Digital Accessibility Coordinator

Job no:

R-0000001372

Position Title:

Digital Accessibility Coordinator

Faculty or Staff:

Staff

Full Time or Part Time:

Full time

In-Person, Hybrid, or Remote:

Hybrid

Minimum Starting Rate of Pay:

$75,300.00

Rate of pay commensurate with experience

Start Date:

10/01/2024

Job Description:

The Digital Accessibility Coordinator will support Mount Holyoke College in its requirement to ensure equal access to programs, services, and activities offered in digital environments for students, staff, and faculty, and the public. A fundamental goal of the position is to promote equitable and inclusive access to campus technologies as mandated by federal and state laws.

The Digital Accessibility Coordinator will provide subject matter expertise, program management, technology assessment, training and coordination services. This may include digital accessibility consultations or hands-on assessment work related to educational technology, administrative applications, or other relevant technologies used to support college programs, services or activities. The role will also be responsible for maintaining currency/advising stakeholders on changes to applicable laws and legal outcomes, tracking and recording consultation or assessment outcomes, developing and conducting training, identifying process improvement opportunities and coordinating efforts cross-functionally.

Reporting to the Director of Campus Technology and Media Support (CTMS), the Digital Accessibility Coordinator will work closely with the MHC Technology Access Committee, Five College Technology Accessibility Committee and college partners, leading or contributing to campus digital accessibility efforts.

Deliver Digital Accessibility Services

Perform EIT accessibility testing and document testing outcomes; identify and recommend tools and tracking methods/structures. Coordinate external testing services as needed.

Develop, deliver and maintain educational programs, training and related resources that increase campus-wide awareness of accessibility requirements/compliance and enable improved electronic and information technology (EIT) accessibility.

Track and report EIT accessibility status, progress, and other relevant information to campus partners.

Maintain currency with evaluation criteria, practices, tools and procedures needed to conduct and effectively evaluate campus EIT for accessibility compliance.

Support Assistive Technology

Assess, evaluate, and advise the college/internal partners and/or individual employees about assistive technologies. Maintain currency with industry developments regarding assistive technology solutions.

Support the College in planning for sustainable growth and scalability of assistive technologies.

Collaborate with campus partners to coordinate the acquisition, implementation and support of appropriate assistive technology for employees, engaging with vendors and service providers as needed.

Coordinate Campus EIT Accessibility Program

Develop, maintain, recommend or monitor electronic and information technology (EIT) programs/plans to ensure compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other applicable regulations.

Document EIT Accessibility program elements, processes and procedures as needed. Recommend and advise on EIT accessibility criteria for integration into college processes. Recommend best practices for EIT accessibility for new and existing technologies.

Coordinate or conduct digital accessibility reviews. Advise and develop testing plans and related communications. Execute testing plan elements or coordinate plan execution as appropriate.

Maintain currency with applicable laws, practices and legal outcomes, assessing and analyzing implications to college practices. Develop, advise, recommend or implement policy or procedural changes as needed.

Provide guidance, subject matter expertise, and/or leadership to college departments where Electronic Information Technology (EIT) is developed, procured, or supported.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

Collaborate cross-functionally with a variety of campus stakeholders. Coordinate and communicate effectively to ensure progress toward defined objectives.

Work closely and collaboratively with key vendors of EIT, ensure coordination of efforts and/or communication related to advocating for product developments that improve function, services or access.

Further the College's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals by engaging with colleagues to create a welcoming, inclusive, accessible, and user-centered environment in which a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff can thrive.

Contribute to major campus-wide or LITS sponsored events, which may be held at night, on weekends or holidays, and which are part of every employee’s core responsibilities.



Required Qualifications:

College degree or combination of education and relevant Digital/EIT Accessibility experience.

One or more International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Certifications or ability to become certified within 18 months, including:
Certified Professional of Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)

Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS)

Certified Professional of Web Accessibility (CPWA)

Accessible Document Specialist (ADS)

Minimum of 3-5 years of work experience providing solutions in a complex technology environment for persons with disabilities.

Demonstrated experience with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable regulations and standards.

Working knowledge of contemporary assistive technologies, such as screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, Voiceover) voice output (Kurzweil 1000 and 3000, TextHelp), voice recognition, text enlargement, optical character recognition, Braille translation programs, electronic notetakers (e.g., BrailleNote, LiveScribe Pen, Glean,etc..), and other technology used in academic settings.

Working knowledge of current disability law and IT Accessibility best practices, applying State and Federal disability laws, and Universal Design (UD) principles. Demonstrated experience with accessibility standards, policies, regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and guidelines.

Working knowledge of current methods, materials, equipment and technologies used to acquire and produce alternate formats to print for use by individuals with disabilities and proficiency with range of accessible media file formats and programs, such as HTML and XML files, PDF; digital recording software; word processing; file translation and conversion programs and procedures.

Excellent written, oral, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills; sound judgment, initiative, flexibility, and detail‐orientation.

Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a diverse group of people; ability to work independently and autonomously; ability to prioritize among conflicting demands.

Preferred Qualifications:

Project or program management experience, with the organizational and facilitation skills, and desire to untangle complex, subtle problems.

Demonstrated commitment to professional development related to accessibility technologies and state/federal law and regulations.

Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in daily work and the workplace culture.

Preference given to those with experience delivering digital accessibility services in a higher education other educational setting.

Work Conditions

Regularly inspects digital solutions to identify accessibility gaps/concerns.

Frequent use of a computer to complete required work and develop work products.

Regularly communicates and exchanges information with internal and external stakeholders.

Position may be eligible for remote or hybrid work (eligible to perform a combination of remote work and on-site work). The remote/hybrid work schedule will be subject to approval and periodic review in alignment with the College’s Flexible and Adaptive work processes. Remote work opportunities are available in the following states: Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Iowa (IA), Illinois (IL), Maine (ME), Minnesota (MN), North Carolina (NC), New Hampshire (NH), New York (NY), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), Tennessee (TN), Vermont (VT), and Virginia (VA).

Mount Holyoke College is part of the Five Colleges, Inc. Consortium along with Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Five Colleges, Incorporated and its member institutions are equal opportunity, affirmative action employers with a history of commitment to enhancing diversity in their curricula, student bodies, and faculties. Mount Holyoke College’s Library, Information, and Technology Services (LITS) Division empowers a diverse and inclusive learning community equipping every person to purposefully engage the world. We connect people with the information, expertise, spaces, and technologies that enhance their work and fuel scholarly endeavor. Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity in education and employment

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants:

Apply online; application materials must include:

A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications

A complete resume or curriculum vitae

For faculty positions, statements on mentoring, teaching, and research will also be required.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

Mount Holyoke College, the leading gender-diverse women’s college, is dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are a diverse community of staff, faculty, and students, united in our mission to offer an intellectually adventurous education in the liberal arts through academic programs that are renowned internationally for their cross-disciplinary excellence, experiential approach, and commitment to diversity.

Mount Holyoke College is a welcoming and inclusive environment that values and respects individuals of all backgrounds. As an EOE, we encourage members of historically underrepresented groups or nontraditional backgrounds to apply for open positions at our institution. The College has a long-standing tradition of providing women and other historically underrepresented groups with access to an innovative educational experience that prepares students for purposeful leadership by integrating hands-on opportunities into the curriculum. We firmly believe that diversity enriches our community and enhances our ability to prepare students for success in an increasingly globalized world.

We are dedicated to providing equal opportunities for all qualified applicants and to building an exemplary workforce that reflects the diversity of our student body and the communities we serve. Our ultimate goal is to produce graduates who are capable of engaging thoughtfully, effectively, and boldly with the world.