ATT Access Assistant
Department Description
Disability Resources for Students (DRS) is a department within the Division of Student Life. DRS is dedicated to ensuring access and inclusion for all students with disabilities on the Seattle campus enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, professional, Evening Degree and Access programs. DRS serves 6000+ students with either temporary or permanent physical, health, learning, sensory or psychological disabilities. We partner with students and faculty jointly in the process to establish accommodations, services, and access to academic programs.
Diversity Statement
At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.
The Access Text and Technology (ATT) team, as part of UW Disability Resources for Students, is committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience. Because we process content for every UW academic program and serve many different students, equity is both a core value and a business asset.
ATT actively seeks out employees with all kinds of backgrounds: our employees include transfer and first-year, nontraditional and returning, local/out-of-state/international, and first-gen college students. Some attend other universities, some have technical or community college educations, and some are no longer in college at all. We employ people from all majors and graduate programs, from freshmen up to PhD students working on their dissertations (although you don’t need to be a student to work here). Our combined array of background experiences, interests, ages, abilities/disabilities, neurodiversity, and skills significantly improves the quality of our work.
Job Description
Under the supervision of the Access Text and Technology Program Manager, ATT Access Assistants provide direct student accommodation services for the DRS Access Text and Technology (ATT) Program. Examples of duties include: processing, preparing, scanning, and remediating accessible texts from print and electronic sources; captioning accessible audio/video files from physical and electronic sources; communicating via email with students, textbook publishers, and other parties as needed. The ATT team is based at UW Seattle, serving DRS students on all three UW campuses (Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell).
Applicants for this position will be working with documents and materials containing content in Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Old Norse. Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated interest in Nordic or Scandinavian area studies and be able to read, write, and type in at least one of the following languages at an intermediate or higher level of proficiency (1 year of college-level study or equivalent): Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, or Swedish. Speaking /listening fluency is not required for this position.
Supervision
This position will report to the Access Text and Technology Program Manager, or delegate.
Responsibilities
- Assist in implementation of Access Text and Technology program accommodations and initiatives. Some work may include cross-training depending on operational needs.
- Perform routine document remediation and video captioning tasks requiring meticulous attention to detail.
- Maintain accurate work notes and activity records, ensuring that pertinent details are recorded, completed, and updated daily.
- Communicate consistently with Program Manager and other team members.
- Collaborate with other team members on projects and process improvements.
- Properly route incoming requests and inquiries from students and instructors (email and voice mail).
- Monitor faculty and staff correspondence, and research or escalate issues when necessary.
- Assist with organizing and maintaining digital archives; correctly file and prepare new materials.
- Assist with process of contacting textbook/media publishers and obtaining accessible materials.
- Track changes in student work orders, including course cancellations.
- Perform copying, scanning, and materials purchasing as needed.
- Maintain confidential and accurate records in department (myDRS) database.
- Assist Supervisors in other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- University of Washington matriculated student (for student employee positions).
- Computer skills: basic Microsoft Word, managing multiple programs simultaneously.
- Willing and able to learn and master new software.
- Able to work effectively on linear, sometimes repetitive, tasks requiring sustained attention to detail.
- Able to work both independently and in a team setting.
- Able to pass a background check and handle sensitive/protected information.
- Ability to read and write in one or more Nordic (or related) languages at intermediate-beginner level (completion of UW 103 or equivalent).
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience working with students and or adults with disabilities.
- Experience working in higher education settings.
- Fluency or conversational skill in American Sign Language.
- Knowledge of assistive technologies for people with disabilities.
- Pattern of reliable attendance and punctuality in prior positions.
Educational Benefits (Federal Work-Study)
DRS provides employees with a meaningful work experience. As members of the ATT team, employees can engage in a variety of experiences including staff orientation and trainings, leadership development, and side projects that build connections across the department with peers and professional staff. Some intended learning competencies that will be developed in this position include:
- Working in teams composed of members from multiple disciplines and varied backgrounds.
- Skilled communication (written and oral, technical and general) with people from a variety of backgrounds.
- Enhanced ability to think critically and independently.
- Proficiency in desirable specialized computer skills, including collaboration tools, databases, and helpdesk/customer service applications.
- Proficiency in working effectively in a remote work environment.
- Understanding and applying systems thinking.
- Completion of specific projects/deliverables for outside clients.
- Knowledge of state and federal laws pertaining to students with disabilities in higher education.
- Knowledge of various ways people with disabilities use adaptive technology.
Job Hours, Pay, and Location
Assistant I: $20.37 per hour
Assistant II: $20.52 per hour
Assistant III: $20.67 per hour
Student employees: 10‐19.5 hours/week.
Temporary/hourly employees: 10-32 hours/week.
Work hours are primarily Monday‐Friday from 8am‐8pm, and Saturday from 9am-5pm during the academic year. Operation hours vary during finals weeks, academic breaks, and summer quarter.
Schedules are based upon employees’ academic courses and/or other responsibilities, along with department workload. Ideal candidates can give a minimum of one academic year (9-12 months) commitment and are available to work during summer and/or quarterly breaks. During these periods, student employees have the option to work up to 40 hours each week if not enrolled in courses.
Employees work in several locations on the UW Seattle campus; depending on job duties, some team members also work remotely on a case-by-case basis.