Rights and Accommodations

Faculty with disabilities have rights under federal, state, and local laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These rights include reasonable and suitable accommodations that allow equal footing to participate in teaching, research, campus activities, and tenure participation. Below we feature articles and resources on these topics.

  • Accommodating Faculty Members Who Have Disabilities
    Faculty members who have disabilities can often be overlooked in the campus accommodation processes. This report from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) addresses practical and legal issues concerning faculty members who have disabilities. 
  • Faculty Members, Accom­modation, and Access in Higher Education
    A collaborative essay and responses responses on accommodation and access for people with disabilities in higher education, published by the Modern Language Association (MLA).
  • Ability Magazine's Thought Leaders
    Thought leaders from entertainment, academia, sports, advocacy, government, business, and non-profit fields reflect on their meanings and relevance in modern civil rights conversations, while looking ahead at what is still needed—and how to create it. Learn from diverse thought leaders as they reflect and lead us into the next frontier of disability rights and inclusion.
  • Occupation and Industry Series: Accommodating Educators with Disabilities
    Article from the Job Accommodation Network's office of disability employment policy giving guidance on assisting educators with disabilities. 
  • Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members Who Have Disabilities
    An American Association of University Professors (AAUP) media release that describes the rights and responsibilities for faculty members who have disabilities. 
  • The Job Search and Disclosing your Disability
    This video explores strategies for disclosing disability-related information in the workplace. Interns and employees with disabilities should consider if, when, and how they want to share information about their disability.
  •  Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
    Free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues. JAN provides free one-on-one practical guidance and technical assistance on job accommodation solutions, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities.
  • Time Harms: Disabled Faculty Navigating the Accommodations Loop
    Focusing on the theme of “slowness,” this article demonstrates that an individualized approach to access in university life worsens inequity rather than alleviating it and argues that we need to work towards a system of collective accountability rather than individual accommodation.
  • Recorded 20th Anniversary ADVANCE Presentations & Panels
    Watch recordings of webinars, including those from AccessADVANCE, that discuss a variety of topics around gender equity within academia.
  • Other Legal Resources
    Resources to help postsecondary educators with disabilities more fully understand their rights and responsibilities as well as those of students with disabilities.
  • Case Studies, Q&As, and Promising Practices on Accessibility Law
    Examples and strategies from the DO-IT Knowledge Base.