[Hiring] Instructional Accessibility Specialist @Ohlone College

Role Description

The ideal candidate will serve as a collaborative, campus-wide leader advancing digital accessibility across all departments to meet Department of Justice Title II compliance. The candidate will have the interpersonal skills and experience working with various employees – administrative assistants, instructional aids, staff, administrators, and faculty. This role requires strong project management and data skills, including benchmarking accessibility efforts, tracking progress, and supporting data-informed decision-making. The candidate will use a customer-service approach and actively assist others with remediation of digital content, while balancing the act of empowering others through facilitation of training and workshops. The ideal candidate will also bring technical expertise in accessibility tools and practices to achieve Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.

Under the general direction of the Administrator, provide expertise in universal design application and assist faculty and other instructional staff with ensuring that digital documents and other materials are accessible using universal design techniques and WCAG AA standards. Provide training in creating, curating, and remediating accessible digital instructional materials. Actively contribute digital accessibility expertise by participating in college initiatives such as Zero Cost Text/Open Educational Resources (ZCT/OER) and Accessibility Capability Maturity Model (ACMM).

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and deliver training and course materials for faculty and staff in the areas of digital content accessibility.
• Advise and assist faculty and staff in learning management system(s) and other technology to create content that integrates with assistive technology.
• Track digital course content accessibility compliance.
• Perform audits and validation testing on software and documents, based upon Section 508 and/or W3C WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines.
• Work in collaboration with Information Technology Services, Student Accessibility Services, Distance Education, and other related departments to plan, coordinate and educate the college community about the importance of universal design for learning.
• As ACMM co-facilitator, identify and recommend areas where existing policies and procedures require change, or where new ones need to be developed, especially as it relates to information and communications technology accessibility.
• As ACMM co-facilitator, write detailed findings to document identified issues and recommend potential solutions and best practices for remediation of accessibility violations and areas for improvement.
• Manage implementation of multi-year ACMM plan and document progress.
• Work with third-party service providers, vendors, and serve as a liaison for information and communications technology accessibility services.
• Monitor and advise on new or changing laws and technical standards related to technology accessibility.
• Assist in making complex documents accessible and recommend solutions for future reference.
• Remediate instructional video captions for accuracy.
• Participate in conferences and activities related to technology and accessibility.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of the Colleges’ students, faculty, staff and community.
• Effectively engage and support historically disproportionately impacted groups by addressing issues of equity and improving culturally responsive service-oriented practices.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge Of

• Fundamentals and techniques of creating and producing online forms, and digital media.
• Development, assessment, and remediation of accessible web pages.
• Accessibility testing tools.
• Web accessibility laws and web standards, including ARIA and HTML 5, and WCAG 2.0.
• Use of latest methods for progressive enhancement and responsive/adaptive design.
• Current technology including web development tools, computer graphics packages, courseware authoring tools and/or learning management systems, content management systems, with particular expertise in accessibility features of MS Word and Adobe Acrobat software.
• Teaching and or presentation experience.
• Experience with course or program development.
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Instructional Material Accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, in accordance with California Government Code §7405.

Skills To

• Interpret, apply, and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
• Serve as a technical resource for ICT accessibility to faculty and staff.
• Meet schedules and timelines.
• Work collaboratively within a team(s).
• Maintain records and files.
• Differentiate colors and provide guidance on color contrast requirements that meet WCAG standards.
• Effectively and independently lead projects to completion.

Ability To

• Work collaboratively and effectively communicate with faculty and staff.
• Solve problems and provide recommendations and solutions.
• Plan and organize work.
• Prepare for and conduct training sessions.
• Serve as a technical resource for ICT accessibility to faculty and staff.
• Interpret, apply, and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
• Operate a computer and assigned office equipment.
• Meet schedules and timelines.
• Work in a team.
• Maintain records and files.
• Differentiate colors and provide guidance on color contrast requirements that meet WCAG standards.
• Prepare comprehensive narrative and reports.
• Provide services at both Fremont campus and Newark Center.
• Effectively and independently lead projects to completion.

Minimum Qualifications

• Any combination equivalent to: Bachelor’s degree with significant coursework in computer science, instructional design, instructional technology, digital arts or related field; one-year experience with accessibility compliance techniques and testing tools in creation and repairing of documents;
• Must have evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded practices.

Other Requirements

• While this role is structured as a remote position, the successful candidate will spend their first 60 days working on-campus for a comprehensive onboarding experience.
• The candidate is expected to be on campus for pre-scheduled meetings and college-wide events unless on leave.

Physical Characteristics

This position requires physical abilities needed to work in a standard office setting, including but not limited to: standing and/or sitting for prolonged periods; occasional stooping, bending, kneeling, and twisting; occasional lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling light and moderate amounts of weight; operating office equipment which may require repeated fine motor skills (e.g.: keyboard use); and the ability to communicate in written and verbal forms. The position requires vision and hearing in normal ranges (with or without correction) sufficient to operate any assigned equipment and the ability to clearly communicate with others in written and verbal forms. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Application Materials

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae.
• A cover letter addressing the listed desirable qualifications and personal/professional qualities.
• A list of three (3) professional references including name, position, organization, phone number, email, and relationship to the applicant.
• Unofficial copies of all college transcripts.
• Diversity question response: What does it mean to have a commitment to diversity, and how would you apply this commitment as you conduct your responsibilities in this position?

Salary Placement

California School Employees Association (CSEA) Range 40. Initial salary placement is determined by the education, experience, and qualifications the candidate brings to the position, internal equity, and the hiring department’s fiscal resources. Classified employees advance one step on the salary schedule each year and have the potential to reach the current maximum step of $87,876.00 annually.

Foreign Transcripts

Transcripts issued outside the United States require a course-by-course analysis with an equivalency statement from a certified transcript evaluation service verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. This report must be attached with the application and submitted by the filing deadline.

Conditions of Employment

Offers of employment are contingent upon Governing Board approval. Employment with Ohlone Community College is not complete or official until applicants meet all pre-employment requirements. All new employees are required to submit official transcripts, proof of freedom from tuberculosis. In addition, you will be required to provide identification and employment eligibility as outlined in the federal “Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986.” Pre-employment tests and/or medical examinations may be required. Ohlone Community College does not sponsor H1B visas. Employees must sign the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance and submit fingerprints for CA Department of Justice clearance. Employees must be California residents on their date of hire and for the duration of their employment with Ohlone Community College District.