Technical Accessibility Specialist II

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade: Technical 404

Pay Range: $79,300.00 - $118,900.00

Job Description

Job Duties

* Runs audits and accessibility tests on the university’s platforms and products for conformance with the current version of WCAG.
* Has expertise in using screen readers and other assistive technologies such as JAWS, Dragon, & NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access).
* Creates and implements with guidance a remediation plan for university platforms and products.
* Prepares evaluation documentation for communication with university stakeholders and product teams.
* Provides expert accessibility guidance to designers, product managers, developers, and business partners to influence product development.
* Maintains strong knowledge of accessibility industry trends, innovations, and solutions, as well as accessibility-related standards, laws, and management strategies.
* Develops guidelines for architects, designers, and developers to aid in compliance with the current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
* Trains/coaches colleagues in one-on-one and in small or large group environments on ADA awareness, implementing solutions, and to foster innovation through accessibility.
* Consults with colleagues to solve challenging accessibility barriers.
* Develops, documents, and assists in implementing team processes and procedures with regard to accessibility.
* Assists with the research, development, and maintenance of the accessibility evaluation methodology.
* Assists with the training and mentoring of new team members.
* Handles more complex and high-exposure accessibility projects and initiatives.
* Networks with accessibility industry professionals.
* Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

KSAs

* Broad knowledge of WCAG, Section 508, and ADA.
* Ability to read and interpret HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and explain accessibility best practices.
* Working knowledge with accessibility best practices on mobile platforms, both IOS and Android.
* Ability to confidently navigate multiple environments in one screen reader and understand how a screen reader interacts with user agent elements.
* Understands how various types of disabilities experience digital environments and how to design accessible digital spaces.
* Ability to accurately collect data and analyze it to identify areas of process and performance improvement.
* Ability to understand and explain technical and user experience issues in simple and concise language.
* Ability to research complex topics and find answers to questions independently.
* Ability to work on team projects under the direction of senior team members.
* Ability to study and comprehend complex technical documentation (WCAG 2.x AA, Section 508).
* Self-initiative and self-motivation.
* Ability to self-manage daily tasks and meet deadlines.
* Ability to work independently without supervision, and as part of a team.
* Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at a time.

Minimum Qualifications

* Bachelor's Degree in Assistive Technology, User Experience, Visual Communication, Graphic Design, Information Technology, Information Design, or another related field.
* 5 years of experience in the accessibility field.
* Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience as an accessibility specialist, user experience designer, interaction designer, user interface designer, information architect, user experience researcher, or similar role.
* IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).
* Intermediate knowledge of ADA standards (WCAG), Section 508, and VPATs.
* Experience using accessibility testing tools (Evinced, WAVE, Axe, Chrome DevTools) and assistive technologies, such as screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver).
* Experience with ARIA markup, knowledge of JavaScript, semantic HTML.

Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.