Accommodation Consultant, Non-Disability

At the University of Waterloo, we create and promote a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. As an employee, you get support & opportunities that empower you to advance your career. Explore how we can bring big ideas to life, together. The University is a welcoming workplace for those of all abilities, interests, and expertise. As part of our workforce, you can do what you do best, every day.

Learn more about our recruitment process.

Job Requisition ID:

Time Type:

Employee Group:

Job Category:

Employment Type:

Department:

Hiring Range:

Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is October 29, 2026 at 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Accommodation Consultant is accountable for independently assessing, developing, implementing, and monitoring individualized accommodation plans for students and employees requiring accommodation on Code-protected grounds other than disability, including but not limited to creed, family status, and sex, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The incumbent serves as the institutional subject matter expert on non-disability accommodations, applying specialized knowledge of human rights obligations, policy interpretation, case analysis, and risk assessment to support equitable access, procedural fairness, and legally defensible decision-making across both academic and workplace environments.

The position reports to the Director, AccessAbility Services, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Director, Employee Health and Accommodations, ensuring coordination and consistency across student and employee accommodation practices.

Unlike disability-focused roles, this position does not involve clinical assessment or medical documentation review; instead, it requires independent interpretation of human rights principles, institutional policy, and contextual evidence to determine appropriate, reasonable, and sustainable accommodations in complex and sensitive circumstances.

Key Accountabilities

Review and Assessment of Accommodation Applications (for non-disability grounds)

• Independently reviews and assesses applications for accommodation on non-disability grounds, including completed application forms and any supporting documentation or subjective information, to determine eligibility, identify institutional obligations, and assess potential operational, academic, or legal implications. This involves:

• Assessing accommodation requests from students and employees based on Code-protected needs such as religious observance, caregiving responsibilities, and pregnancy-related requirements

• Conducting structured, non-clinical intake conversations to understand barriers to participation or access in academic and workplace contexts

• Evaluating requests using Ontario Human Rights Commission principles, institutional policies, and relevant case law

• Determines whether an application is incomplete, inconsistent, or unclear, and exercises judgment in seeking clarification as appropriate to ensure procedural fairness, evidentiary integrity, and defensible decision-making, with the applicant’s informed consent where required.

• Documents decisions, rationales, actions, and follow-up requirements in the case management system to support continuity, accountability, and institutional defensibility.

Development of Individualized Accommodation Plans

• Develops, implements, and monitors reasonable, individualized accommodation plans that require the incumbent to balance:

• • Duty to accommodate (to the point of undue hardship)
  • Academic requirements and/or bona fide occupational requirements

• • Provides expert guidance on temporary and ongoing accommodations, including situations requiring immediate interim measures, escalation, or coordinated implementation across multiple units.

• Leads the finalization and implementation of accommodation plans, exercising judgment to ensure that plans are reasonable, operationally feasible, respectful of privacy, and aligned with the University’s legal obligations:

• • Employee workplace accommodation plans will involve collaboration with the employee’s manager
  • Student academic accommodation plans will involve collaboration with course instructors and/or graduate supervisors

• • Documents accommodation solutions, implementation decisions, stakeholder communications, and follow-up actions in the case management system.

Case Management and Consultation

• Acts as an institutional point of contact for non-disability accommodation requests across both student and employee populations, triaging matters, determining appropriate pathways, and coordinating responses where multiple stakeholders are involved.

• Provides authoritative advisory support to faculty, supervisors, managers, and administrative units on the interpretation and implementation of accommodations, including but not limited to scheduling adjustments, religious observance, caregiving-related flexibility, and pregnancy-related needs.

• Facilitates collaborative resolution of complex, sensitive, or escalated cases, including competing rights situations, where decisions may have legal, reputational, operational, or academic implications.

• Maintains clear, accurate, and defensible documentation of decisions, rationales, communications, and implementation steps to support accountability, continuity, and potential review.

• Supports a coordinated and consistent institutional approach to accommodation across student and employee domains by advising and collaborating with campus partners, including Human Resources, Faculty and Academic Life, academic units, and EDI-R.

• Identifies appropriate referral pathways where overlapping grounds, intersecting needs, or matters outside the scope of the role are identified, ensuring continuity of support and appropriate institutional response.

Policy Interpretation and Compliance

• Interprets and applies institutional policies, collective agreements where applicable, Ontario Human Rights Commission guidance, and relevant legal principles across both academic and employment contexts.

• Ensures accommodation practices are consistent, equitable, procedurally fair, and legally defensible across the institution.

• Identifies, analyzes, and escalates potential compliance risks, systemic barriers, precedent-setting issues, or inconsistent practices that may affect institutional obligations or risk exposure.

• Contributes subject matter expertise to the development, refinement, and implementation of policies, procedures, guidelines, tools, and training related to non-disability accommodations.

Handling and Managing Confidential Materials

• Controls access to highly sensitive and confidential records, ensuring that information is shared only with those who have a legitimate need to know.

• Ensures data accuracy, document integrity, and appropriate recordkeeping practices to support privacy compliance, continuity of service, and institutional accountability.

• Uses and maintains confidential records appropriately, in accordance with University policy, relevant privacy legislation, and the sensitivity of accommodation-related information.

• Uses systems and technology effectively to manage employee and student records accurately and efficiently

• Ensures accurate and appropriate charting of assessments, decisions, rationales, actions, and communications in the case management system.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Law, Public Policy, Human Rights, Labour Relations, Human Resources, Conflict Resolution, or a related discipline (graduate degree preferred)

• Equivalent combination of education and experience in human rights, equity, accommodation, or workplace/academic case management may be considered

Experience

• 2-4 years experience interpreting and applying legislation, policies, collective agreements, and procedural fairness principles to support equitable, consistent, and compliant decision-making.

• Experience with independently assessing and responding to accommodation requests on Code-protected grounds (e.g., creed, family status, sex, gender identity) in a complex institutional or organizational environment is preferred.

• Experience managing sensitive, complex, and potentially high-risk case files, including assessment, documentation, analysis, stakeholder communication, and communication of outcomes.

• Experience providing authoritative advisory support to managers, faculty, or organizational leaders on accommodation, human rights obligations, and implementation considerations.

• Experience facilitating resolution of complex or competing needs situations, including interpersonal, operational, legal, and rights-based considerations.

• Experience working in a post-secondary, public sector, or unionized environment, with an understanding of both student and employee accommodation contexts, is an asset

• Experience developing, refining, or implementing policies, procedures, guidelines, tools, or training related to accommodation, human rights, or equity is an asset.

• Experience supporting individuals in situations of distress, conflict, or escalation, with the ability to connect individuals to appropriate supports and resources

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Human Rights and Policy Expertise

• Deep knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code, including duty to accommodate, undue hardship, and principles of accommodations

• Strong understanding of accommodation across multiple Code-protected grounds

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply legislation, institutional policies, and collective agreements in complex or ambiguous situations
• Working knowledge of privacy legislation and principles (e.g., PHIPA, FIPPA)

Analytical and Case Management Skills

• Expertise in policy interpretation, case analysis, risk assessment, and defensible decision-making in complex, sensitive, or ambiguous matters.

• Strong understanding of how Code-based barriers impact access and participation in academic and workplace environments
• Demonstrated ability to apply a solution-focused, analytical approach to complex and sensitive issues

Communication, Facilitation, and Relationship Management

• Excellent communication skills (oral and written), with the ability to convey complex and sensitive information clearly and professionally

• Proven ability in stakeholder engagement, facilitation, negotiation, and conflict resolution, including navigating competing rights, competing interests, and operational constraints.

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders

Judgment and Organizational Effectiveness

• Sound independent judgment in balancing equity, privacy, operational requirements, academic integrity, employment obligations, and legal compliance.

• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills

• Ability to manage a varied and time-sensitive caseload in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary environment with competing priorities and confidential information.

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Institutional and Technical Proficiency

• Strong ability to work across student and employee systems within a complex institutional environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience using case management systems or databases to document actions and decisions

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.