Rice University’s Disability Resource Center has been reorganized and expanded into two offices: one for students named the Student Disability Resource Center, while Human Resources will lead a second program to support faculty and staff, including the inclusive design committee that prioritizes projects within the annual funding allocated for Americans with Disabilities Act physical space needs.
These dedicated offices aim to provide comprehensive support tailored to the growing needs of our campus.
This initiative follows a thorough assessment conducted in collaboration with the Association on Higher Education and Disability and incorporates valuable feedback from students and employees, who have expressed a desire for more robust services and increased engagement.
For students
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) will serve as a central resource for undergraduate and graduate students. Students with a formal disability diagnosis can request accommodations through the SDRC. The center will also provide support and resources to offer academic assistance to those without formal diagnoses.
Services include personalized case management, support to enhance learning experiences and referrals to external providers for assessments and additional support. By focusing specifically on student needs, the office will enable Rice to expand and refine its services, ensuring they align with the evolving needs of the campus community.
Sandra Harrison will start as the director of the SDRC in November. Harrison comes to Rice with 13 years of leadership experience in disability at Pepperdine University, where she led a center of six staff with innovative ideas and a demonstrated commitment to the students she served.
Lesley Craig-Unkefer, who has been providing services to students through the Student Wellbeing Office, has assumed the role of associate director and will develop a robust case management system for students.
Liz Boyle is the student support specialist and office administrator, whose new role is to provide case management and support to students and assist with the daily operations of the office.
Accommodated testing
The Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students (OASUS) will expand upon last spring’s limited opening of the new Testing Center by providing accommodated testing support for 10 courses this fall. In partnership with faculty members who teach these courses, the Testing Center (Room 522A, Fondren Library) will offer an accessible testing environment for students recommended for accommodated testing. Other undergraduates will continue to receive testing accommodations made directly with their instructors with support from the SDRC. This pilot semester will include data gathering to understand the demand for Testing Center resources from our growing student population. It is expected that Testing Center capacity will increase significantly when the Moody Complex for Student Life and Opportunity opens in fall 2027.
Faculty and staff
Disability services for faculty and staff will now be provided through HR under Verónica Villaseñor, manager of benefits and compensation. This change ensures that employees have a dedicated resource for workplace accommodations, accessibility support and guidance on ADA compliance.
HR is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment. Faculty and staff with questions or requests for accommodation are encouraged to contact HR directly at facstaffada@rice.edu. All requests for accommodation will follow the ADA’s interactive process, which is a flexible, two-way conversation between Rice and the employee to explore various accommodation options.
ADA coordinator
Richard Baker has been appointed as Rice’s ADA and Section 504 coordinator. This role will be in addition to his leadership as executive director of equal opportunity services and Title IX coordinator at Rice. Baker will be responsible for overseeing compliance with the ADA and Section 504 to advance the university’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
He ensures equitable access to programs, services and facilities by supporting the development of accessibility policies; managing and coordinating responses to requests for accommodations from the public; and coordinating the management of accommodation requests, including the appeals process, across the university.
Digital accessibility
As part of Rice’s commitment to enhancing accessibility, the university is launching a critical digital accessibility campus initiative to ensure all digital content, websites and software applications are accessible to all members of the Rice community and meet the compliance requirements of federal regulations.
This reinforces the university’s belief that every individual should have equal access to information, a key element in fostering an empowered campus culture. Visit the Digital Accessibility website for guidance on getting started, training opportunities and updates on this initiative.
Policy updates
Policy 402, Access and Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities, was revised Oct. 1 to reflect the changes made to the structure of disability services on campus and add more guidance around emotional support and service animals on campus.
The updated version of Policy 402 is a more detailed, process-oriented update that adds clear definitions, documentation requirements, confidentiality rules and step-by-step procedures for requesting and implementing accommodations. It separates the ADA/Section 504 coordinator role from operational offices, expands faculty and visitor responsibilities, broadens guidance on service and emotional support animals and integrates digital accessibility, appeals and discrimination complaint processes.