Chapter 4: Intra-university coordination

4.1 Recommended Statement of Accessibility Policy

It is recommended to draft and implement a set of University’s Statement of Accessibility Policy covering the ideas in the following example.

The University is committed to creating, promoting and maintaining an accessible and inclusive teaching and learning environment, which provides equal opportunities and is free of discrimination against any university members.
The University strives to eliminate barriers and avoid creating barriers to the teaching and learning of staff and students at the university.
The University also strives to provide reasonable accommodations to support staff and students with disabilities to minimize external barriers and/or the impact of their disabilities on the teaching and learning experiences.
The University will take whatever may be needed to prevent and, if necessary, discipline behaviours which violate the University’s Statement of Accessibility.

4.2 Accessibility Services Advisory Committee

4.2.1. Rationale

A university-wide committee that governs the efficient and effective provision of accessibility services for staff and students with disabilities at the university level.
The Committee holds regular meetings to perform service review and address any issues arising from the accessibility service provision.
Different units work together and provide a wide range of accessibility services for students with disabilities. Representatives of different units should be involved in the Coordinating Committee to comprehensively evaluate the whole picture of the service provision as well as to listen to any experiences and feedback from different units for improvement in the future.
It is particularly essential to involve representatives of staff and students with disabilities to make their voice and actual needs heard in the evaluation of the accessibility services.

4.2.2. Mission

To advise the university on the accessibility policies and plans (e.g. a 3-year plan).
To review the current practices and consult university members.
To advise the administration of the provision of accessibility services.
To empower university members involved to provide quality accessibility service.
To facilitate the sharing of good practices and relevant experience among different university units.
To perform periodic evaluation of the provision of accessibility services from different units (e.g. every year / every 3 years).

4.2.3. Recommended composition of members

Below is an example of recommended composition of members of the Accessibility Services Advisory Committee. It emphasizes the participation of different groups of university members in order to bring about diverse perspectives for consideration. The exact composition of the Committee of each university might be slightly different but the rationale would be similar.

An officer of the university serving as the Chairperson (e.g. Dean of Students)
Registrar
Director of the Office of Student Affairs
Director of the Office of Accessibility Service
Director of the University Health Service
Librarian
Wardens of student hostels
Student counsellor
Directors of other administrative departments (e.g., the Estates Management Office, the Informative Technology Office, the Transportation Office, and the Security Office)
Deans of each Faculties / Colleges (Teaching units)
Representatives of students with disabilities
Representatives of staff with disabilities
Representatives of student leaders such as representatives from the Students’ Union and/or registered student societies under the Students’ Union
Representatives of students without disabilities who are interested in the issue

The composition of the Accessibility Services Advisory Committee should be listed on the website of the Office of Accessibility Services for university members, prospective students and visitors’ reference.

4.3 Office of Accessibility Services

4.3.1. Rationale

Accessibility service provision within the university is handled and coordinated by the Office of Accessibility Services.
The Office of Accessibility Services strives to uphold equity and equality of the registration procedures and service provision to foster an inclusive campus, to maintain the integrity of the inherent requirements of the study programmes and to respect disclosure concern and confidentiality in accordance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).
The Accessibility Service Coordinators are the first point of contact if the registered students or staff need assistance in accessing services and resources or the ones to put them in touch with the right people / units to help. Each registered student or staff with disabilities will be assigned an Accessibility Service Coordinator from the Office of Accessibility Services.
Disability declaration is not mandatory but to receive accessibility support from the university, staff and students with disabilities must first register at the Office of Accessibility Services.
The assigned Accessibility Service Coordinator works out the recommended accessibility services and accommodation plan with students with disabilities registered for service. A “Letter of Recommended Accommodations” will be issued upon university’s approval as an official documentation of the accommodations to be received.
Disclosure and confidentiality are considered seriously.
The disability nature might not be disclosed in this documentation due to privacy concern. It is to be reviewed and renewed regularly depending on different factors such as the campus environmental conditions, the individual’s disability nature, accommodation needs and study programme requirements on a case-by-case basis.
All the accommodations provided are documented for archival purpose and for service evaluation. Refer to Chapter 10 Accessibility service initiation.
There are limits of the university accessibility services. Thus, not all requested accessibility services and accommodations might be entertained, with the notion of reasonable accommodations playing an important role in determining the approval.
Approved accommodations are not retroactive.
Staff and students with disabilities can withdraw from the services anytime.

4.3.2. Duty of the Accessibility Service Coordinators

To handle students and staff’s disability declaration and accessibility service registration.
To work out the accessibility support and accommodations plan with the students or staff with disabilities.
To liaise with different university members and units to ensure efficient and effective provision of accessibility services and accommodations.
To be responsible for recruiting, training, briefing and managing the auxiliary assistants (i.e. student helpers who assist people with disabilities to do different tasks such as note-taking.)
To communicate between students with disabilities and the auxiliary assistants
To handle requests for accessibility service or consultation by non-registered university members (e.g. student representatives without disabilities who are organizing orientation camps)
To perform continual follow-up and periodic review of all the accessibility services and accommodations
To report barriers or any feedback for continuous improvement.
To handle concerns and complaints.
To facilitate the Accessibility Service Advisory Committee to perform the governance and the periodic service review.
To organize accessibility awareness training for university members to promote an inclusive cultural shift.

4.3.3. Liaison with different units

Contact of the Accessibility Services Coordinators should be listed on the website of the Office of Accessibility Services for university members, prospective students and visitors’ reference.

