Digital Accessibility Specialist

EEO:- Mindlance•Boston, MA

20h

About The Position

The Digital Services Department The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Digital Services Department is responsible for supporting the accessibility of online information and services of the Secretariat. We provide excellent customer service and sound guidance in support of MassDOT’s public facing websites, intranet and other digital related content and information. The department manages MassDOT website design and content to ensure that the sites are consistent with the branding and communications strategy at MassDOT and in the Commonwealth. The department sets policies, based on best practices and Commonwealth guidance, that maintain a consistent look and feel and ensure the usability and accessibility of the sites. The department also coordinates with other MassDOT IT departments for accessibility and UI support of applications. Staff provide recommendations based on best practices for content presentation and final review of content before posting. Staff expertise includes graphic design, UI/UX, writing and editing for the web, and accessibility best practices. The department works closely with Commonwealth staff to ensure that we meet requirements and follow guidance, and with MassDOT staff to help deliver effective information and online services for our employees and constituents. The Digital Accessibility Specialist position The Digital Accessibility Specialist is a contractor on the Digital Services team, serving as a subject matter expert on digital accessibility. They work closely with the Secretariat Accessibility Officer to maintain the accessibility of all MassDOT services and information. The incumbent will develop relationships with staff across MassDOT to gain extensive institutional knowledge of MassDOT and its initiatives, as well as user behavior. This person will also work closely with content contributors, the Digital Services team, vendors, and other members of the IT staff to maintain standards for accessibility and usability. Tasks require strong attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines to complete all work in a timely manner, following department standards and policies, to the satisfaction of the customer. The incumbent will manage multiple projects from concept through completion, adhering to schedules and budgets.

Requirements

Experience in applying the digital principles of accessibility, usability and user experience to handle the day-to-day management, editing and quality control of text, images, and other content on an organization's website and communications.
Knowledge and understanding of state and national accessibility laws and standards for digital resources including Title II of the ADA, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requirements and Plain Language laws.
In-depth understanding of digital accessibility principles and standards to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 A and AA standards and regulations.
Experience conducting content/software/application audits using various testing software including the WAVE toolbar, ARC Toolkit, Accessibility Insights for Web, WebAIM Contrast Checker, and others.
Experience testing with assistive technologies like NVDA, JAWS, Dragon Naturally Speaking and ZoomText.
Experience researching industry practices and ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems; and to prepare concise reports.
Skills in planning and facilitating meetings, working in teams, and group problem solving.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of effective project leadership.
Proven ability to build consensus and work effectively within a cross-departmental team.
Exceptional written and oral communication and organizational skills.
Ability to organize and present information in a clear, concise manner.
Ability to prioritize, manage and complete multiple assignments in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Excellent attention to detail; ability to review complex information from multiple sources and determine relevant information to a given situation.

Nice To Haves

Completion of the W3C Digital Accessibility Foundations - Introduction to Web Accessibility online course or comparable training course is a plus.
Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS), Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), and Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) certifications from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) are a plus.

Responsibilities

Subject matter expert on accessibility
Research industry best practices, standards and guidelines, and legislation, including, but not limited to, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Stay current with developments in digital accessibility and technology including policies, procedures, standards, and tools.
Develop MassDOT digital accessibility resources and collaborate with Digital Services team members to build and maintain a robust knowledge repository.
Promote accessibility within the organization and advocate for accessibility as a vital part of the customer and employee experience.
Assist in creating a communication plan to inform MassDOT employees of their role and responsibility for accessible digital content and services.
Lead the team providing audits of digital assets to meet the WCAG 2.1 A and AA standards. Includes reporting the audit findings and working with project teams on fixing issues identified in audit reports.
Advise internal teams on incorporating digital accessibility into their processes.
Maintain the department’s audit test plan to incorporate new tools and processes.
Oversee the tracking of current audits and archiving of past audits for reporting.
Assist the Secretariat Accessibility Officer in keeping the digital asset inventory up to date.
Assist the Secretariat Accessibility Officer with efforts to establish and manage digital accessibility best practices within MassDOT and to develop and maintain standards and policies that evolve along with the maturity of the digital accessibility program.
Identify and/or develop appropriate checkpoints to allow oversight and governance activities that ensure that digital content and services procured, designed, built, tested, and maintained by MassDOT are meeting accessibility best practices, standards, and Commonwealth policies.
Anticipate problems and identify and evaluate potential sources of information to generate alternatives.