of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies is committed to providing excellent service to prospective and current students, staff and faculty members.

**Job Summary**:
This role will provide support to stakeholders including, but not limited to, acting as a key resource and liaison for the Faculty for all matters concerning student accommodations (temporary or continuing), high need students, and student placement assistance.

**Purpose and Key Functions**:

- Develop, coordinate and implement appropriate individual education plans for students with disabilities.
- Ensure disability related accommodations are arranged for designated students.
- Interview students to determine specific interim accommodation needs.
- Provide ongoing counselling, support, and advocacy for students with disabilities.
- Provide support, information and advice to students and instructors in the implementation of recommended accommodations.
- Implement accommodation strategies and best practices for specific courses.
- Provide assistive technology recommendations for faculty and departments.
- Assess academic, education, and other disability related needs of students.
- Ensure equitable access for students with disabilities to classroom activities, course requirements, programs, services and facilities.
- Develop and design strategies for specific placement opportunities and implement accommodation requirements.
- Organize and establish service delivery models for tests, exams, note taking, and transcription.
- Engage in ongoing problem solving surrounding disability services with various members of the University community.
- Provide seminars and workshops to the University community to facilitate awareness of disability issues on campus.
- Develop and deliver presentations which convey complex disability related issues and attitudes.
- Collaborate with other University departments in the provision of disability and education-related accommodation support for students with disabilities.
- Develop, design and implement academic and non-academic accommodations consistent with University policies and practices, student needs, disability-related documentation and available resources.
- Plan and coordinate the use of tools and resources for accommodation implementation.
- Represent the faculty office and/or department to other university units on matters related to student accommodations.
- Collaborate with SAS on behalf of Instructors, regarding aligning pedagogical design and academic integrity with student accommodations.
- Perform gap analyses where current policies and/or procedures are not sufficient and provide suggestions and/or solutions.
- Facilitate presentations for instructors on the duties and responsibilities of instructors to accommodate students registered with SAS.
- Develop new procedures to proactively track high needs accommodation students throughout their academic career.
- Advocate for students requiring tangible resources for accommodation implementation (i.e. software or hardware resources).
- Provide support to students and instructors submitting a Request for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work Form.
- Provide one-on-one assistance to instructors and students and coordinate assistive technology in courses (e.g., supports for visually
- or hearing-impaired students).
- Provide direct support for accommodations for SAS students enrolled in student placements.
- Coordinate with instructors and placement supervisors, as well as incorporate policies from the placement site.
- Recommend the allocation of supports and resources in the provision of accommodations.
- Make recommendations for scholarship awards, internal and external bursaries, and other funding supports.
- Make referrals to internal and external agencies.
- Provide general support to the department to ensure the disability services program within the University runs smoothly.
- Complete analyses and interpretation of evaluation data obtained regarding disability services within the Faculty.
- Write reports that contain statistical information regarding the disability services program, and descriptive information regarding services.
- Use professional judgment to respond to signs of psychological distress, including signs of suicide risk or ideation.
- Arrange, coordinate and schedule the provision of support services including, but not limited to, note takers, interpreters, captioners, and interveners.
- Provide support in creating University policies including, but not limited to, senate policies, admissions