Staff and Faculty
- Request Accommodations
- Documentation Guidelines
- Temporary Accommodations
- Medical Alert
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Appeals
- Information for Supervisors
- Consultation
- Information and Links
- Contact Information
Disability Resource Center for Employees and Faculty
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act provides protections and guidelines for qualified persons with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations in the work environment.
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) works in conjunction with Human Resources, individual departments and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action in providing disability-related services.
Staff or faculty members who are disabled and need accommodations should tell one of the following: their immediate supervisor, department chair/director or the Human Resources Department. If an employee suggests that he/she may need a change to a work environment or the way work is performed because of a disability, and this is not a request that you would normally approve as part of your usual department practice, the employee should be referred to the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
A disability, as defined by federal law, is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as walking, hearing, seeing or learning. A staff or faculty member requesting accommodations must self-identify and provide recent documentation of his or her disability. This documentation is used to establish the staff or faculty member as an individual with a disability, and provides rationale for reasonable accommodations. When providing the necessary documentation, staff or faculty members should refer to the Disability Documentation Guidelines. These guidelines help staff and faculty members know what information is needed to establish eligibility as an employee with a disability that necessitates accommodations.
Employees with temporary work or mobility restrictions should contact the DRC to evaluate options for assistance during their recovery period (e.g., temporary accessible parking registration).
Employees with major medical or physical conditions (e.g., epilepsy, diabetes, cardiac conditions) that might cause a health crisis while at work should consider completing a Medical Alert form, available through the DRC.
If an employee chooses to complete the Medical Alert Notice, he/she then distributes the form to various work personnel. Examples might include the Rice EMS unit, coworkers or an employee’s supervisor. Contact the director of the DRC to discuss the form and possible distribution to selected personnel.
Completing a Medical Alert Notice does not guarantee specific medical responses or treatments in the event of a crisis. The purpose of the form is merely to familiarize university personnel with an employee’s medical background in the event of such a crisis.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Individuals at Rice with disabilities including mobility impairments, visual impairments, hearing impairments, speech impairments, and cognitive impairments should plan for evacuation in case of emergency. Please fill out the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan for the residential college, office building, lab or other facilities where you expect to be on a regular basis. Forward the plan to the Disability Resource Center and file updates as needed. The plan will be submitted to RUPD and the Fire Safety Officer. Additional Procedures for Persons with Disabilities
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Evacuation Procedures
Additional Procedures for Persons with Disabilities
When preparing the plan keep in mind the four elements of evacuation information that people need.
- Notification (What is the emergency?)
- Way finding (Where is the way out?)
- Use of the way (Can I get out myself, or do I need help?)
- Self
- Self with device
- Self with assistance
- Assistance (What kind of assistance might I need?)
- Who
- What
- Where
- When
- How
A person who is not satisfied with the accommodations provided may seek advice from the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) partners with supervisors to create accessible workplace environments and implement reasonable accommodations for employees. The DRC is available to consult with supervisors about how to create work environments that are accessible and inclusive for a diverse range of employees, making it less necessary to implement accommodations on an individual basis.
What is a Reasonable Accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation is a change to an application process, work environment, or the way work is customarily performed that enables an employee with a disability to enjoy equal access.
Interactive Process for Exploring Accommodations:
If an employee suggests that he/she may need a change to a work environment or the way work is performed because of a disability, and this is not a request that you would normally approve as part of your usual department practice, the employee should be referred to the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
If an employee requests a reasonable accommodation the Disability Resource Center (DRC) will contact you to discuss the request. The DRC may ask for a copy of the employee’s job description and ask you questions about the employee’s duties and responsibilities, including the frequency with which particular tasks are performed. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) greatly appreciates your prompt response and partnership throughout this process.
Based on the information gathered from the employee, supervisor, and other individuals as appropriate, the Disability Resource Center (DRC) will make a determination about whether the accommodation requested is reasonable.
The director of the DRC is the resource at Rice University on matters relating to general disability information.
Location: Allen Center, Room 111
Hours of operation: Regular business hours year-round M-F (8:30 am - 5:00 pm)
Phone: (main) 713-348-5841
Fax: 713-348-5888
E-mail: adarice@rice.edu