Accessibility Advisory Committee
The Accessibility Advisory Committee is charged with advising the President and Administrative Committee on accessibility-related issues; analyzing campus policies, procedures, and practices and recommending new, or changes to, existing policies, procedures, and practices as needed, pertaining to campus compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable federal and state laws and mandates; and promoting the awareness of accessibility issues across the campus in order to realize a barrier-free campus community in which people with disabilities have full, equal, and integrated access to, and opportunities within, all campus activities, services and programs, and that recognizes and appreciates the variety of perspectives that individuals with disabilities have about disability identity, culture, and pride as members of the Berea College community.
The responsibilities of the Committee include:
- Reviewing and promoting external and internal reports related to the accessibility of buildings, grounds and pathways, accessible parking, and construction and building design.
- Reviewing and promoting general campus policies and procedures around access for students, staff, faculty, and other constituents, ranging from workplace accommodations to student accessibility issues.
- Reviewing and promoting access to public events held on campus, including Convocations, Commencement, and performances, etc., to look at a variety of issues such as the provision of auxiliary aids (sign language interpreters, alternate format text), building and meeting room access, accessible seating, and evacuation protocols.
- Tracking progress on the accessibility of Berea College web pages, computing, equipment acquisition, access information, alternative formatting of information, and communication for on and off campus users.
- Working with those who need guidance on a specific electronic and information technology (EIT) Accessibility Compliance issues, in collaboration with Information Systems and Services (IS&S) and Educational Technology.
- Promoting the development and maintenance of academic and administrative services that are effective, usable, and accessible to all users, and informing and advising the administration when existing services or planned services do not meet standards and/or laws for usability and accessibility.
- Serving as a venue for faculty, staff, and students to provide feedback and suggestions regarding the accessibility of campus living, working, and learning environments.
- Educating the campus about the benefits of being a campus community where all living, working, and learning environments can be accessed, understood, and used by all people, regardless of ability or disability.
The composition of the committee is as follows: ADA Coordinator, ex officio and Co-Chair; Director of Disability and Accessibility Services, ex officio and Co-Chair; Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, ex officio; Chief Information Officer, ex officio; a representative from Facilities Management, ex officio; Associate Dean of Student Life, ex officio; a representative from the Web Team, ex-officio; a representative from Strategic Initiatives, ex officio; Associate Vice President of Human Resources, ex officio, to serve as an advisory member to be consulted as needed; two elected members of the College Faculty; one elected General Faculty member who is not a member of the College Faculty; and a student member appointed by Student Government Association. The Administrative Committee will appoint for a three-year term one member who self-identifies as a person with a disability, selected from a list provided by the Accessibility Advisory Committee. College Faculty and General Faculty members will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms. Service on this committee for College Faculty counts as committee service. The Office of Disability and Accessibility Services will provide primary staff support to the committee.