Accessibility Resources Update and Announcement of New Webpage

May 2, 2021

Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels

By Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX

Rufina Hernández (she/her), Associate Director for Equal Opportunity, assumed the role of the ADA Coordinator, concurrently with the relocation of the Office of Equal Opportunity from within Human Resources & Inclusive Community to the Office of the Chancellor. The ADA Coordinator oversees University compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), providing information, expertise, leadership, and guidance to campus constituents on disability-related issues, including physical and digital accessibility, and reasonable accommodations for employees. For any employees, visitors, or applicants seeking an accommodation, please contact ADA.Coordinator@du.edu or call 303-871-3941. Rufina joined the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX in 2016 and has extensive experience in the area of civil and human rights. She served as the Director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division and was formerly Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Denver College of Law, now known as Sturm College of Law. Rufina graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center and is a licensed Colorado attorney. Updates from her office include:

Announcement of Accessibility Webpage

We are excited to announce the new and improved Accessibility Website, which provides students, staff, faculty, applicants, and visitors with a knowledge base and resources to request accommodations, report issues, and learn about University policies. The website includes a reporting mechanism for community members to communicate an accessibility problem/obstacle on the DU campus. Whether it be a physical or digital barrier, we encourage you to report concerns using the report button or by contacting the ADA Coordinator directly at 303-871-3941 or ADA.Coordinator@du.edu.

An additional goal for this website is to engage the entire community in learning about and actively working to create and maintain an inviting and inclusive environment at the University of Denver. Please also visit accessibility.du.edu for an events checklist to use for planning inclusive programming or to request captioning.

Updates To Campus Map

The campus map is regularly updated to reflect current changes to the DU Campus, including accessible entrances and routes. Click on Campus Map > ADA Map; from there, you can identify accessible pathways into various buildings. These pathways are also snow removal routes during the winter season and will be cleared of snow.

Digital Accessibility Specialist

Bill Casson (he/him) joined DU in December 2020 as the part-time digital accessibility specialist. He has been working in the digital accessibility space for about four years, most recently serving as an advisor for the Learning Effectiveness Program. Previously, as a graduate student at CU Boulder, Bill served on the IT student-governance board. Bill grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and got his B.A. in physics and math/computer science in 2011 from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He has been blind his whole life and fully blind since 2008. He looks forward to working with the DU community to advance accessibility and usability for all at DU.

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