Assistive Technology Specialist
University of Denver

Job Info

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Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence (SAIE) is the central student affairs division of the University of Denver.

SAIE supports students in their holistic development through advocacy, collaboration, and education, and we strive to be full partners in students learning experience. SAIE values student centricity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; collaboration; adaptability; and accountability. The Divisions strategic priorities are:

• Enrich the holistic student experience
• Elevate & Embed diversity, equity & inclusion
• Engage purposeful partnerships
• Enhance staff development, learning & wellbeing
• Enact sustainable practices & operations

SAIE includes Housing and Residential Education; Student Engagement; Fraternity and Sorority Life; Health and Counseling Center; Inclusion & Equity Education; Disability Services Program; The Cultural Center; Access & Transitions; Learning Effectiveness Program; Veterans and Military Resources; Student Outreach and Support; Student Rights & Responsibilities; Budget, Operations, and Division Resources; New Student Programs; Parent & Family Engagement; and Community and Driscoll Commons.

The Disability Service Program (DSP) is dedicated to giving students with disabilities equitable access to opportunities to participate in the University's programs, courses, and activities. DSP provides accommodations at no cost to any student who has a documented disability, medical condition, and mental health condition as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Accommodations afford students equitable access to participate in the University's programs, courses, and activities. Students should always feel welcomed, valued, affirmed, and respected through the accommodations process.

Position Summary

The Assistive Technology Specialist (ATS) reports to the Director of the DSP. This position will supervise the Alternate Format Text Production Manager (AFT Manager) when DSP has this position and the AFT production and distribution process. The ATS will be responsible for meeting the assistive technology (AT) needs of students approved accommodations. They will review supporting disability documentation and requests for accommodations from assigned students, and render decisions on reasonable and appropriate accommodations with a focus on students who have print disabilities that need AT to access their coursework and materials. They will partner with the rest of the DSP team to also orient, support, and provide guidance to students and their families about the disability accommodations process at the University, and the appropriate use of accommodations. The ATS will work directly with the AFT Manager to assist students to learn and use assistive technology (AT) solutions and resources needed to access alternate format texts (AFT), including software such as text-to-speech (TTS) and computer screen readers. This position will support students to learn and set up dictation software or speech-to-text (STT) to create documents, and help to set up any needed aids and AT services, and other related technology solutions in the classroom. The ATS will be required to collaborate with faculty and staff, and departments such as the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL), Information Technology (IT), and the Instructional Design (ID) team in the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) as a few examples. The position will report to the Director of the Disability Services Program. This is a full-time (12-month) position at 37.5 hours a week, with some evening, weekend and holiday work as needed.

Assistive Technology and Alternate Format Text Management:

• Serve as a resource for DSP accommodations specialists during the accommodations review process and for students on the AT needed for course content access using text-to-speech (TTS) or screen readers for AFT, and also for content creation in the testing center during exams using speech-to-text (STT) and using video/audio-recording technology in the classroom.
• Oversee, manage, and support the implementation of Assistive Technology needs for students with AT as an approved accommodation,
• Determine appropriate assistive AT solutions for students to complete class assignments and in the testing center during exams.
• Develop AT training(s) and workshop presentation materials.
• Provides individual and group AT training to students with disabilities.
• Develop and enforce DSP AT lab rules and procedures for students.
• Supervise the Alternate Format Text (AFT) production program for enrolled students including the quality assurance of all alternate formats produced.
• Monitor the accuracy, quality, and timeliness of request fulfillment while maintaining detailed records of all activities and student interactions and communication.
• Support the AFT Manager with the hiring, training, supervising, and evaluation of Alternate Format Production Assistants and student employees including undergraduate, graduate, and intern students as well as outside providers to support the alternate text format (AFT) program.
• Review and provide feedback on work performance and identify potential problems and develop remediation plans for supervisees.
• Conduct periodic AFT needs assessments and evaluations to determine the efficacy of existing AFT processes and solutions and recommend any immediate or future enhancements.
• Assist and collaborate with divisional IT partners to maintain and provide problem-solving support for the fleet of computers used by students who test in the DSP Testing Center.
• Collaborates with relevant campus staff to integrate AT into computer labs and classrooms throughout the institution.
• Monitor and update the DSP departmental website to ensure that content is current, compliant with accessibility standards, pages are free of errors, and all links function as expected.
• Research and procure new assistive technology products to meet the accommodations needs of students with disabilities.
• Conduct ongoing AT needs assessments and evaluations to determine the efficacy of existing software, hardware and processes, and solutions and to recommend any needed immediate and future enhancements
• Manage the daily operation of the Assistive Technology Lab and pieces of equipment, and serve as a resource to the campus regarding computer technology accessibility issues.
• Track inventory of types of AT equipment and software, and arrange for the update, repair, and replacement of any outdated or dysfunctional hardware and software.

