Seton Hill University’s Director of Disability Services, Kimberley A. Bassi-Cook, M.Ed., L.P.C., N.C.C., was selected for the second cohort of a national program, the Disability Resource Professional (DRP) Academy through the Docs with Disabilities Initiative.

As part of the Academy, Bassi-Cook participated in a hybrid learning experience with other disability resource professionals from across the country. The curriculum began virtually in September and focused on building knowledge in critical areas such as legal issues, clinical accommodations, supporting requests for accommodations on licensure examinations, and assistive technology. 

The program culminated with a five-day in-person residency at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in February in Los Angeles. The Academy also includes one year of mentorship with experienced professionals that began in March 2024 and access to medical and health science school DRPs from across the country. Kimberley has been matched with Matthew A. Sullivan, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Disability Resources, Washington University in St. Louis and Rosezetta Henderson, M.S., Director of Disability Services, Health Sciences, UC San Diego.

Bassi-Cook has served the Seton Hill community since 2006, first as Coordinator of Disability Services then as Associate Director of Disability Services since 2014. She has been Seton Hill’s Director of Disability Services since 2022.

She was selected for the program for her decades of experience and commitment to advancing access and inclusion in the health sciences for individuals with disabilities. She participated in the cohort with DRP professionals from notable medical schools such as Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Vanderbilt University and now feels more confident in her ability to work with more specialized accommodations needs in the health sciences field.

“One in four people will experience a disability in their lifetime,” Bassi-Cook said. “There are many appropriate ways to accommodate access that do not compromise the quality of the skills students are developing in our programs and meet the professional and technical standards needed in their future career paths.”

“We hope to speak to any students who may be eligible for accommodations through our office to work with us as early in the application process as possible so we can review appropriate accommodations in preparation for their time on campus. We want to approach this proactively so that students are prepared for their program and know how to navigate accommodations in their field of study,” she added.

Bassi-Cook’s experience in the cohort will be of benefit to the approximately 750 students who study health-related fields at Seton Hill at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels.