Digital Accessibility Specialist

University of North Texas System•Denton, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Digital Accessibility Specialist within the Office of Disability Access is a student-, faculty-, and staff-facing position focused on advancing digital accessibility across the University of North Texas. The Digital Accessibility Specialist works directly with students with disabilities and faculty to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve digital accessibility barriers that may impact a student’s access to course materials, instructional technologies, or participation in the academic experience. This position takes both a responsive and proactive approach to digital accessibility by providing consultation, education, training, and remediation support to faculty and staff across the university. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting accessibility within face-to-face courses that incorporate online or digital content, while also helping campus partners improve the accessibility of documents, websites, instructional materials, and other digital resources. The Digital Accessibility Specialist helps faculty and staff build accessible practices and identify opportunities to remove barriers before they impact members of the university community. In addition to digital accessibility responsibilities, the Digital Accessibility Specialist holds a Coordinator role by maintaining a small student caseload and assisting students with the implementation and coordination of approved accommodations. Depending on the needs of the office and students, this position may also supervise and provide guidance to student employees supporting accommodation-related services and programs. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a Digital Accessibility Specialist who is interested in innovation, collaboration, and institutional change. The successful candidate will have opportunities to help shape digital accessibility practices, develop creative and sustainable solutions, build accessibility capacity across campus, and help advance digital accessibility initiatives throughout the UNT Denton campus and across the UNT System.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
Demonstrable knowledge of digital accessibility principles and standards, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), WAI-ARIA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and assistive technology.
Knowledge of WCAG 2.1 Level AA and familiarity with WCAG 2.2 or other current accessibility guidance preferred.
Knowledge of disability access and applicable disability-related laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, particularly as they relate to access within higher education.
Knowledge of common digital accessibility barriers experienced by individuals with disabilities and an understanding of how people with a range of disabilities use assistive technologies to access digital content.
Skill in evaluating digital content for accessibility using both manual and automated accessibility testing methods.
Skill in identifying and remediating accessibility barriers within electronic documents, websites, learning management systems, multimedia, and other digital instructional or university content.
Knowledge of accessible document creation and remediation practices for commonly used formats and applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF documents.
Knowledge of or ability to learn assistive technologies commonly used by individuals with disabilities, including screen readers, screen magnification, voice recognition, keyboard navigation, and other accessibility tools.
Ability to translate technical accessibility standards and requirements into understandable, practical guidance for faculty, staff, and other campus partners with varying levels of technical expertise.
Demonstrated ability to develop and facilitate engaging training, consultation, and educational opportunities related to digital accessibility.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with students with disabilities, faculty, staff, information technology professionals, instructional designers, and other university stakeholders.
Ability to approach accessibility concerns through collaborative problem-solving, balancing the immediate access needs of individuals with disabilities with opportunities to develop sustainable and proactive accessibility practices.
Ability to independently analyze complex accessibility concerns, identify potential solutions, and exercise sound professional judgment when a straightforward technical solution is not available.
Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, accessibility requests, and student responsibilities while maintaining attention to detail and appropriate follow-through.
Ability to build collaborative relationships and contribute to cross-functional initiatives designed to advance digital accessibility across a large and complex organization.
Ability to identify opportunities for innovation, process improvement, and systemic change related to digital accessibility and to contribute to the development of sustainable accessibility practices across the university.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education, Educational Psychology, Higher Education, Instructional Design, Information Technology, or a related field.
Three or more years of experience working with transition-aged youth and/or adults with disabilities.
Two or more years of experience in digital accessibility, assistive technology, accessible instructional materials, or a related area.
Experience working in higher education and supporting students with disabilities.
Experience evaluating and remediating digital content for accessibility, including documents, websites, multimedia, and instructional materials.
Experience developing and delivering digital accessibility training or consultation to faculty, staff, or other professional audiences.
Experience collaborating across departments to identify barriers and advance accessibility initiatives.
Accessibility-related certification, such as CPACC, WAS, or CPWA, preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with students with disabilities, faculty, and staff to identify, evaluate, troubleshoot, and resolve digital accessibility barriers involving course materials, instructional technologies, websites, documents, multimedia, and other digital content.
Evaluate digital materials using appropriate manual and automated accessibility testing methods and provide or coordinate remediation support to improve accessibility and usability.
Develop and provide training, consultation, resources, and technical assistance to faculty and staff on digital accessibility, accessible content creation, assistive technology, and proactive accessibility practices.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to identify accessibility concerns before they create barriers and develop practical, sustainable strategies for improving digital accessibility.
Participate in committees, workgroups, projects, and cross-functional initiatives focused on advancing digital accessibility across the UNT Denton campus and, as appropriate, the UNT System. Contribute expertise and recommendations related to accessibility practices, processes, and institutional improvement.
Maintain a reduced caseload of students with disabilities, engage in the interactive process, and assist with the implementation and coordination of approved accommodations in accordance with university procedures and applicable disability law.
Depending on departmental and student needs, supervise, train, and provide guidance to student employees supporting designated accommodation-related services or programs.
Develop and maintain digital accessibility resources, guidance, procedures, and training materials. Remain current on emerging accessibility standards, technologies, regulations, and best practices and recommend opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.
Maintain appropriate records and documentation related to accessibility consultations, student services, projects, and other assigned responsibilities, and contribute to assessment and reporting efforts as needed.