LEAD DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY CONSULTANT

Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701_a11y.pdf)

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. UW is Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, your experiences, perspectives, and unique identities will be honored at the University of Washington. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UW Information Technology (UW-IT) is the central information technology organization for the University of Washington, responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and direction of the UW’s IT infrastructure, resources, and services. UW-IT provides critical technology support to all three campuses, UW Medicine, and research operations around the world. UW-IT partners with the UW community to enable innovation, learning, discovery, and service.

Accessible Technology Services (ATS) within UW-IT helps the University ensure that technology-based teaching, learning, and research tools and resources are accessible to and usable by all students, staff, faculty, and clinicians, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. This unit collaborates with other University units to ensure assistive technology availability and consult on the development of accessible Web sites, other software, and learning spaces. ATS also conducts regional, national, and international projects to promote the use of accessible technology and practices in teaching, learning, and research.

The person in this position plays a lead role on the IT Accessibility Team (ITAT), reporting to the ITAT manager. In addition to the work described below, this lead position organizes, prioritizes, assigns, and ensures completion of work assigned to teammates, working in close coordination with the manager. This position also trains and supervises student staff who enable accessibility for UW units.

The person in this position helps to ensure that IT developed, procured, and used at the University of Washington is accessible to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors, including people with disabilities. They work closely with other UW-IT ATS staff members and others both inside and outside UW-IT to evaluate, develop, recommend, and implement processes to improve the accessibility of UW websites, web-based applications, and other information technology (IT). They conduct detailed accessibility reviews of UW websites, applications, and other IT, and develop summary reports and recommendations. They work collaboratively with UW customers and IT vendors including Workday and Microsoft to prioritize accessibility issues and negotiate roadmaps for fixing the problems identified. They draft guidelines and processes, checklists, how-to documents, and web-based resources to help campus units make their websites and other IT accessible to everyone. They work collaboratively with key stakeholder groups at the UW, including multiple groups of web designers, developers, and UX professionals, to help raise awareness and educate these groups on accessibility best practices. They present IT accessibility best practices to various audiences at the UW and broader audiences at national conferences.

In addition to what work this position performs, how we accomplish our work is of equal importance. Our organizational values require compassionate team players invested in their work that supports the UW Mission: The preservation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge. This organizational unit is highly functional where teammates have a strong work ethic and places a high value on our reputation with other organizational units, our national higher ed colleagues, and our vendor partners.

REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Human Centered Design, Information Science or related field or experience.
Minimum of 4 years’ experience evaluating software, web pages and applications for accessibility using a variety of tools including browser plugins, keyboard accessibility, and assistive technology.
Comprehensive understanding of WCAG 2.1 AA and ARIA.
Experience with assistive technology for computer users with disabilities.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript experience with concentration on accessible design.
Experience with content management systems such as WordPress and Drupal.
Use of basic report writing tools including screen captures, document editing, and limited data recording and presentation.
Ability to communicate technical subjects to non-technical faculty and staff in face-to-face, small group and large group settings.
Experience leading teams.
Demonstrated excellent written/oral communication skills, technical documentation skills, user liaison skills, and personal interaction abilities.DESIRED:
Experience working in the higher education environment.
Experience working in a complex and decentralized organization.
Knowledge of accessible electronic document production and formats, including academic materials such as textbooks.
Supervisory experience, preferably with students including professional development and performance management.
One or of the following certifications: IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC), IAAP
Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS), or DHS Trusted Tester. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Hybrid, required on-site attendance for a minimum of two days per week on our Seattle campus.
Open office environment Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you log into your “My Jobs” page. If you choose to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.