Different university units might be involved at different stages and levels accordingly. The Accessibility Service Coordinators liaise with different units to execute the accessibility service provision and accommodations. For example:

Registrar and the Office of Student Affairs – to make arrangement regarding admission, centralized examination and graduation.
Teaching units – to ensure accessibility of teaching and learning.
University Health Service – to work with the Office of Accessibility Service to provide disability assessment if needed; to address any health concerns of the staff and students with disabilities.
Librarian – to provide accessible library service, research and learning support.
Wardens of university hostels – to ensure accessible living in hostels.
Counsellor – to provide psychological support in response to burden of study and experiences of inaccessibility.
Estates Management Office – to play a significant role in fostering the physical accessibility of the campus environment; to send any notices regarding construction work or repair of facilities to Office of Accessibility Service in order to notify staff and students with disabilities; to provide alternative paths and facilities as well as an enquiry contact on the notice if the accessible paths or facilities are temporarily blocked.
Information Technology Office – to handle web and multimedia accessibility; to provide web and multimedia accessibility training; to develop and/or test new assistive and accessible technology to support inclusive teaching and learning.
Transportation Office – to manage the accessible transportation and the accessibility of roads within campus.
Security Office – to be responsible for emergency evacuation issues and 24-hour safety helpline.

4.4 Equal Opportunities Advisors

They are the first contact point in their affiliated unit regarding accessibility issues.
They proactively help promote accessibility and inclusion in their affiliated unit by various means such as giving advice and sharing.
They encourage colleagues of their affiliated unit to actively engage in inclusion-promotion activities in the university.
They help handle complaints regarding accessibility issues that happen in their affiliated unit. For example, they may help refer the cases to the Office of Accessibility Services and/or other relevant department(s) for investigation.
The contact of the Equal Opportunities Advisors of each university unit should be listed on the website of the corresponding unit for university members, prospective students and visitors’ reference.

4.5 Student Alliance for Inclusion

“Student Alliance for Inclusion” can be formally set up by interested current students with and without disabilities to establish the presence of students with disabilities in the university, to perform accessibility advocacy and outreach on behalf of students with disabilities, to address systemic inequality in all areas of the campus life and to convey feedback from the students with disabilities to the university for accessibility service improvement.
It aims at expressing the voice that has been marginalized and under-represented in decision-making and consultation in the past. Refer to the Chapter 13.2 Participation in university affairs and student societies.
It also provides valuable peer support of the learning of students with disabilities from admission level to graduation and career.
Alumni can be affiliated members or consultants to cultivate peer support, encourage the mutual exchange of experiences and practical knowledge, and strengthen the connection between current students and graduates in advocating for accessibility and inclusion.
It is suggested to invite students and staff with disabilities to give advice on the appropriate types of study aids / assistive technology aids before actual purchasing because they are expert users.
Reference:
Students for Barrier-free Access, University of Toronto

4.6 Staff Alliance for Inclusion

“Staff Alliance for Inclusion” can be formally set up by interested current staff with and without disabilities to establish a presence for staff with disabilities in the university, to perform accessibility advocacy and outreach on behalf of staff with disabilities, to address any systemic inequality in all areas of the workplace in the university (e.g., job duty and schedule, and promotion), and to convey feedback from the staff with disability to the university for accessibility service improvement. It aims at expressing the voice that has been under-represented in the past.
It is suggested to invite students and staff with disabilities to give advice on the appropriate types of study aids / assistive technology aids before actual purchasing because they are expert users.
Reference:
The Disabled Staff Network Group, University of Manchester

4.7 Roles, rights and responsibilities

4.7.1. United roles

The University should be committed to maintaining an open and accepting environment. It respects the right to expression of needs and thoughts and considers the provision of quality accessibility services a shared right and responsibility of university members.
Students should start the registration process as early as possible and let the Office of Accessibility Services know about any delays or other problems with the service provision.
The Accessibility Service Coordinators liaise with the units concerned.
Staff members of the units concerned jointly execute the services.

4.7.2. Students and staff with disabilities

Assess your own needs. Familiarize yourself with the campus environment and programme requirements in advance. This helps think about the possible barriers and required accessibility services and accommodations.
Go through accessibility service guideline carefully. Know your rights.
Register with the Office of Accessibility Services and submit the required documentation of disability as early as possible.
Keep record of any supporting documents and letters of recommended accommodations.
Notify the Accessibility Service Coordinators immediately when:
- there are changes in the disability status;
- you require any change in the accessibility services and accommodations;
- any accessibility service is not being provided correctly;
- there are any problems or unexpected barriers experienced in obtaining the accessibility services and accommodations;
- you would like to discontinue an accessibility service, e.g., note-taking; or
- you would like to add/drop any course(s) for which alternative formats of the teaching and learning materials are required.
Meet the same inherent programme / job requirements expected of all students and staff of the university.
Respect other students and staff with and without disabilities and understand their needs.
Respect the presence and participation of service animals and auxiliary assistants such as personal assistants, sign language interpreters in class and campus events.

4.7.3. Fellow students

Respect other students and staff with and without disabilities and understand their needs.
Respect the presence and participation of service animals and auxiliary assistants such as personal assistants, sign language interpreters in class and campus events.

4.7.4. Fellow staff members

Devise the inherent requirements of the study programmes that students and the Office of Accessibility Services could make use of to work out the reasonable accommodations.
Maintain the integrity of the accessibility services and accommodations. Do not make any accessibility arrangements without prior discussion with the Office of Accessibility Services.
Refer students with disabilities or students who express the need of accessibility services to the Office of Accessibility Services.
Work with students with disabilities and the Office of Accessibility Services in arranging and executing the required accommodations.
Strictly protect students’ privacy and confidentiality when handling accommodations for the students with disabilities.
Respect students and staff with and without disabilities.