Accommodation Review, Approval, and Support:

• Review and determine eligibility for accommodation from enrolled students who request assistive technology; by working directly with students to gather additional information, provide information about the request process, and orient students to processes and procedures for approved AT and AFT accommodations.
• Use a developmental approach to partner with students to understand the accommodations process, accommodations they are eligible for, and how to use the DSP Accommodate Portal to notify faculty of their approved accommodation(s), and about other University resources and supports that are available and how to access them in support of their success.
• Attend and collaborate in bi-weekly accommodation review team meetings to achieve a considered review of difficult or complex requests for accommodation and/or work to identify efficiencies and/or solutions to accommodation-related concerns.
• In consultation with the Director of DSP, determine the amount for a small caseload of students focused on students who use assistive technology and students with sensory, physical, and temporary disabilities.
• Collaborate with academic departments to support the provision of appropriate resources for students participating in field placements, intern and externships, coops, online programs, etc.
• Assess and evaluate students' current skills and knowledge of assistive technology options to make recommendations about what options best meet student needs.

Education and Training

• Attend and participate in department, Dean of Students (DOS) area, division, and University-wide professional development opportunities and meetings.
• Participate in professional development and training to gain additional understanding of the University's obligations associated with compliance with applicable laws including but not limited to Section 504 and the ADA, as amended, as well as updates and changes in current and emerging solutions for equitable access.
• Create and/or oversee the provision of quarterly training(s) and orientations for students who use assistive technologies, including the use of screen readers, note-taking support software, and the office software used by students to provide notification of eligibility for accommodations to instructors.

Collaboration, Training, and Outreach

• Collaborate with campus partners to support access for students with disabilities to University course materials, programs, and services.
• Staff information fairs whether those be in person or virtual for prospective students, incoming and new students whether those are transfer, first-year first-time undergraduate, or graduate students.
• Participate in annual DSP Orientation.
• Provide onsite support around technology use during testing in the DSP testing center, especially during final exams.

Other duties as assigned

• In consultation with the Director and Associate Director, serve on University, Divisional, and departmental committees as well as other duties assigned to support the mission of the department, division, and University.
• At the request of a supervisor, may perform a variety of unscheduled temporary duties, normally or traditionally performed by an Assistive Technology Specialist

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated record of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to remediate inaccessible materials to create equitable access for students with disabilities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the accessibility functions within Adobe Acrobat, iOS, and Windows operating systems.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize assistive technology such as screen readers (i.e. Kurzweil, JAWS), Dragon Naturally Speaking, Braille translation software, Smart Pens, etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to teach and provide in-person training(s), and workshops; present information effectively and respond to questions from individuals (staff, faculty, students, parents, and other professionals).
• Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages. Ability to apply concepts and analyze relevant data such as percentage ratios and proportions to practical solutions.
• Ability to problem solve hardware and software conflicts.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists while working within strict deadlines and providing timely responses to students, faculty, and other constituents.
• Employee must have the ability to work independently and as part of a cohesive team.
• Ability to analyze statistical information and prepare reports
• Detail-oriented and with strong organization and time management skills
• Effective written and interpersonal communication skills

Required Qualifications

• Masters degree in the field of Education, Information Technology, Assistive Technology, Teaching, or related field
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with assistive technology for students with disabilities in education
• Experience working in disability offices in an education setting
• Hands-on usability expertise in various assistive software technologies
• Experience with supervising, evaluating, and training staff
• Experience interpreting federal laws and regulations governing the provision of services to persons with disabilities including the ADA and Sections and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Experience with Accommodate or other disability accommodation tracking software and/or Banner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with reviewing and evaluating documentation to determine accommodations in higher education or employment setting.
• 3 years of experience working with assistive technology for students with disabilities.
• 1-year of supervision experience in a postsecondary setting.
• 1-year experience as a lead worker providing accessible documents or learning materials with Assistive Technology such as screen readers (i.e. Kurzweil, JAWS), note-taking support software such as Glean, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Braille translation software, Smart Pens, etc.
• Experience interpreting federal laws and regulations governing the provision of services to persons with disabilities including the ADA and Sections and 504 of the Experience with Accommodate or other disability accommodation tracking software and/or Banner.
• Knowledge of learning theory, assessment, instructional design, and Universal Design for Learning concepts.
• Certification in the area of Adaptive Technology, such as RESNA Certification as an Assistive Technology Professional, and Adobe PDF Accessibility Trainer.

Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) July 13, 2022.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 9.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $50,000-$60,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university's complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non-discrimination-statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

Advertised: June 28, 2022
Applications close:

This job has expired.