Digital Accessibility & Academic Technology Support Specialist

Please Note: Internal Employees, please access the Jobs Hub app on the Workday Dashboard homepage to apply for the position.

The University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global) is a private, nonprofit affiliate of the University of Massachusetts. Accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), the university offers undergraduate, graduate, credential, and certificate programs designed to be relevant to more than 90 career paths. UMass Global has ranked consistently among the best in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Responsible for supporting the university’s efforts to proactively ensure online courses comply with Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by conducting accessibility audits/assessments and supporting remediation efforts. ¬¬¬Responsible for providing online support for academic technology used by faculty in the development and instruction of graduate and undergraduate courses.

This position is a remote position. Eligible remote locations in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The hiring range for this position is $24.00 - $30.00 an hour. Offers are determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographical location, knowledge, skills, years & depth of experience, and equity with internal team members.

TYPE OF SUPERVISION:

Receive general supervision from the Manager, Academic Technology.

• General Supervision — indicates that the incumbent performs a variety of duties; some of which may be complex duties within established policy guidelines; and receives occasional supervision.

POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Accessibility Specialist

• Serve as the university's educational technology accessibility expert for major platforms like Brightspace, Zoom, Kaltura, Google Suite, MS Office, TurnItIn, LearnWise and any future adopted technologies.
• Manage and conduct accessibility audits on recently developed or revised online courses to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.2 standards. Utilize assistive technology and tools to identify non-compliance areas, providing guidance for necessary revisions. Maintain regular communication with the instructional design team on audit progress.
• Aid Instructional Designers and Faculty in formatting online resources to meet WCAG 2.2 standards. Update instructional materials (e.g., PDFs, Word documents, HTML content) in newly developed courses for compliance and provide accessible files to developers or designers requiring advanced remediation.
• Provide support to Instructional Designers in building course components and integrations that necessitate WCAG expertise for accessibility compliance.
• Upload files to courses and assist with updating videos and adding transcripts to live sections and principal shells if needed.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies, accessibility laws, guidelines, best practices, and tools relevant to developing accessible courses and instructional materials.
• Support the Office of Accessible Education to remediate courses as needed for student enrollments. Including auditing and remediating courses as well as managing the outsourcing of remediation as needed.
• Proactively audit and remediate high enrolled courses for WCAG compliance.
• Provide accessibility training and consultation, including support for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles

Academic Technology Support - Faculty & Staff

• Provide application and advanced technical support to UMass Global LMS users and its integrated applications.
• Provide escalated help and support via the phone, email and/or Zoom, Live Text, LearnWiseand other external software for UMass Global users in troubleshooting and problem solving in the more advanced technical uses of the LMS platform.
• Assistance in maintaining and tracking of systems for instructional design and courseware development projects, as needed.
• Provide support, relating to Academic Technologies which includes to assist users in troubleshooting issues and providing ticket support.
• Communicate with other university support services to coordinate support for faculty, students, and potential students in an attempt to make the entire online education experience more user-friendly, effective, and seamless.

• Perform other duties, as assigned

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATION AND/OR LICENSES:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or in a non-related field with relevant accessibility certifications/training (e.g., IAAP CPACC, IAAP WAS, Section 508 Tester).
• At least 2 years of experience implementing ADA, Section 504/508, and WCAG standards in digital communications, websites, or online courses.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in user experience, quality assurance, and technical support.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in Brightspace LMS or similar platforms in higher education, and delivering technical training.

Desired

• Experience supporting students with disabilities in higher education settings and familiarity with disability services.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of WCAG 2.1 AA, ADA, Section 504/508, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), accessibility auditing and reporting in online course delivery. Competence with HTML, CSS, ARIA, LMS platforms (e.g., Canvas, Brightspace/D2L), and accessibility testing tools (e.g., WAVE, Axe, JAWS, Dragon)
• Familiarity with remediating course content and evaluating digital resources for compliance with accessibility laws and standards.
• Project Management – leading and managing multiple projects simultaneously, excellent time management skills, organized, detail-oriented
• Collaboration - demonstrated ability to collaborate with people from a wide variety of skill sets and backgrounds via written or oral communication
• Flexibility and Adaptability - Ability to work quickly, effectively, and flexibly in a deadline-driven environment
• Advanced skills with G Suite (Google Products), Adobe Acrobat, and Microsoft Office with regard to WCAG compliance.
• Ability to create vtt files to generate closed captions.
• Thorough knowledge of accessibility auditing techniques using automated and manual testing procedures.
• Advanced knowledge of assistive technologies including JAWS, NVDA, and Fusion.
• Advanced technical skills, specifically with Learning Management Systems..
• Sufficient analytical skills to troubleshoot software and hardware user problems.
• Strong familiarity with both PC and Mac operating environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including communicating technical information in terms understandable to faculty clients.
• Ability and willingness to work independently in a team environment, with limited supervision.
• Proven customer service skills which include diplomatically, patiently, and successfully handling problems, questions, conflicts, and suggestions.
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment within scope of delegated authority.
• Experience and ability to create audio descriptions a plus.

Machines, Tools, Equipment, Electronic Devices and Software: Personal computer and intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including word, excel, and outlook

Contact with Students: Occasional

Contact with Faculty and/or Staff: Frequent

Contact with Community and Vendors: Occasional

At the University of Massachusetts Global, we support your total well-being with flexible and meaningful benefits:

• Health: Medical, dental, and vision coverage with spending account options.
• Work-Life Balance: Flexible schedules, 1/2 day Fridays (biweekly), remote options, generous time off, and a paid winter break.
• Financial Security: Life, disability, and supplemental insurance, legal and identity protection, and student debt support.
• Education: Tuition discounts for employees and family and Tuition Exchange program with other universities.
• Wellness: Counseling services, Calm app access, and year-round wellness programs.
• Retirement: 403(b) plan with a Roth option. 3% non-elective contribution and up to a 6% match for a 9% total employer contribution!

Please Note: Internal Employees, please access the Jobs Hub app on the Workday Dashboard homepage to apply for the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity – UMass Global is committed to providing an educational and work environment free of unlawful discrimination and harassment in any form. UMass Global prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of age, race (including hairstyle/texture, protective hairstyles, braids, locks, and twists), color, religion (including religious observance, belief, practice dress and grooming practices), citizenship, pregnancy (including temporary physical or mental limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical conditions), sex, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, legally-protected medical condition, military (past, present or prospective) status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by local, State or Federal law.

Reasonable Accommodation – UMass Global provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the recruitment department at recruiting@umassglobal.edu.