Director Student Accessibility Services

Connecticut College

$83K — $84K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Graduate degree in disability services or related field
  • 5-7 years of leadership experience in higher education student services
  • Excellent communication skills in diverse environments
  • Knowledge of federal disability laws such as ADA and Section 504
  • Experience interpreting disability documentation and determining accommodations
  • Strong interpersonal skills for building relationships
  • Excellent organizational skills with priority-setting expertise

Responsibilities

  • Manage Student Accessibility Services operations and develop policies
  • Determine student eligibility for disability services and recommend accommodations
  • Collaborate with faculty and staff to promote accessibility awareness
  • Supervise the Student Accessibility Services Coordinator and student aides
  • Maintain accurate records while ensuring compliance with FERPA and ADA
  • Provide direct support and advice to students claiming disabilities
  • Consult with campus constituencies to foster collaborative disability initiatives

Benefits

  • Full benefits package
  • Continuing full-time position
  • Opportunity to foster equitable education
  • Support for professional development in disability services
  • Engagement with a diverse college community
Full Job Description
Position Details

Position Information

Position Title
Director Student Accessibility Services

Department
Student Accessibility Services -Group

Pay Type
Exempt

Appointment Type (A)
Continuing Full-Time

Hours Per Week
37.5

Number of weeks
52 weeks per year

other - # of weeks
52

Benefits Eligible
Full Benefits

Geographical
National

Qualifies for Relocation Reimbursement
No

Work Schedule

Job Description

General Scope of Duties

Connecticut College is conducting a national search for a Director of Student Accessibility Services. The director will manage the operations of Student Accessibility Services to include developing best practices and implementing policies and procedures. Determine eligibility for students who claim a disability and/or special needs services, recommend and coordinate reasonable accommodations for equal access to academic and nonacademic activities. Provide direct services to students with documented disabilities as well as to other students at the recommendation of the dean. Collaborate regularly with college constituencies and professional disability network to continue to develop student disability awareness and services on campus. Compensation includes an excellent benefits package.

General Duties and Responsibilities

The director will be responsible for maintaining a caseload of students with disabilities/accessibility needs: determine eligibility for students who claim a disability and/or special needs services, recommend and coordinate reasonable accommodations for equal access to academic and nonacademic activities. Provide direct services to students with documented disabilities as well as to other students at the recommendation of the associate dean. The director will collaborate regularly with college constituencies and professional disability networks to continue to develop student disability awareness and services on campus; maintain accurate records in a confidential manner in keeping with FERPA and ADA requirements; maintain contact with class deans regarding individual students, and collaborate with them to provide support and accountability. Collaborate with Admission Department and meet with prospective students and their parents.

The director will collaborate with Faculty and Staff: develop and maintain a working relationship with faculty and administrative personnel across campus, serving as a resource for faculty and staff as they work to meet the academic needs of students with disabilities; consult individually with faculty as they implement accommodations and support students with varying needs; collaborate with faculty to promote classroom strategies associated with accessibility. Additonally, the director will be responsible for legal compliance: monitor alignment of Connecticut College policies and practices with disability law, regulations, and industry best practices, and must remain current with higher education issues and trends related to disability through individual study and participation in professional organizations.

Supervise the Student Accessibility Services Coordinator and assumes ultimate responsibility for student aides and other student employees.
Meet with students who have claimed a disability as well as with other interested students to provide information and advise regarding accessibility services and related resources both within and outside the college.
Review documentation to determine eligibility for accessibility services and accommodations.
Work with individual students to identify disability-related barriers and strategies for mitigating them through accommodation and the development of compensatory strategies.
Provide direct services to students with documented disabilities, including advising and strategy development, as well as to other students at the recommendation of the dean.
Inform faculty of the procedures they and disabled students must follow in arranging for accommodations.
Maintain and continue to explore efficiencies and end user interface with AIM (department database)
Consult with deans, department heads, faculty, administrators, and staff to ensure that students receive appropriate accommodations.
Maintain contact with college constituencies (faculty, administrators, staff, students), professional organizations, and disability agencies in order to take advantage of available resources for continued development of student disability awareness and services on campus.
Provide institutional leadership to foster equitable higher education experiences for disabled individuals.
Foster collaboration on disability issues among key administrative personnel (e.g., deans, registrar, facilities, information technology, campus legal counsel, human resources).
Work collaboratively with academic affairs on the development, review, and revision of policies regarding program modifications (e.g., course substitutions, extension of academic deadlines).
Participate on campus CARE team.
Support campus events and initiatives that foster dialogue, understanding, and exploration of anti-ableism, disability history, and disability culture.
Foster opportunities for disabled students, faculty, and staff to contribute to campus decision-making processes.
Provide information and training to faculty, staff, and administrators regarding institutional policies and procedures for ensuring equitable experiences for disabled students.

Education and Skills
• Graduate degree in a field of study related to disability services and minimum of five years full-time professional leadership experience in a higher education student services program, including supervision, budget and resource management.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in a diverse environment at all levels, with tact and diplomacy in order to achieve program and campus goals
• Knowledge of federal laws regarding postsecondary education and disabilities, including ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 and other pertinent state and federal laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of, and ability to interpret disability related documentation and determine reasonable accommodations.
• Skills to analyze interpret and incorporate into the context of daily work activities and decision-making the intent of the laws, policies, and practices regarding students with disabilities; knowledge of case law, court rulings, current practices and trends/developments in the field of disabled student services in postsecondary education
• Supervisory experience including interdisciplinary team-building experience including leadership, work distribution, accountability, communication, decision-making, problem solving and conflict management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to build and sustain key relationships with governing agencies, students with disabilities, and all levels of the college community
• Excellent organization skills and ability to set priorities and meet deadlines
• Skills to exercise judgment necessary to deal with confidential and sensitive information and to respond to complex student emergencies, providing appropriate intervention and referral
• Knowledge of Technical Standards and interpreting essential learning outcomes and ability to assess if a potential accommodation might interfere with program standards or classroom learning outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

Physical Demands

Driving Required
No

Salary Range
$83,000-84,048.00

Note

Connecticut College is committed to fair and competitive compensation. The final offer will reflect the candidate's experience, education, and the institution's pay structure to ensure internal equity.

Applicant Credentialing
Thorough applicant credentialing will be conducted on the selected candidate which will include criminal records check, DMV check and depending on the position psychological exam and pre-placement physical.

Posting Detail Information

Open Date
07/20/2026

Applications accepted through

Open Until Filled
Yes

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