Accessibility Specialist (contract)

(add)ventures is actively recruiting for an contract/freelance accessibility specialist to work as part of our Digital Team. This accessibility specialist will be responsible for ensuring accessibility of various digital items (i.e., websites, documents, video, email, etc.). They will contribute throughout the design, engineering and QA phases for multiple projects at a time.

We are looking for someone who can commit to at least 20 hours/week and occasionally more to cover vacations.

This role continuously works with teams of designers, content authors, engineers, project managers, and quality assurance specialists throughout the lifecycle of a project to ensure successful delivery of accessible digital products. Ideal candidates will have a passion for accessibility and inclusive design and thrive on creating engaging user experiences for all.

Responsibilities:

Collaborate with designers and content authors on designs to advise on accessible features and how they impact/satisfy acceptance criteria
Perform accessibility audits on digital assets (primarily web and documents in Google Docs and Slides, Word, PowerPoint and PDF), using accepted accessibility tools along with proper manual testing techniques
Ability to find and identify WCAG accessibility violations and areas of best practices, map them to the success criteria, and generate recommendations
Document findings for team member informally via tracking and communication tools or formally via audit reports, describing accessibility issues and recommendations for resolving them
Assist with prioritization of found accessibility issues with project teams and provide guidance and ongoing communication while issues are being remediated
Collaborate with engineers to ensure front-end best practices through code recommendations and/or documentation
Provide explanations and informal training to the team on how to create accessible assets
Provide input and guidance to team members that are creating engineering specifications for our internal engineering team and/or client engineering teams
Knowledge of kiosk, print, or environment design for occasionally consultation on these topics is a plus, not a requirement
Demonstrate attention to detail in performing manual testing and logging of issues including diligence in updating the ticketing system that is used to log accessibility tasks
Weekly meetings with the accessibility lead at (add)ventures to review accessibility findings, upcoming work and align on best practices and recommendations
Identify opportunities for improving accessibility processes and documentation, including sharing accessibility knowledge with others
Stay current with latest developments in the field of accessibility and usability


Qualifications:

2+ years of accessibility experience in digital or information technology projects
A bachelor’s degree (or work experience equivalent) in Digital Media, Information Technology, Computer Science or a related area
Ability to interpret and advise on accessibility standards, principles, techniques, and best practices – specifically on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA), with a basic awareness of WCAG 2.2.
Proficient using the following assistive technology tools: screen readers (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack), color contrast, magnification, and keyboard testing
Experience using Slack and Jira for communication and tracking is a plus
Have working knowledge of the user requirements of people with disabilities with regards to usability and human-computer interaction
Knowledge and practical application implementing digital assets ensuring accessibility compliance (this includes familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and WAI-ARIA)
Outstanding communication, organization, problem solving and time-management skills



We are open to a flexible, hybrid office / work from home arrangement or 100% remote arrangement with occasional travel to our HQ in Rhode Island.

(add)ventures is a multidisciplinary brand culture and communications firm. With offices in Miami, New York and East Providence, (add)ventures has been exceeding the branding goals of industry leading client partners for more than 25 years. We provide the following strategic and creative services: marketing, insights & analytics, design, video & animation, digital services and content creation. Our team is NICE – we’re Nurturers with Intelligence, Character and Energy. We solve problems, we make people happy, we love what we do and we love who we do it with.

Sorry, no relocation available. We are an EEO/Affirmative Action employer.