Screen Reader Accessibility Specialist (Part Time)

Position Overview:

Pay range for part time / 20 hrs week:  $45,160 - $61,040 annually

The Screen Reader Accessibility Specialist contributes key deliverables in support of the digital accessibility of the MIT Open Learning (OL) portfolio of online courses, program, projects, and products. Under the direction of the Online Learning Accessibility Program Manager, the Accessibility Specialist is responsible for screen reader accessibility evaluations, delivery of reports citing barriers coupled with remediation recommendations based on industry standards, and demonstrations of implementations – all in direct support of OL design, development, and engineering teams. 

Responsibilities include auditing courses, websites, digital offerings for accessibility based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver); writing detailed issue reports; tracking progress on accessibility improvements; training staff in accessible techniques; and contributing to our individualized accommodation process for learners with disabilities. 

The SR Specialist will need to manage multiple demands concurrently, communicate effectively with various teams and stakeholders, demonstrate discretion and attention to detail. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):

• This position is part of a team-based model that depends on real-time communication with staff, faculty, and external partners. Ad-hoc in-person presence in Cambridge, MA is required of this role because trainings, workshops, and events take place in person at the MIT campus.
• This position joins a cross-functional team (OWLS/Production) that provides direct services to faculty, academic teams, internal staff, and learners enrolled in our courses.  The online portfolio of programs and courses is dynamically and rapidly growing, changing, and offered to a large, global, diverse audience of learners. 
• This position also joins a sub-team that provides accessibility expertise and support (consults, reviews, and trainings) to Open Learning programs and units (primarily Engineering) on an as needed basis managed by the Program Manager.
• This position requires contextual understanding regarding the needs of both an external and internal customer/client base (teachers, learners, developers, communicators) with a focus on the following accessibility expertise and duties:
  • Evaluate MIT Learn courses, modules, programs, and digital offerings to identify accessibility improvements and how to achieve them.
  • Write up reports or GitHub issues to document accessibility barriers and how to remediate them.
  • Develop and deliver training that makes accessibility guidance actionable. 
  • Assist with technical audits of new and emerging websites, programs, and services.
• Other Responsibilities include:
  • As needed, assist with global learners with disabilities requesting accommodation or remediation. 
  • Manage an unpredictable caseload of reviews. 
  • Participate in team collaborations and communications that span work beyond accessibility, to include community and process efforts.

The Screen Reader Accessibility Specialist can perform most of their work from a home office and is expected to set a schedule to be available during east coast working hours. In-person work on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA is intermittently required for events and trainings. 

Supervision Received:

Reports to the Online Learning Accessibility Program Manager. 

Supervision Exercised:

None.

Qualifications & Skills: 

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required.
• Minimum 3 years experience in web user experience and usability required.
• Work experience in conducting web accessibility evaluations.
• Experience as a user of assistive technologies.
• Experience in a higher education setting with web accessibility, digital and alternate format materials, STEM instruction, and assistive technologies.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• In depth knowledge of standard web markup languages and web development frameworks.
• In depth knowledge of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) with an understanding of how web accessibility elements (or the absence of them) affects users with disabilities.
• Applied knowledge of how screen reader users navigate websites and digital documents and tools with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver. 
• Attention to detail; desire to troubleshoot and test; ability to record extensive detail in writing (on issues and progress). 
• Comfortable with the complexity and ambiguity of an innovative and evolving sector. 
• Flexibility: ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, team-oriented, and highly fluid organization and a rapidly changing technical environment. 
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information. 

Employment contingent upon satisfactory background check.

** To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.