KU announces new director of Accessibility & ADA Education
LAWRENCE — Jamie Simpson has been hired as director of Accessibility & ADA Education by the University of Kansas. The new position was created to assist in achieving the goals outlined in the report of KU’s Americans with Disabilities Act task force and Goal 5 of KU’s strategic plan Bold Aspirations, Developing Excellence in People.
“I am excited to bring Jamie’s leadership to the Lawrence campus,” Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity Fred Rodriguez said. “Her position will be a tremendous asset to KU as we continue to strive toward an inclusive campus community for everyone.”
The new Director of Accessibility & ADA Education will be reporting to the Office of Diversity and Equity and work closely with KU’s other programs committed to all aspects of diversity.
“This is an exciting opportunity to initiate and coordinate programs and activities that will strengthen the goal of a campus climate consistent with ADA and enhance the spirit of inclusiveness at KU,” Simpson said.
Since 2007, Simpson has been the disability program coordinator in the Bureau of Health Promotion at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment where she has worked to systematically integrate people with disabilities and disability issues into other programs and Bureaus at KDHE. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Kansas Medical Center School of Nursing, teaching a course on caring for people with disabilities.
Simpson is a KU alumna, earning her Bachelor of Arts from the department of Applied Behavioral Science and her master’s degree from the School of Education. While pursuing her master's, she worked at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living on a project to measure independent living services and their effect on community participation for people with disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter.
Simpson’s first day as director of Accessibility & ADA Education is Thursday, March 22.