Director of Digital Accessibility

The University of Rochester seeks an inaugural Director of Digital Accessibility to serve as a visionary leader, compliance officer, and key central resource advancing University efforts to establish and implement digital accessibility policies, standards, and practices. The Director leads a centralized team that collaborates with digital and information technology professionals at the University on accessibility compliance projects and programs to meet legal requirements and to align the University’s web and digital experiences with the institution’s policies, strategic goals, and values. The Director is responsible for building and managing the central team; developing a mission and setting strategic goals for the team; and establishing and leading a digital accessibility program for the University. The Director oversees development and delivery of support services and training programs, and collaborates with schools, departments, and units to complete remediation projects and implement governance plans.

Responsibilities:
Serves as the University’s digital accessibility compliance officer to ensure equitable and inclusive access to the University’s digital environment. Raises institutional awareness of policies and requirements, and implement and oversee compliance, governance, and training programs. Analyzes and synthesizes data and audit results to identify areas of risk and opportunities for improvements both at the enterprise level and for schools, units, and departments.

Advises University leaders and digital teams on digital compliance issues and legal risk exposure; and develops and advocates for solutions to reduce legal and reputational risk. Gives presentations to senior leaders and digital teams about emerging issues, progress toward goals, remediation projects, governance efforts, and resource needs with the goal of gaining buy-in and implementing solutions that are efficient, sustainable, and yield results.

*NOTE: For remote work arrangements, travel will be required for occasional on-site presentations and meetings.

Leads and manages the University’s digital accessibility team that will serve as a central resource for the University community and provides support services to schools, departments, and other units. Directs the team to prioritize and execute on digital accessibility projects and programs according to goals established in coordination with University leadership, the Web Governance Council, and digital colleagues.

Leads training sessions and supervises creation of training materials, user guides, and other resources for team leaders and digital/information technology professionals across the University to help ensure ongoing compliance with University policies and legal requirements. Establishes and leads communities of practice.

Conducts reviews of planned purchases of enterprise digital and web technology services and products for any accessibility concerns, and makes recommendations to senior leadership and procurement managers based on analysis. Serves as the University’s internal expert on accessibility technologies and tools.

Creates and shares reports for and gives presentations to senior leadership, the Web Governance Council, digital teams, and the University community on trends, best practices, and timely issues in digital accessibility.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences or equivalent;
Master’s degree in educational technology, computer science, human-computer interaction, design, education or technology leadership, human development, disability policy and law, or other related field (preferred).
4-5 years of management level experience in a related setting, including automated systems;
or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five years of experience as a digital professional with a particular focus on or responsibility for digital accessibility, or five years of disability services/accessibility services work (preferred).
Experience in higher education (preferred).
Deep working knowledge of assistive technologies and their interactions with web, desktop, mobile, and other digital devices and services.
Deep working knowledge of laws, policies, and standards related to accessibility, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Deep working knowledge of standards and compliance related to accessibility, especially World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2. X Standards, and other industry usability standards and methodologies.
Deep working knowledge of accessibility auditing and testing strategies and tools, including SiteImprove and other testing suites, browser extensions, and add-ons.
Familiarity with front-end web development technologies, techniques, and frameworks including HTML/CSS/JavaScript and content management systems.
Proven ability to manage both people and resources, applying strategic planning and project management techniques to prioritizing multiple and simultaneous projects.
Excellent written communication and presentation skills, for communicating up to University leadership and communicating out to University stakeholders and other community members as an advocate for digital accessibility.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance the University’s mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates from underrepresented populations, veterans, and persons with disabilities consistent with these values and government contractor Affirmative Action obligations.