Departmental Accessibility Resource Coordinators

The ACCESS-ed Project is developing, infusing, and testing a process to deliver a campus infrastructure that can self-sustain a universal design (UD) environment that will benefit all students. Universal design in the realm of higher education includes the instructional element, information media, and the entire campus physical environment. To achieve the goal of transitioning a campus to an emphasis on universal design to meet the needs of all students, especially students with disabilities or other special needs, a multifaceted change process in the form of a campus DARC strategy favors a combined bottom-up and top-down approach to the dissemination of the ideas, information, and UD strategies. A Departmental Accessibility Resource Coordinator (DARC) network requires a manager or management team and a steering committee on each participating campus.  With guidelines developed by the ACCESS-ed staff, the manager(s) and/or steering committee facilitate the development of the DARC network.

Goals and Objectives for the Departmental Accessibility Resource Coordinator (DARC)

1. To promote an accessible campus climate environment for all students, other consumers and staff with disabilities.
2. To facilitate a support system approach toward universal design concepts in education/instruction.
3. To promote universal design concepts in education/instruction within departmental structures.