A knowledge-based system to assist university administrators in meeting disability act requirements

This paper describes the implementation of a knowledge-based system to support the work processes required to administer ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) policies and procedures. The system helps staff at an institution of higher learning rapidly, accurately, and consistently determine the appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities and to generate the necessary documents. The system was designed to automate tasks previously performed manually, train new staff members, and capture knowledge to enable the university organization to improve services. In a rank-order analysis of benefits, the system was rated 70% higher than prior practice, particularly in decision quality and task performance. The net present value of the project was positive. The knowledge engineers and the domain expert validated the benefits of the system with actual and hypothetical student data. The system was found to improve task performance and save time, resulting in increased employee and client satisfaction. The system also provided a measure of competitive advantage to the organization.