Current W3C Fellows

• Jean-François Abramatic (Inria)
• Eric Eggert (Knowbility, Inc.)
• Ivan Herman (CWI)
• Tanya Mandal (Internet Academy)
• Sandro Hawke (HawkeWorks LLCM)
• Past fellows…

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Jobs

From time to time, W3C looks for motivated people to join the W3C Team. The Team provides technical leadership about Web technologies, organizes and manages W3C activities to reach goals within practical constraints (such as resources available), and communicates with the Members and the public about the Web and W3C technologies. W3C is unique among standards bodies for its full-time staff of Web experts.

• Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Specialist

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Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Specialist

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is looking for a full-time staff member, based in Europe, as a Web Accessibility Specialist. This position would particularly focus on development of technical and educational resources for people with cognitive and learning disabilities.

This is an opportunity for a unique individual to be part of the team responsible for the design of next generation World Wide Web technologies, and to help drive a variety of industry and user groups toward the development and implementation of technologies that enhance the functionality of the Web for people with disabilities. As the recognized leader for the technical development of the World Wide Web, W3C is seeking an individual with research background and applied expertise in accessibility requirements for people with a wide range of cognitive and learning disabilities; an excellent understanding of WAI Guidelines including WCAG and UAAG, and related standards including WAI-ARIA and personalization semantics; a passion for educating others on accessible web design and development; and enthusiasm for the mission and spirit of W3C.

Responsibilities

The individual will support the development of web and mobile accessibility requirements, related technical specifications, and educational resources to improve web and mobile accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities. These resources will be developed through the W3C/WAI Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG) and its Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Task Force (CoGa TF), the Accessible Platform Architecture Working Group (APA WG), the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG), and in coordination with other W3C/WAI Working Groups as needed.

He or she will be responsible for ensuring that user needs and requirements are well-researched; formulating these clearly for review; leading related discussions through the distributed, collaborative, iterative, and consensus-based W3C process; and developing technical and educational materials addressing the broad variety of stakeholder requirements.

Requirements

• In-depth knowledge of user needs of people with cognitive and learning disabilities;
• Background in accessibility research for people with cognitive and learning disabilities;
• In-depth understanding of accessibility requirements across different types of disabilities;
• Proven expertise in digital accessibility standards and technology support for accessibility;
• Applied knowledge of WCAG, UAAG, WAI-ARIA, and related W3C specifications;
• Proven ability to work in a cross-disability setting, including with people with cognitive and learning disabilities, following universal design principles for digital accessibility;
• Ability to identify and formulate requirements and develop feasible technical solutions;
• Proven ability in technical editing and negotiation, and in building trust and consensus;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (samples requested);
• Ability to design and draft effective educational and outreach materials on accessibility;
• Experience in promoting accessibility guidance to diverse stakeholder audiences;
• Ability to work independently with remote peers in a highly distributed setting;
• Unrestricted European Union working permit and ability to travel internationally;
• A master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field of study is highly recommended;
• Experience in working in an international and distributed organization is a plus.

Work is for a period of twenty months.

This position is affiliated with the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM), the W3C host for Europe, in Sophia Antipolis, France. Remote work-from-home might be acceptable in specific circumstances.

To apply, please send a motivation letter, your resume or CV to [email protected].