URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA KOKUA PROGRAM AND DISABILITY SERVICES ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION.

HCR109

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

109

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

Urging the University of hawaii to evaluate the
effectiveness of the university of hawaii at manoa kokua program and disability
services across the university system and identify areas for improvement and
expansion
.

����
WHEREAS, creating
an accessible, inclusive, and supportive learning environment where people may
thrive, regardless of ability, is a guiding principle for higher education in
the State; and

����
WHEREAS, colleges
and universities, other post-secondary institutions, and a public system of
higher education have an obligation to provide access to students with
disabilities in all institutional programs and activities in compliance with
the Americans with Disabilities Act; and

����
WHEREAS, the
United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey found that the
percentage of college students with disabilities has nearly doubled during the
last two decades, with as many as twenty-one percent of students reporting a
disability in 2020; further, the National Center for Education Statistics found
that during the 2019-2020 academic year, twenty-three percent of Pacific
Islander undergraduate students reported having a disability; and

����
WHEREAS, there
is a discrepancy between the rate of students reporting having a disability,
and the rate of the students registering with their campus disability center,
with only seven percent of students registered at public institutions; and

����
WHEREAS, students
with disabilities face increased rates of basic needs insecurity such as food,
housing, health care, and transport access, yet have not been identified as a
vulnerable social category by the
Landscape Assessment of Student Basic
Needs Insecurity in the University of Hawai
ʻ
i's System
report; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Office of Student Equity, Excellence, & Diversity (SEED) works to ensure
access and opportunity through research focused on impact that fosters academic
excellence and success, and student affair programs that are shaped by
connections to place, community, and society; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the
University of Hawaii is urged to evaluate the effectiveness of the University
of Hawaii Kokua Program and disability service programs across the University
of Hawaii System and identify areas for improvement and expansion; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Manoa SEED program is requested to
conduct a study or survey to assess how to better improve student outreach and
knowledge of disability support and provide recommendations for improving
access, including but not limited to:

����
(1)
�
Optimizing the disability services
registration process;

����
(2)
�
Improving the speed of faculty letter
transmittal and classroom relocation so as to not impact registration and
attendance;

����
(3)
�
Assessing solutions for long-term building
inaccessibility due to broken elevators;

����
(4)
�
Accommodating a broader range of disabilities
that may need innovative accessibility solutions; and

����
(5)
�
Implementing a framework for accommodations
regarding barriers with transport, attendance, and basic needs access; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Manoa SEED program is requested to
submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed
legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the
President of the University of Hawaii and Assistant Vice Provost for Student
Success.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

UH;
Kokua Program; Student Disabilities Services