Disability Specialist

About SAIC

For more than 150 years the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the worlds most influential artists designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAICs undergraduate graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the worldas seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner David Sedaris Elizabeth Murray Richard Hunt Georgia OKeeffe Cynthia Rowley Nick Cave and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

The mission of the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) is to support a universally accessible educational community that fosters full participation and contribution of every member. The DLRC carries out its mission by delivering innovative and high-quality services to SAIC students with disabilities and by facilitating and advocating for reasonable accommodations so that students have equal access to all programs activities and services of the institution. The DLRC cultivates opportunities for students to articulate their strengths empowers them to advocate for their own learning needs and identifies and responds to the dynamic nature of student needs and learning environments.

Position Summary

The Disability Specialist advances the mission of the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) by supporting equal and equitable access and full participation for students with registered disabilities. The position engages students in the interactive accommodation process reviews disability-related documentation and student-reported information determines reasonable academic and housing accommodations and coordinates implementation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act the Fair Housing Act (FHA) SAIC policies and professional best practices.

Working within SAICs distinctive art and design curriculum the Disability Specialist partners with students faculty and campus colleagues to remove barriers to learning while supporting student self-advocacy accessibility and inclusive educational practices. The position also contributes to the effective operation and continuous improvement of DLRC services through accommodation management assistive technology accessible testing and materials AIM case management and service improvement initiatives. Grounded in the DLRCs values of access and equity collaboration accountability creativity and integrity the Disability Specialist helps foster a campus where all students can fully participate and thrive.

Responsibilities

Student Access Accommodation and Learning Support

• Engages students in an individualized interactive accommodation process through intake meetings and ongoing consultation. Review student self-report disability documentation functional impacts and other relevant information to determine reasonable accommodations appropriate to an art and design curriculum including studio modifications critique adjustments material safety accommodations alternative formats for visual work and other individualized accommodations.
• Applies the ADA ADAAA Section 504 FHA institutional policies and professional standards to determine coordinate implement and monitor academic and housing accommodations across classrooms studios fabrication facilities residence halls field experiences and other institutional programs activities and services.
• Provides individualized disability-related support that promotes self-advocacy and student success through learning strategies executive functioning support organization time management assistive and adaptive technologies and referrals to appropriate campus resources.
• Evaluates disability-related housing accommodation requests and collaborate with Residence Life and campus partners to coordinate and monitor approved accommodations.

Consultation Accessibility and Institutional Collaboration

• Collaborates with faculty and campus partners to support accommodation implementation understand course learning outcomes and studio practices maintain essential academic and program requirements and address questions related to disability access and potential fundamental alterations.
• Serves as a disability and accessibility resource by providing consultation education and guidance that identifies barriers and advances accessible inclusive and equitable practices across academic creative and campus environments.

Operations Assistive Technology and Data Management

• Coordinates disability-related services including accommodated testing note-taking support accessible and alternative-format materials assistive technology accommodation communications and other approved services. Assess access needs and recommend appropriate assistive and adaptive technologies.
• Utilizes AIM and other departmental systems to manage accommodation administration documentation communication reporting and confidential student records while contributing to assessment and continuous improvement of DLRC services.

Department Leadership and Professional Practice

• Leads or participates in departmental committees task forces projects and strategic initiatives through research planning implementation stakeholder coordination communication and continuous improvement activities.
• Collaborates with the Director DLRC colleagues faculty and campus partners to advance departmental priorities improve programs and service delivery and support operational effectiveness.
• Maintains current knowledge of disability law fair housing law accessibility assistive technology and emerging practices in higher education disability services through ongoing professional development. Exercise sound professional judgment maintain confidentiality participate in departmental and institutional initiatives and perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• BA (MA preferred) degree in Rehabilitation Counseling Disability Studies Higher Education Education Counseling Social Work Psychology or a related field.
• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education disability services or accessibility services.
• Equivalent training education and/or experience may be considered.
• Experience working with art and design students or familiarity with studio-based practice-based performance-based or critique-based pedagogy.
• Experience evaluating disability-related housing accommodation requests and collaborating with Residence Life or comparable campus partners.
• Experience supporting students through learning strategies executive functioning self-advocacy assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning principles within creative learning environments.
• Experience using AIM or another disability services case management system.
• Experience leading projects committees task forces or process improvement initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits

Please click on the links below to view our competitive comprehensive benefits package:

• Hiring Range

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors including skill set experience qualifications and other job-related reasons.

• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Exempt
• Employment Category: Full time staff
• Grade Level:7

If you are accessing this listing from a third party not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/ for complete information

Application Instructions

Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Union

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:

Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please contact the Department of Human Resources at .

Required Experience:

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