Disability Navigators

The Disability Navigators are a part of the LSA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and also work closely with LSA Human Resources. They are under the leadership and supervision of Chief People Officer, Karla Renée Williams. For complex scheduling concerns, you can reach out to the DEI Administrative and Project Coordinator, Courtney Kliss (klissc@umich.edu).

To accomplish the above objectives, the Disability Navigators carried out a systematic inquiry to understand the issues impacting LSA employees with disabilities, as well as possible solutions. This involved over 60 conversations with groups that included the associate deans, chief administrators, campus units, and individuals from the U-M disability community.  

Our main goal is to ensure that LSA has a sustainable and robust suite of disability services and resources for employees with disabilities. 

Our current work focuses on the following three pillars:

1. Individual disability accommodations
2. Educational workshops and resources
3. Accessibility in LSA (physical spaces and digital spaces, including events)

LSA employees may consult with the Disability Navigators on any disability or accessibility-related topic and we will refer to partner offices when appropriate.

We welcome feedback, ideas and concerns as this pilot unfolds. You can reach us at LSA.Disability.Navigators@umich.edu.

We recognize the talents and gifts that employees with disabilities bring to the College of LSA, and we understand it is important to create workplaces that value these employees and know how to support them. We believe disclosing your disability should be a positive and affirming experience. We know accommodations enable people to do their best work, so the process to access accommodations should be easy to understand and navigate. 

We believe accessibility and disability inclusion must be centered within diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. To progress in these areas, a shared understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of accessibility and disability inclusion will be critical, along with changes to our practices and environments. Education, resources, and clear accountability for outcomes will be necessary. We know accessible spaces and experiences benefit everyone. We trust that when we know better as a community and have the tools we need to do this work, we’ll do better at creating accessible and inclusive environments. 

Having disabilities ourselves, we value the opportunity to build community among LSA employees with disabilities and to raise awareness about our shared contributions and concerns. We understand not everyone with a disability in LSA will want to identify as a part of this community and that is okay. We want to make sure employees with disabilities know they are welcome and have access to a support network if they need it. We also believe it is important that the broader LSA community knows we are here, understands our diversity, and appreciates how we add to U-M’s institutional fabric.

We approach this work holistically, considering how our culture, physical and digital spaces, processes, and individuals can shape positive experiences of access and disability within the College of LSA and beyond.