Digital Accessibility Coordinator (IT Business Analyst - Journey)

**Contact Information:
Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact Aggie Swanson at (360) 407-7934 or email jobs@des.wa.gov.

NOTE: The Hiring Team may make a hiring decision at any time. It is within your best interest to apply for this position at your earliest convenience.

Who We Are:
The goal of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is to assist in the stable employment and increased independence of Blind, Deaf Blind and Low Vision customers. DSB provides training, counseling, and support to help Washington residents of all ages, who have a visual disability to pursue employment, education, and independent living. Our mission is “Working together with individuals who are Blind, Deaf-Blind or Low Vision so they can flourish in their homes, communities, and workplaces."

What You Will Be Doing:
As the IT Business Analyst, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, you will support DSB by ensuring digital accessibility is a priority agency wide. The position ensures all DSB general use systems are fully accessible to those who are Blind or Low Vision. You will have the opportunity to train all DSB staff and contractors to ensure they understand how to create accessible communications (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, meetings, etc.), provide training and support for DSB users of Adaptive Technology (AT) software/hardware, provide leadership and guidance to DSB AT experts, and update and implement the DSB accessibility strategic plan, and ensure accessibility is incorporated into other DSB policies as appropriate. In this role, you will advocate and educate other public sector agencies in digital accessibility best practices. This position is stationed in the DSB Lacey office and provides statewide support to agency staff, contractors, vendors, and other public sector agencies.
Duties

Some of What You’ll Enjoy Doing Includes:

Utilizing advanced expertise, devises methods and processes to analyze complex accessibility issues and develops innovative solutions to resolve the issues - communicating solutions to both internal and external stakeholders.
Analyze agency accessibility needs.
Collect and analyze data on technical problems associated with adaptive technology tools and identify and recommend software or hardware changes to address recurring issues.
Perform regular audits of digital content, websites, and applications to identify accessibility barriers and recommend remediation strategies.
Coordinate and conduct accessibility testing.
Convey intricate and complex accessibility subtleties to both technical staff and non-technical users.
Work with developers, designers, and content creators to implement accessibility improvements based on audit findings and testing results.
Analyze accessibility issues and find mitigations or temporary resolutions by utilizing advanced scripting languages (such as the Jaws scripting language.)
Work independently and provide guidance to both internal and external staff.
Develop, implement, and enforce accessibility policies. and maintain documentation.
Advocate for accessibility within the agency and within the state enterprise, promoting a culture of inclusivity and ensuring that accessibility is considered in all digital initiatives.
Monitor compliance with accessibility standards.
Stay informed about developments and provide expertise and input on the DSB IT Strategic plan to ensure that the future state of technology has accessibility at the forefront.
Participate in the DSB IT Management and Strategy meetings.
Develop training content for complex adaptive technology software and hardware solutions and provide user training.
Conduct training sessions and workshops to raise awareness and build capacity on accessibility best practices.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
To be eligible for this position, a candidate must also possess the following:

Three (3) years of experience training and educating others on digital accessibility best practices.
Four (4) of experience that includes strong knowledge of digital accessibility standards and guidelines, including WCAG and ARIA, experience conducting accessibility audits and testing using tools such as WAVE, Axe, and screen readers, and familiarity with web technologies (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and their impact on accessibility.

In addition to the above required qualifications, a candidate must possess one (1) of the following required education and/or experience options:

[Option 1]:

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, or a closely related field, or equivalent work experience.

[Option 2]:

Four (4) years of equivalent work experience in Computer Science, Information Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, or a closely related field.

Desirable/Preferred Qualifications:

Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) or equivalent certification.
Experience working in digital accessibility in a similar role or industry.
Experience with the Jaws scripting programming language.
Expertise with assistive technologies used by people with disabilities.
Experience with accessibility testing tools and methodologies.

Position Specific Competencies:

Communication and Collaboration:

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams to ensure complex topics can be communicated clearly and understood by diverse populations.
Works across technical and organizational boundaries, to establish and maintain professional working relationships with co-workers, management and others.
Demonstrates ability to mentor and work effectively with people of different abilities and skill levels.
Respectfully facilitates meetings with clear agendas and keeps discussions on track.

Planning and Implementation:

Ability to make strategic decisions and follow-through on planning and implementation.
Accurately assess the resources necessary to carry out planned actions.
Acquire and integrate input from others regarding timelines, scope, potential problems and opportunities.
Monitor and evaluate plans and adjust as needed.

Judgment & Decision-Making Ability:

Ability to make sound decisions and recommendations consistent with organizational objectives.
Ability to apply pragmatic and incremental tactical solutions with a focus on results while moving toward a higher-level strategic goal.

Negotiation Skills:

Ability to analyze situations and differentiate between wants and needs.
Works with parties with different interests with a view toward compromise and reaching an agreement.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:
Interested? We would love to hear from you! Click “Apply” at the top of this page to start your application. You can save the application and come back to it, if needed. Be sure to complete the application fully to include a full work history and responses to the supplemental questions.

Please provide the following documents in order to be considered; failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:

A letter of interest, describing how you meet the qualifications for this position as outlined in the job posting;
A current resume, detailing experience, and education; and
A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.).

NOTE: By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed. A resume will not substitute for completing the “duties summary” section of the application. Please do not refer to resume for detail, or your application may be disqualified.

Conditions of employment:
Background Check Notice: Prior to any new appointment into the Department of Services for the Blind, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment, but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

Union Inclusion:
This position is included in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Opportunity for All:
The Department of Services for the Blind celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.