Accessibility and Inclusion Manager

OPEN DATE: November 15, 2024
CLOSING DATE: December 6, 2024
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Open to all Qualified Applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment
Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
Complete a Probationary Period.
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
OVERVIEW
The Accessibility and Inclusion Manager reports to the Director of Learning and Audience Engagement, and will work closely with the Visitor Experience, Digital and Emerging Media, Operations, Communications, Exhibition, and Learning and Audience Engagement departments on projects that further Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s (CHSDM) commitment to providing an accessible and inclusive experience to visitors with disabilities. The Accessibility and Inclusion Manager will provide guidance and counsel on accessibility and inclusion issues and participate in developing and implementing programs for relevant audiences ensuring that access is fully integrated across all museum activities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Administration
Manage rollout of a CHSDM accessibility roadmap to strategically build initiatives and efforts to continue to improve access across the physical site, virtual platforms, and visitor services.
Serve as a liaison between the central Smithsonian Accessibility Office in Washington, DC. and CHSDM. Collaborate on projects with other Smithsonian units and the central office in support of improved access.
Execute all necessary contracts, outline related workflows, project management and additional administrative duties as needed.
Capacity Building Projects
Develop a robust accessibility and inclusion training program for staff and volunteers, particularly visitor services, docents, security, and public programming staff who may be interacting more frequently with people with a wide range of abilities.
Explore the development of an Inclusive Design Working Group (comprised of cross-departmental staff) and and Accessibility Advisory Committee of people with disabilities or their advocates. Work closely with the CHSDM Diversity and Affinity Group to ensure that accessibility and inclusion initiatives and programs are aligned and integrated with the wider strategic concerns of the museum. Maintain contact through mailings, questionnaires, and meetings.
Review and monitor CHSDM’s strategies, products, practices, campus, and resources related to the accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities so that the institution can be in full compliance, specifically related to facilities, exhibitions, public programs, education and marketing materials, and website. Conduct on-going assessments of policies, practices, and programs to ensure that they are equally accessible and inclusive to people with and without disabilities.
Remain current on leading knowledge of accessibility and inclusion issues, best practices and share them with staff as necessary.
Visitor-Centered Projects
Ensure that the Museum-wide, in-gallery interpretation initiatives are accessible and inclusive, including written, digital, and live dialogue for exhibitions and collections. Manage evaluation of accessible and inclusive in-gallery initiatives and designs based on innovative interpretive practices, data, research, exhibition, and audience goals.
Collaborate with Education staff to develop accessible and inclusive visits to the Museum and assist with recruitment of relevant staff as needed. Develop regularly scheduled programs to engage disability audiences including: Morning at the Museum, Touch Tours, and memory loss programming. Create and promote educational resources and programming designed to include people with disabilities.
Co-design and collaborate with people with disabilities to improve the museum’s programs, services, and evaluation practices, working closely with museum leadership.
Lead and build on the museum’s successful cross-departmental image description project to ensure equitable online experiences for individuals with disabilities who use assistive technologies when navigating our website and collections site. Work closely with the Digital and Emerging Media team, to manage Coyote, an open-source, cloud-hosted toolkit, to manage workflow around creating, reviewing, managing, and publishing descriptions online.
Consult on CHSDM’s digital messaging and resources with the goal of promoting accessibility and inclusion in collaboration with Communications, IT, Learning and Digital Emerging Media departments.
Review and advise on exhibition plans throughout the development process, evaluating for accessibility, inclusive considerations, and best practices.
Serve as a primary liaison among the disability community, service organizations, and design practitioners. Steward strategic partnerships for fostering community awareness and support between the disability community and CHSDM. Represent CHSDM’s accessibility and inclusive practices at national conferences and lectures and produce related research.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Knowledge of contemporary philosophies, trends, research, and issues in museum education and museum interpretation.
Demonstrable experience of successfully leading accessibility and inclusion initiatives, ideally in a museum or not-for- profit setting.
Knowledge of the American with Disabilities Act 1990, its implementing regulations, and disability-related policies as they apply to public institutions.
Ability to serve as a program manager for museum accessibility, inclusion, and museum interpretation.
Ability to create programming and information for people of all abilities including people with physical, vision, hearing, cognitive, and developmental disabilities.
Ability to present ideas and to demonstrate interpretation strategies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Understanding and ability to advocate for people of all abilities, including people with physical, vision, hearing, cognitive, and developmental disabilities.
Skill in developing and establishing working relationships with all levels of staff, volunteers, and the general public.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact OHRTrustBranch@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: https://www.si.edu/oeesd.
About Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design and is the steward of one of the most diverse and comprehensive design collections in existence – more than 215,000 design objects spanning 30 centuries. From ancient textiles and works on paper to icons of modern design and cutting-edge technologies, Cooper Hewitt’s collection serves as inspiration for creative work of all kinds and tells the story of design’s paramount importance in improving our world. Cooper Hewitt’s mission is to educate, inspire, and empower people through design.