UX Designer - Digital Accessibility Expert (Remote)

We are seeking an experienced, pragmatic Digital Accessibility Expert to provide hands-on support across the university while the certified specialist is on leave and key team members are retiring. This role is not about building new software and more about enabling people and processes: helping staff and faculty understand accessibility expectations, interpret assessments (VPATs), and drive practical improvement at scale.

Engagement details: This is a 6-month engagement, with strong possibility of extension. Must support at least 4-hour overlap with a US-based team in US-Central Time (CT).

• Accessibility Governance & VPAT Review: Review VPATs and other accessibility documentation for ICT/enterprise systems (e.g., Oracle, learning management systems, and documents). Interpret automated/AI-based assessments and validate them with expert judgment. Develop and document alternative access plans for non-compliant systems (e.g., interim accommodations, remediation roadmaps). Collaborate with security and procurement teams to integrate accessibility checks.
• Barrier & Issue Management: Triage and respond to user-submitted accessibility barrier reports. Diagnose issues, prioritize them, and coordinate with system/content owners on remediation plans. Track decisions, action plans, and progress in a structured, auditable way.
• Training, Communication & Evangelism: Design and deliver accessible, engaging training (live and recorded) for faculty and staff on core accessibility principles; creating accessible documents, presentations, and digital content; using templates and tools correctly so they remain accessible. Create and maintain clear, reusable materials (guides, checklists, FAQs, slide decks, templates). Act as a visible, approachable champion for accessibility.
• Process & Tooling Support: Contribute to the design and refinement of university-wide accessibility processes. Work with IT, Public Affairs, Teaching & Learning on website accessibility and legacy content remediation; LMS (Canvas) accessibility practices; digital signage and social media accessibility. Provide informed feedback on selection and configuration of AI and other tools used for large-scale remediation (e.g., 70,000+ PDFs).
• Change Management & Culture Building: Support the change management team in shifting habits and mindsets around accessibility. Tailor messaging to different stakeholder groups in a highly autonomous, faculty-driven environment. Promote accessibility as part of the client’s values and mission, not only as a compliance obligation.

• Accessibility Expertise: Strong working knowledge of WCAG and related digital accessibility standards. Hands-on experience assessing accessibility of enterprise and web-based systems; digital documents (Word, PowerPoint, PDFs) and web content. Experience interpreting VPATs (or equivalent) and translating them into clear risk and remediation guidance.
• Pragmatic Problem-Solving: Ability to balance strict standards with practical, context-aware solutions. Comfortable providing recommendations that are both compliant and realistic given constraints (time, tools, staffing). Experience designing or advising on alternative access plans where full compliance is not immediately feasible.
• Training & Communication: Proven experience delivering training and presentations to non-technical audiences. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to explain complex accessibility concepts in simple, actionable terms. Experience creating accessible templates and guidance, and teaching others how to use them correctly.
• Stakeholder Management: Experience working in environments with high autonomy and “rogue actors.” Strong relationship-building skills; able to influence without authority. Comfortable working across multiple departments with varied goals and constraints.
• General: Experience with AI- or tool-assisted accessibility assessments is a plus. Familiarity with higher education environments is highly desirable. Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and operate under time pressure driven by external mandates.

Work closely with the Change Management & Accessibility lead, IT leadership (including CIO organization), and Public Affairs. Engage with the current accessibility specialist when they return from leave to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.

A seasoned accessibility practitioner who enjoys working directly with people more than just doing heads-down audits. Comfortable being an “evangelist” who can build buy-in, not just enforce checklists. Preferred experience in universities or public-sector/government contexts where accessibility is both a value and a regulatory requirement. Energized by helping a resource-constrained team make visible progress under a fixed, external deadline.