The Office of Equal Opportunity coordinates enterprise compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Nondiscrimination Notice It is the policy of the University of Rhode Island to ensure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, or disability in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its services, programs, or activities. Any person who believes their rights under these laws have been violated may file a complaint with the University of Rhode Island Office of Equal Opportunity. Disability rights are civil rights. To report a violation of unlawful discrimination or harassment, including a disability rights violation, visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Discrimination page or file a complaint using the Civil Rights Complaint Form.
Function of the Office of Equal Opportunity
The Office of Equal Opportunity is responsible for investigating complaints of discrimination and harassment on the basis of disability and other protected categories, in employment and service delivery, and leading civil rights compliance efforts at the University of Rhode Island. Students, faculty, and staff interested in filing a complaint may review the Policy on Nondiscrimination and the Procedures for Policy on Nondiscrimination.
- The University of Rhode Island Policy on Nondiscrimination was developed to eliminate, prevent, and address conduct that constitutes prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation at the University.
- The Procedures for Policy on Nondiscrimination have been established by the University to ensure compliance with the Nondiscrimination Policy and are intended to be consistent and compliant with the procedural and substantive provisions of appropriate state and federal law and regulations.
ADA Compliance at the University of Rhode Island
Roles and Responsibilities
The University of Rhode Island is required to designate at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The University has designated the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity as the ADA/504 Coordinator.
ADA/504 Coordinator, Dorca P. Smalley
Office of Equal Opportunity
201 Carlotti Administration Building
75 Lower College Rd
Kingston, RI 02881
Email: dorca_paulino@uri.edu
Phone: 401-874-4929
TTY via R.I. Relay 711
Responsibilities and Authority of the ADA Coordinator
The ADA/504 Coordinator’s responsibilities include assuring compliance with the ADA, Section 503 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, and other federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to persons with disabilities. To assure compliance, the ADA/504 Coordinator ensures appropriate processes are in place to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints and inquiries from URI employees and students, as well as the public, regarding compliance with the ADA and other applicable federal and state laws regarding discrimination based on disability.
This process includes investigating allegations of discrimination and non-compliance under the ADA and other applicable federal and state laws regarding discrimination based on disability. The ADA/504 Coordinator also maintains a record of all disability and accommodation issues and the resolution of each; maintains current information regarding state and federal laws and regulations concerning the rights of persons with disabilities and ways of providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities while maintaining program performance standards; maintains current information regarding state and federal laws and regulations relating to the University’s employment policies and procedures for faculty, staff, and academic professional employees with disabilities.
ADA Partners at the University of Rhode Island
The Office of Equal Opportunity works with the offices listed below to promote accessibility inclusivity in service delivery and employment:
Office of Community, Equity and Diversity: Reporting to the President, the Office of Community, Equity and Diversity, is tasked with promulgating University-wide diversity initiatives that directly align with the University’s transformational goals and academic strategic plan. As a member of the President’s Leadership Council, the Vice President of Community, Equity and Diversity is responsible for promoting critical consciousness, cultural humility, and compassion, for a socially just and equitable campus community. To contact the Division of Community, Equity and Diversity uriced@etal.uri.edu or call (401) 874-7077.
Office of Human Resources Administration: Laura Kenerson, Director of Personnel Services, is the designated Section 503 Coordinator responsible for approving and monitoring reasonable accommodation requests made by University personnel and applicants. Requests for work accommodation are made in writing to the Director of Personnel Services, who is a member of the Office of Human Resource Administration and consults with appropriate officials to consider the request. Once an accommodation is made for an employee, its effectiveness is periodically monitored by both the employee and the Office of Human Resource Administration, in collaboration with the supervisor. If, at some point, the accommodation ceases to be effective in enabling the person to perform the job or is no longer deemed to be necessary (upon medical documentation), alternative accommodation is sought if appropriate. To contact the Director of Personnel Services, email lkenerson@uri.edu or call (401) 874-5271.
Reasonable Accomodations for Employees
Office of the General Counsel: Lauren Jensen, Esq., Deputy General Counsel, is the designated liaison for any questions relating to compliance with the ADA, Section 504, and any other state and federal laws that provide protection for individuals with disabilities. The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the University and is responsible for the coordination and management of all legal issues affecting the University. She can be contacted by emailing ljensen@uri.edu or by calling (401) 874-4491.
Office of Disability, Access, and Inclusion: Paige Ramsdell, Assistant Dean, promotes compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by accepting, reviewing, and approving reasonable accommodation requests made by students in their role as students. For more information regarding the student reasonable accommodation process, please email dai@uri.edu, call (401) 874-5694, or click the button below.
Reasonable Accomodations for Students
Communications and Marketing: Brandon J. C. Fuller, Manager of Web Communications, is responsible for coordinating website accessibility compliance efforts in accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act new regulations for digital accessibility. For questions regarding website accessibility resources at the University, email bjcfuller@uri.edu, call (401) 874-2258, or click the button below:
The Facilities Group is responsible for ensuring Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessible design are met in accordance with Title II and Title III regulations, which require that people with disabilities have access to spaces to allow equal participation in University events. To submit a work request to the Facilities Group, please click the button below or call (401) 874-4060. If you need to follow up on the status of a work order previously submitted, email dorca_paulino@uri.edu. The ADA Coordinator works closely with the Facilities Group to monitor and assess requests that require immediate attention.
ADA Resources
Achieving full participation and integration of people with disabilities requires
the cooperative efforts and responsibility of all of the University’s
departments, offices, and personnel.