Disability Resource Officer

Rocky Vista University•Billings, MT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Disability Resource Officer supports student access, academic success, and persistence, with primary responsibility for students at the Montana campus and additional university-wide responsibilities as assigned. Reporting to the Director of Disability Support Services, this position combines disability resource professional practice with evidence-based learning support. The Disability Resource Officer engages students in the interactive accommodation process; evaluates disability documentation and functional impact; determines or recommends reasonable accommodations; coordinates implementation across didactic, laboratory, simulation, testing, and clinical settings; and serves as a campus resource on disability access, applicable law, technical standards, confidentiality, and inclusive educational practices. The position also develops learning and licensure-exam preparation strategies, and collaborates with faculty, academic leaders, testing staff, and Student Affairs colleagues to reduce barriers while maintaining essential academic and professional standards.

Requirements

3+ years of direct experience supporting students with disabilities and administering or coordinating reasonable accommodations in a postsecondary educational setting.
Demonstrated working knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, and other disability-related legal and ethical requirements applicable to higher education.
Demonstrated experience reviewing disability documentation, engaging in the interactive process, managing confidential cases, and coordinating accommodation implementation.
Experience providing disability services or academic support in medical, health professions, or other clinically oriented educational environments.
4+ years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, disability/accessibility services, academic support, student affairs, counseling, education, or a related field.
Broad working knowledge of medical and health professions education, including didactic, laboratory, simulation, assessment, and clinical learning environments.
Advanced knowledge of disability assessment, functional limitations, the interactive process, and reasonable accommodation practices in higher education.
Ability to analyze disability documentation and complex accommodation requests using sound independent professional judgment while recognizing matters requiring escalation.
Working knowledge of technical standards and the relationship among accommodations, essential requirements, academic rigor, patient safety, fundamental alteration, undue burden, and direct threat considerations.
Working knowledge of ADA, Section 504, FERPA, applicable state law, relevant case law, and institutional policy governing disability access and confidentiality.
Knowledge of national board and licensure examination accommodation processes and the ability to guide students through documentation, timing, submission, and reconsideration requirements.
Knowledge of evidence-based learning strategies, student development principles, academic coaching, remediation, and support for neurodiverse learners.
Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, academic leadership, clinical education teams, testing staff, students, providers, and other institutional partners.
Ability to provide consultation and training to faculty and staff regarding accommodation implementation, accessibility, universal design for learning, and student referral practices.
Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in writing, one-to-one consultation, and presentations to small and large groups.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries, consistency, transparency, and ethical decision-making in sensitive student matters.
Strong case-management, organizational, documentation, project-management, and follow-through skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and complex cases.
Ability to use data and assessment findings to evaluate services, identify barriers, prepare reports, and support continuous improvement and strategic planning.
Working knowledge of assistive technology, accessible instructional materials, and disability-related resources relevant to postsecondary and health professions education.
Ability to create professional correspondence, policies, procedures, training materials, reports, presentations, and student-facing resources.
Demonstrated commitment to equitable access, inclusive excellence, respectful collaboration, and a student-centered approach to disability support.
Ability to orally communicate effectively with others.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing, using the English language.
Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisory staffs at all levels.

Nice To Haves

6+ years of professional experience in higher education student support, disability/accessibility services, or academic success initiatives.
Experience supporting accommodation requests for national board or licensure examinations.
Experience with technical standards, clinical or simulation accommodations, assistive technology, or accessible instructional practices.
Experience developing training materials, policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), assessment tools, or reports.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Montana campus Disability Resource Professional and collaborate closely with the Director of Disability Support Services to provide consistent, legally sound, student-centered disability support services.
Meet individually with students requesting accommodations and engage in an ongoing interactive process to identify disability-related barriers and determine appropriate reasonable accommodations.
Review medical, psychological, neuropsychological, and other disability documentation; evaluate functional impact in the context of medical education; request additional information when necessary; and make or recommend accommodation determinations consistent with university procedures and applicable legal requirements.
Develop and manage individual accommodation plans and coordinate approved accommodations with students, faculty, course directors, testing staff, clinical education personnel, preceptors, and other appropriate offices.
Assess and coordinate accommodations in didactic courses, written examinations, performance-based assessments, laboratories, anatomy, simulation, skills activities, and clinical training environments.
Evaluate accommodation requests in relation to essential program requirements and technical standards, and identify when a request may raise concerns regarding fundamental alteration, undue burden, direct threat, patient safety, or other matters requiring consultation or escalation to the Director, institutional leadership, or legal counsel.
Assist students with accommodation requests for national board and licensure examinations and provide accurate guidance about documentation requirements, timelines, possible outcomes, reconsideration processes, and the independence of external testing organizations.
Provide guidance related to disability access during the transition from undergraduate medical education to graduate medical education, including disclosure considerations, residency-related accommodation processes, and referrals to appropriate resources.
Maintain current working knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, applicable state law, relevant case law, accreditation expectations, disability-services best practices, and institutional policies.
Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records of requests, documentation, determinations, communications, and accommodation implementation using university systems and established procedures.
Maintain working knowledge of assistive technology and accessible instructional practices relevant to medical and health professions education.
Serve as a knowledgeable resource to faculty, staff, and academic leaders on disability access and the effective implementation of approved accommodations.
Consult with Deans, Program Directors, department chairs, course directors, clinical education teams, testing personnel, and other stakeholders regarding complex accommodation questions and accessible implementation.
Develop and deliver training, workshops, presentations, and resources for faculty, staff, and students on ADA/Section 504 responsibilities, confidentiality, accommodation implementation, referral processes, technical standards, universal design for learning, and inclusive educational practices.
Collaborate with faculty and instructional partners to identify barriers, promote accessible course materials and assessments, and develop alternative methods for students to demonstrate required competencies when appropriate without compromising essential program standards.
Participate in review and continuous improvement of disability-services policies, procedures, forms, templates, standard operating procedures, communications, and case-management workflows.
Collect and maintain service data, prepare reports, assess utilization and outcomes, identify recurring barriers or emerging trends, and contribute to accreditation, compliance, assessment, and strategic-planning activities.
Monitor developments in disability law, medical and health professions education, national testing accommodations, technical standards, and inclusive practices; communicate relevant updates to the Director and campus partners.
Support continuity of Disability Support Services operations during periods when the Director is unavailable or when additional cross-campus coverage is needed.
Operate as an active member of Student Affairs and the broader university community.
Participate in Student Affairs meetings, events, committees, working groups, and collaborative initiatives related to student success, retention, access, and inclusive excellence.
Maintain a clear understanding of university and college academic policies and help students navigate institutional processes and appropriate resources.
Develop strong collaborative relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and external professionals while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
Perform other duties consistent with the scope and level of the position as assigned.