Accessibility Consultant/Coach

Remote, any U.S. Location

Career Fulfillment & Culture

People come to work for Deque because of what we do: enable businesses and organizations to make their sites and apps accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The personal fulfillment employees feel here is unparalleled. In addition to the altruistic nature of our jobs, the organizational structure is extremely flat and welcoming. Women-owned and operated, Deque CEO Preety Kumar is internationally revered for her down-to-earth personality and work ethic. Deque’s core values are central to our culture of customer satisfaction. Do you share them?

  • Innovation with results that matter
  • Deliver what you promise
  • Can-do attitude
  • Open, direct & respectful communications
  • We care deeply
  • We practice humility

At Deque, you’ll work with the best and brightest minds in the industry, sharing best practices, tackling new issues and uncovering new approaches. Accessibility Consultants at Deque also love their jobs because of the support systems in place.

Deque experts regularly contribute to W3C Accessibility Working Groups and collectively hold more CPACC, WAS, & CPWA certifications issued by the IAAP than any accessibility testing company in the world.

Position Description

Deque is searching for an Accessibility Consultant/Coach that can perform robust WCAG 2.0/2.1 A/AA assessments with the ability to also be able to teach agile crews how to incorporate accessibility in the design and development process in order to create accessible content by default. This individual may perform assessments and be assigned to multiple agile crews (roles include: Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Designers, Content Creators, Business System Analysts, Developers, and Quality Engineers) and will help them understand how accessibility fits into their role. The Consultant/Coach will review designs, translate the designs into accessibility acceptance criteria, and perform automated and manual Quality Assurance of development work. You will work directly with an array of customer organizations that have committed to improving their digital content and improving the web. A strong candidate for this role is proactive, a life-long learner, and has a track record of delivering exceptional service.

Responsibilities

  • Digital Accessibility subject matter expert who applies Deque’s interpretation of WCAG standards to provide on-demand support on design, development, content and QA questions.
  • Conduct design reviews of client design artifacts (wireframe, design system or flat), providing feedback and suggestions for addressing accessibility issues.
  • Flexibility in working with client-specified applications and tools with varying degrees of accessibility compliance
  • Attend Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, refinement meetings, sprint planning meetings, etc.)  as part of coaching role, using these as an opportunity to gain knowledge of the workings of the teams, answer questions and provide insight.
  • Translate designs into user story requirements with Product Owners (POs) and Business System Analysts (BSAs) in defect tracking software that provide accessibility acceptance criteria developers can use to develop components that meet accessibility guidelines and provide a scope for quality assurance engineers (QAs) for testing.
  • Evaluate the digital accessibility of pre-production components and pages for assigned product teams or occasionally conduct larger-scale assessments on microsites and pages as assigned.
  • Provide shadowing and informational training opportunities, through weekly one-on-one, and other meeting types, for client BSAs, developers, and QAs to allow the transitioning of responsibilities to the team members to promote self-sufficiency.
  • Collaborate with other accessibility coaches to promote consistent accessibility guidance and techniques.
  • Facilitate role-specific (PO, BSA, Designer, Developer, & QA) training which includes empathy and instruction pertaining to role responsibilities for the design, implementation, and testing of applications that meet WCAG standards.
  • Perform WCAG 2.X A/AA assessments on digital assets utilizing the Deque methodology.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 4 years of experience in professional digital accessibility testing
  • Experience evaluating web pages and/or native mobile apps for WCAG 2.1/2.0 AA conformance
  • Experience performing independent design reviews and translating into user stories
  • Intermediate skill level and accessibility testing experience with at least one of the following screen readers:
    • NVDA
    • JAWS
    • VoiceOver or Talkback
  • Ability to analyze code for accessibility issues in  HTML, ARIA and CSS
  • Ability to write accessibility recommendations for web remediation
  • Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Considering U.S. citizens and permanent residents due to client security requirements

Preferred

  • Experience testing non-web digital assets including but not limited to:
    • Native mobile apps (iOS, Android)
    • Any of the following types of digital assets: PDF or Microsoft Office documents (Word, Powerpoint, Excel)
  • 5+ years of experience in professional digital accessibility testing. Additional experience may qualify for a Senior Consultant role.
  • Experience evaluating web pages against one or more of the following standards:
    • Section 508 conformance
    • EN 301 549 (EU) conformance
  • Detailed knowledge of Deque Software Tools (axe DevTools, axe Auditor, and axe Monitor)
  • Basic knowledge of JavaScript
  • Familiarity with agile web development processes, technologies and tools
  • Certifications/Credentials:
    • IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)
    • IAAP Certified Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS)
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • Candidate capable of obtaining and maintaining a U.S. security clearance
  • Expertise in authoring one or more of the following:
    • VPATs
    • Conformance Statements
    • Compliance Summaries aimed at Product Owners

Job Location(s)

Remote, any U.S. Location

How to Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a cover letter via our online application. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

In your cover letter:

  • Explain your interest in joining Deque and how you align with our Core Values
  • Depict key attributes that differentiate you as a candidate

Deque Core Values

  • Innovation with results that matter
  • Deliver what you promise
  • Can-do attitude
  • Open, direct & respectful communications
  • We care deeply
  • We practice humility

Deque is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities. Reference and background checks will be required.

Thank you for your interest in joining our exciting company!