Final report of ADA task force now available

LAWRENCE — The final report of KU’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) task force has been posted online. The recommendations of the review are intended to position KU to become a more inclusive and accessible campus community.

Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity Fred Rodriguez and Director of Human Resources Ola Faucher charged and led the task force.

“The task force has made a comprehensive set of recommendations that will strengthen our efforts to be an inclusive campus community,” Rodriguez said. “This review was important for us to undertake, but most importantly, it served to identify and perhaps reaffirm areas where KU can and will continue to improve upon. The task force will be reconvened to prioritize, facilitate and coordinate these recommendations.”

The task force, which originally convened Dec. 10, 2010, was charged with a campus-wide review of accessibility on the Lawrence campus. The goals were to both sustain a campus climate consistent with ADA and to enhance the spirit of inclusiveness at KU.

Six sub-groups engaged more than 100 members of the university community and made recommendations on 1) Academic Accommodations; 2) Employment; 3) Information Technology; 4) Facilities; 5) Parking and Transit; and 6) Student Services.

A steering group directed the work of the task force and collected recommendations from each of the six sub-groups.

The final report outlines nine general themes among the sub-group recommendations:
• Appoint dedicated administrators with expertise to serve as campus resources
• Provide additional ongoing professional development for staff and faculty in the area of accessibility
• Enhance and strengthen the climate for individuals with disabilities
• Utilize information technology to improve services
• Ongoing centralized funding and prioritization of facility improvements and personnel accommodations
• Collect additional information on current services and perceived needs
• Creation of a permanent committee to provide sustained attention to the ADA and monitor compliance
• Designate an academic testing site for students with disabilities
• Clarify policies and procedures regarding ADA compliance

The task force report was submitted to the Provost last summer. After reviewing the report, the Provost has reaffirmed the campus commitment and directed the steering committee to continue to meet to prioritize recommendations and develop action steps.