Accessibility director to step down after 30 years at UNC

March 1, 1970, marked Jim Kessler’s first day working in disability services, and April 1, 2013, will mark his last.

Kessler, director of the Department of Accessibility Resources and Service, is retiring after spending 30 years working at UNC, starting as a part-time worker with what was then known as the Department of Handicap Student Services.

He had spent years working in Raleigh and in Kentucky in disability services before coming to UNC.

Kessler said the mission of the department is to make the University accessible so students can meet the demands of University life as independently as possible.

“I don’t think it is a matter of working with disabled people — I think it is a matter of working with people,” Kessler said.

He said the fun part of his job is the ability to meet up with students, teach them how to travel independently and then watch them go off by themselves with no assistance.

“I think it’s the ability to work with people, and here at the University the greater part is working with the faculty and staff to make it so students can just be students,” Kessler said.

He played a large role in the department’s name change to the Department of Accessibility Resources and Service.

“If a student wants to identify themself primarily as being disabled, that is a choice issue, and I don’t think we should have an environment that is going to make that the primary identifier all of the time,” Kessler said.

Tiffany Bailey, assistant director of the department, will serve as interim director until the search for a new director is complete.

“Whoever comes in next has big shoes to fill, because Jim is great about advocating for the students and forming relationships with folks,” Bailey said.

Bailey has known Kessler for seven years and worked with him for two years.

“He is really well-known in our field — not even state-wide but nationally,” she said. “I thought it would be an excellent opportunity for me to come here and learn from him.”

Bailey said Kessler’s legacy will live on after his retirement, yet his jokes and presence will be noticeably absent.

“He has great stories, and he has a really calming presence,” Bailey said. “And I think those are the things that folks will miss the most. He is very open and friendly and can engage with anyone.”

Kristen Rademacher, a specialist in UNC’s Learning Center, said she has learned a lot of things she may have never even considered from Kessler, who worked across the hall.

“Jim has been this constant steady figure over here forever,” Rademacher said. “He is really knowledgeable about all kinds of disabilities, and I feel like I have learned a lot from him.”

Kessler said he is looking forward to doing housework in his new free time.

“I will start my retirement on Monday, April 1,” Kessler said.

“It is a Monday, and it is a great way to start the week.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.