By Selena Stevens

The change in mileage rates brings UK's reimbursements in line with those paid by state government to persons with disabilities.

The change, proposed by the UK Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office and effective immediately, increases the rate from the standard 30 cents per mile, which applies to all employees, to 44 cents per mile. State employees with disabilities are reimbursed at a rate of $0.4375 for the use of their personal vehicles.

“We had employees and even students with disabilities who were having to find other travel arrangements to make needed trips,” said Patty Bender, UK’s affirmative action/equal opportunity compliance officer. “Most ended up having to use their personal vehicles, which can cost more to drive and maintain than a regular vehicle.”

Qualified employees are those who have a disability and drive a modified vehicle necessitated by the disability. Those employees must request the new rate by writing a letter to the Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office. The letter must include the employee’s name, title, business address and telephone number, a description of the modifications made to the personal vehicle, the disability necessitating the modifications and a statement from the employee that this is the only vehicle the employee is able to drive for the purpose of completing university travel.

An approval letter will be provided by the AA/EOP office to employees that must be copied and attached to future reimbursement requests. The letter will state only that the employee is approved for the new rate, and no confidential or medical information will be included. All information submitted to the AA/EOP office in the application for the new rate will be kept on file for use by that office only.

For more information, contact the AA/EOP office at (859) 257-8927.