Job Opportunity: Instructional Accessibility Specialist

Instructional Accessibility Specialist

The Instructional Accessibility Specialist will be a member of the design team in the Instructional Design and Development (IDD) unit at Excelsior University. Our team works closely with subject matter experts and other community and university stakeholders to develop transformative, engaging, high-quality learning practices for our students.
As an Instructional Accessibility specialist, you will serve as the primary contact for subject matter experts to assist in the creation and remediation of digital course content that meets accessibility laws and guidelines. You will also serve as an advisor for other members of the IDD team to ensure the most up to date application of accessibility standards in our program development process.
this job offer is located out of the university’s home office in Albany, NY with the option of considering remote candidates, with preference given to candidates within or willing to work within the Eastern Time Zone. Remote employees will have mandatory occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and professional development opportunities. Remote employees are expected to be available during work hours 8:30am – 5:00pm Eastern time. The University will supply necessary equipment to execute the essential functions of this job (e.g., laptop, docking station). Employees are responsible for having a workspace where they can participate in virtual meetings without multiple interruptions and noise.

tasks and Responsibilities:

»Utilize assistive technology and other testing tools to review and update instructional materials (e.g., PDFs, Word documents, HTML content) to ensure compliance with accessibility regulations.

»Partner with University stakeholders to promote and track the implementation of accessibility-related best practices.

»Collaborate with IDD team members and other Academic Affairs departments to create and facilitate faculty development programs and on-demand resources on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and electronic accessibility.

»Advise subject matter experts and instructional designers during the course (re)design process to help them select the best combination of teaching practices, learning technologies, and other resources to develop courses and learning objects that create the most effective learning practices for all students and meet accessibility standards.

»Advise and train other team members in IDD on accessibility best practices.

»Assist with new faculty onboarding and orientation.

»Guide faculty in analyzing and assessing the application of accessibility-conscious design and strategies to accomplish identified learning results.

»Research and develop resources that support all instructional modes (in-person, online, hybrid, hyflex) with an emphasis on UDL principles and accessibility best practices.

»Partner with Excelsior s Accessibility Specialist to streamline workflows related to program development that impact access to course content.

»Collaborate with Excelsior s Accessibility Specialist and IT Services during the technology procurement process to ensure any
software or hardware adopted meets accessibility standards and provides flexibility and choice to students of varying cognitive and physical abilities.

»Remain current with the latest industry technology tools and trends, accessibility laws and guidelines, best practices, and tools for developing accessible courses and instructional materials.

»Perform other tasks as assigned or required.

Qualifications required

»Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university.

» 3 or more years related practice

»Strong relationship-building skills.

» capability to independently manage multiple, complex projects with the highest degree of accuracy and efficiency.

» capability to apply adult learning theory, UDL, and accessibility best practices to course development.

»Working expertise of discapability laws and accessibility guidelines, including Section 508, ADA, and WCAG 2.1 (A/AA), and UDL principles.

»Familiarity with copyright law and regulations.

»Thorough expertise of accessibility testing techniques using automated and manual testing procedures.

»Familiarity with assistive technologies.

» capability to evaluate VPATs.

» capability to effectively manage projects that involve diverse individuals who may be local or at a distance.

» capability to troubleshoot basic technology issues.

» capability to work collaboratively and effectively manage projects that involve diverse individuals who may be local or at a distance.

»Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.

» capability to adapt to change and lgain new procedures and software programs.

»Desire to continue learning and developing skills.

Preferred Qualifications required

»Documented skills with learning management systems; Canvas is highly preferred.

» practice evaluating and designing accessible immersive virtual learning environments (e.g., VR, AR, gamification).

»Familiarity with the use of Open Educational Resources (OER).

»Comprehensive expertise of active learning and inclusive pedagogies.

»Familiarity with adaptive learning environments and competency-located learning.

» expertise of mobile course design.
The hiring income range for this job offer is $55,000.00 - $65,000.00.
The hiring income range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting.