Digital Accessibility Specialist

Montrose County•Montrose, CO

About The Position

Guides and collaborates with Montrose County staff to facilitate the creation of accessible digital content. Provides oversight, technical leadership, and training in remediation of accessibility issues and ensures digital accessibility compliance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in computer science, information technology, digital accessibility, or a related field. A minimum of three (3) years professional experience working with digital compliance may be substituted for completion of the Bachelor’s degree.
A minimum of three (3) years digital content management preferred.
In-depth understanding of website development, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and Colorado HB21-1110 or related legislation.
Proficiency in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Must have the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing and the skill to organize materials and present information clearly and concisely in verbal and written form.
Must be able to read, understand, and interpret complex documents.
Must understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
Must have proficient knowledge of the English language, proper grammar, punctuation and spelling in other oral and written communication and have understanding of current technical report and business correspondence writing techniques and methods.
Must be able to read, comprehend and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies and standard operating procedures required for this position, as well as, technical reports, procedure documents and manuals.
Must be able to make effective and persuasive presentation on complex topics to a wide variety of audiences.
Must possess the ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with fellow employees, representatives of other agencies and organizations and members of the community.
Have strong customer service orientation and work collaboratively within a team environment.
Interact professionally and diplomatically with County employees, other agencies and organizations and members of the community and manage difficult or emotional customer situations.
Must have the skill to organize work flow and accomplish established objectives.
Possess the ability to recognize when confidentiality is required and maintain strict confidentiality.
Must maintain appropriate professional boundaries in relationships with customer/clients and the general public.
Must have the ability to work with basic mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Must be able make rational decisions through sound logical and deductive processes and make sound judgments, decision making, problem solving, while planning directing and monitoring the work of the agency.
Must be able to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and recommend or implement best options in support of goals and objectives.
Consider concrete and abstract variables.
Must have the ability to analyze, appraise and organize facts, evidence and precedents concerned in difficult and complex cases and present material in a clear and logical form, including oral and written presentations, briefs, opinions, orders or decisions.
Must be able to successfully manage multiple projects and complete work under pressure pursuant to deadlines.
Must be able to effectively use modern office technology and equipment, including computers, telephone, copiers with scanning and faxing capabilities.
Must have extensive experience in Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Acrobat, document editing, and Web editors with a high degree of accuracy.
Must be able to learn the software and programs related to the position and the County.
Skill in the identification of system needs and problems.
Must possess and maintain a valid Colorado Driver’s License and satisfactory driving record.

Nice To Haves

Strongly desired one (1) year of work-related experience in digital accessibility, developing processes and deliverables to ensure compliance or an equivalent combination of education & experience.
Document remediation to prepare documents for use with assistive technology readers, JAWS and NVDA readers, WAVE.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate expertise with applicable digital accessibility laws, regulations, and standards, including WCAG, ADA, and relevant state and federal guidelines.
Develop and implement standardized policies, guidelines, and processes for reviewing and modifying documents and digital assets to ensure accessibility compliance, consistency, and efficiency.
Establish and execute an annual compliance plan to ensure adherence to evolving digital accessibility standards and best practices.
Act as a primary contact for accessibility requests, ensuring information is provided in accessible formats to meet citizen needs.
Lead initiatives to enhance digital accessibility and manage all aspects of the complaint process, from intake to final resolution.
Coordinate with Elected Officials and Divisions to prioritize and execute digital accessibility improvements.
Prepared and submit quarterly accessibility compliance reports to the State of Colorado, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
Lead comprehensive remediation efforts and determine the appropriate accessibility standards for remedial action.
Serve as a final approver for documents and digital assets by conducting thorough accessibility checks and providing feedback and guidance for revisions to ensure compliance before distribution.
Identify, evaluate, and implement tools and software that support the review and modification of documents, applications, and other assets to ensure accessibility compliance.
Create and deliver comprehensive employee communication materials, user guides, and interactive training modules for both in-person and online learning environments.
Edit and publish web content across various platforms, ensuring all published materials meet accessibility standards and organizational guidelines.
Develop and maintain style guides and best practices for creating and managing accessible web content.
Train content creators and web managers on accessibility standards for web content, including proper use of headings, alt text, and other essential elements.
Establish a mentoring program to identify and develop software "power users" within each department, enabling them to offer peer support and training.
Provide training on technology tools and online resources to assist County staff in creation of their own digitally accessible content.
Design, develop, and deliver comprehensive training programs for various software applications, tailored to varying skill levels and departmental needs.
Assess vendor software products to ensure they meet accessibility standards and are fully compliance with regulations.
May perform other duties as directed.
Regular and predictable attendance is required.