The ADA RCEA at KU: Broadening Supportive Resources for the KU Community

An interview with Jeff Chasen, Assistant Vice Provost for Employee Growth, Development, Accessibility & Inclusion

ADA is a massive piece of legislation. Can you give us the quick version of what disabilities ADA covers?

In short, the ADA covers physical, mental, visual, and auditory conditions or disorders that prevent an individual from participating in major life activities. Recently, conditions related to COVID-19 (such as “Long COVID”) have become recognized as disabilities that can fall under the ADA. Because medical knowledge and life circumstances are constantly evolving, there is no sustainable way to ensure that every single disability could be listed. As such, the ADA provides definitions and requires that disability determinations and accommodations are done on a case-by-case basis. To gain additional awareness of the scope of disability, we encourage you to read this year’s KU Common Book: “Disability Visibility." And for information about Employment Accommodations at KU, you will find a wealth of information online, or feel free to contact KU’s ADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility (ADA RCEA (Resource Center for Equity & Accessibility)).

How does the ADA RCEA support staff across campus?

We strive to fulfill our mission of removing barriers, embracing universal design, ensuring procedures for reasonable accommodations, promoting disability cultural competence, complying with the ADA, encouraging KU community members with disabilities to be self-advocates, and weaving disability considerations into all layers of KU’s fabric. Our ultimate goal is inclusion for every member of the KU community.

There’s been a lot of movement in your office over the past year or so. Can you tell us a bit about your vision for this office and the services/resources you offer, especially as it relates to KU staff?

Yes, unfortunately there’s been a lot of changes in the ADA RCEA (and, as most of us have experienced, across campus and much of society) over the past few years. Many of you will remember Catherine Johnson, who served as the Founding Director of the ADA RCEA, which aspired to expand beyond ADA compliance and adopt a vision as an advocacy center (one of only two such centers on a university campus across the country). In 2021, Catherine left KU to become the Executive Director of Disability Rights Iowa. At the time of her departure, there had been three employees in the ADA RCEA … and by October 1, 2021, there were no employees remaining into the center. Accordingly, we have been working to rebuild the center – 1st, by reorganizing the accommodations function within HRM’s larger “Employee Relations” unit (which is how most universities provide accommodations, integrating these rights with others such as Family and Medical Leave, Workers Compensation, and less formal supportive measures); and 2nd, by rededicating the ADA RCEA exclusively as an advocacy center (with our first new hire on July 11). Specifically, we are offering or updating all of the prior services and resources, while seeking to find new ways (e.g., ergonomics) to promote equity, accessibility, wellness, and inclusion for the KU community and beyond.

For staff who may not need accommodations at this juncture, are there still ways for them to engage with your office? If so, how?

We are available to answer questions and consult with anyone who isn’t sure whether an accommodation may be appropriate or what an accommodation might even be. Beyond accommodations, our office is also focused on employee wellness. One of the ways we deliver this is by providing ergonomic evaluations to help prevent conditions (such as wrist and back pain) from developing into something more severe. If a person is experiencing an issue in the workplace that is causing irritation or distress and is seeking resources, but isn’t sure where to find them, the ADA RCEA is a great place to ask those questions. We can offer resources that can help or direct folks toward a KU unit or external organization that can provide services. And at any time, please refer to the Accessible KU website, which is a broad and growing online resource related to disability, accessibility, and inclusion.