Andrea Vassar Named New Director of Disability Services
“Disability inclusion is a shared responsibility,” says Vassar
“[Swarthmore] to me felt like a real community of access, a community of wanting to push the work forward,” says Vassar. “Disability inclusion is a shared responsibility.”
Swarthmore’s new director of Disability Services, Andrea Vassar, joined the College on January 13. Since then, she’s been busy helping Swarthmore roll out a database and portal system for managing disability accommodations called Accommodate.
“We’re really excited about [Accommodate] because it allows us to have better communication with students and faculty,” says Vassar. It also allows students to have access to their records and the faculty to access students’ accommodation letters.
Vassar was familiar with the program from her previous position as the executive director for Campus Accessibility and ADA/504 coordinator at Tulane University in New Orleans. But she’s no stranger to the Philadelphia area. Prior to her work at Tulane, Vassar served as director of Disability Resources and Services at Temple University in Philadelphia.
As she moved up the ranks at these larger institutions, she realized it was taking her away from the part of the work she loved most: students. “I feel much more connected to the work when working side by side with students to make sure their access needs are met,” says Vassar.
The size of Swarthmore and the promise of being able to work more closely with students inspired her to apply for the position. She also cited the College’s values, the dedication of the students, the academic rigor of the institution, and the way Swarthmore prioritizes inclusion. “Those things are most aligned with who I am as a person. I really want to be able to come to work every day and live those values side by side with people who share them,” says Vassar.
The fact that the College already had people working on accessibility issues – such as the Accessibility Working Group and ADA Compliance Program Manager Susan Smythe – may have sealed the deal.
“That to me felt like a real community of access, a community of wanting to push the work forward,” says Vassar. “Disability inclusion is a shared responsibility.”
If you’re interested in learning more about disability access and inclusion, Vassar will be holding a Disability Justice “Lunch and Learn” event on Thursday, April 24, in the IC Dome from noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch is provided, and the event – hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Student Life – is open to all.
