Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
UNC Pembroke provides equal opportunity in all of its programs, activities and services, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other applicable laws that prohibit disability discrimination.
Through the Office of Human Resources, the employee ADA Coordinator collaborates with the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC), Facilities Operations, the Environmental Health and Safety Office and the Department of Informational Technology (DoIT) to help serve employees who qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified employees upon request. (Students are directed to contact the Accessibility Resource Center ARC at 910-521-6695).
Accessible Virtual Meetings
As we continue to meet in virtual or online environments, we would like to remind you to be cognizant of possible accessibility barriers for our colleagues.
Tips to increase the accessibility of virtual meetings:
Audio – if you are utilizing audiovisual materials during a meeting, ensure the captioning function is enabled.
Text font- use ADA-friendly fonts, such as Tahoma, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, and Times New Roman.
Text size – consider font size when sharing your screen. Using an enlarged font (14, 16, 18) may allow your colleagues to be able to read otherwise illegible material. Also consider sending meeting participants all material in advance, particularly if you require participants to engage with the material.
Text color – refrain from using color-only (especially red) to emphasize content. Consider using multiple methods for emphasis, such as bold font, increased font and/or highlighting. However, do not use italics which may be an access barrier for some persons who have visual impairment(s).
Video – be aware that persons with certain chronic health disabilities may be unable to attend your meeting (without notice) due to a sudden flare-up in their health condition or they may need to leave the meeting abruptly, whether for a short time or for the remainder of the meeting.
Follow-up notes – immediately following the meeting (or shortly thereafter), consider sending a group email with a synopsis of the meeting, any action items, noting the employee responsible for completing each item and an expected timeline.
Additional Resources:
https://www.uncp.edu/departments/accessibility-resource-center/moving-online-faculty
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https://webaim.org/techniques/fonts/
https://accessibility.harvard.edu/hosting-accessible-virtual-meetings-and-events
Services
Contact the Office of Human Resources ADA Coordinator to:
- Confidentially learn more about your rights as a person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act;
- Request a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.
Process for Requesting an Accommodation
Employees should submit the following two forms to the ADA Coordinator:
- Request for Accommodation Form to be completed by the employee;
- ADA Documentation of Disability to be completed by an appropriate diagnosing professional.
Once the ADA coordinator receives adequate information regarding the functional limitations and the impact on accessing job functions, the employee ADA coordinator will make an eligibility determination (i.e., whether the employee is eligible or not for protection under the ADA). The employee will receive notification of eligibility status. If an employee believes they have already provided adequate information to another office at UNC Pembroke (e.g., Leave Administration or a supervisor), they should inform the ADA coordinator. The ADA coordinator will review the existing documentation and inform the employee as to whether any additional information is needed. Medical information provided to the ADA coordinator is kept confidential and, therefore, will not be shared with the supervisor.
An accommodation does not necessarily have to be exactly what the employee requested or had in mind, as long as the accommodation offered is a reasonable alternative. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, to be “otherwise qualified” for one’s position, an employee must be able to perform their essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Resources
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) eeoc.gov – The EEOC is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Information is available on the about the ADA and disability discrimination.
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – JAN is a resource for “free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.”
- United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division ADA.gov provides resources and information relating to ADA employment issues and accessibility.
UNCP Employee ADA Coordinator
Dr. Nicolette S. Campos, Office of Human Resources (OHR)
Phone: 910-775-4341
E-mail: nicolette.campos@uncp.edu