"Backup Sighted Assistant - Temporary"

Position Overview

Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS), a research center at the University of Kansas (KU), is seeking a Sighted Assistant. The Sighted Assistant will assist an employee who is blind in utilizing various software programs. This may include translating materials that are not already in an accessible format, verbally reading content, assisting with navigating documents and software programs.

ATLAS promotes learning and improved outcomes for all students, with a focus on students with disabilities and struggling learners. ATLAS creates technology-based learning and assessment systems that are accessible and academically rigorous. Dynamic research on skill development, assessment design, and teacher professional development informs the center's map-based learning systems.

With a diverse portfolio of grant-funded research projects and operational alternate assessments, ATLAS is a leader in educational research and innovation. ATLAS drives progress through partnerships and collaborations with organizations that share its focus and commitment.

ATLAS is committed to creating policies and practices that foster a culture in which all employees feel they belong and can succeed.

Visit the ATLAS website to learn how the center improves the learning landscape for all students.

KU's excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other's success. We foster a culture of care where each person is valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment. KU is not able to provide H-1B sponsorship for this position.

Job Description

35% - Interacting with inaccessible platforms and files. Duties may include:

• Interacting with documents placed in secure spaces such as SharePoint or shared drive via a screen share. Enter commentary where directed.
• Verbally reading the content of, navigating about, and entering information into Web portals that are not screen-reader accessible. This may include but is not limited to portals for surveys, training courses, doodle polls, and documents requesting electronic signatures.
• Assisting the employee through screen share and control, navigating digital environments including documents, webpages, software, etc. This entails the sighted assistant verbalizing context, then responding or navigating according to the employee's needs. This is especially important when dealing with a document loaded with commentary from one or more reviewers or navigating through forms and content portals.

35% - Accessible document translation and creation. Duties may include:

• Converting materials that cannot be found in an already accessible electronic format into a Microsoft Word document. Examples of documentation may include but are not limited to: PDFs, PowerPoints, Webpages, Word Documents with track changes, center-wide manuals, articles published in academic journals, and materials related to on-site external review events.
• In meetings, tracking and creating real-time accessible companion documents for meeting materials during team review sessions. This involves tracking and copying comments left on shared documents while providing context for later review.
• Assisting with copy-editing, creating work documents and organizing feedback. This entails the sighted assistant verbalizing context such as a small amount of text either before or after a comment to contextualize, then typing responses articulated by the employee. During the editing process, the sighted assistant will make formatting changes and edits as directed by the employee. This may also entail creating separate documents with active or live changes for the employee review later on.
• Assisting with presentation creation. Involves creating companion PowerPoints to speaker notes, slide-matching, and rehearsing presentation flow.

25% - General notetaking. Assistant duties may include:

• Keeping clear and detailed notes during 1-1 and group meetings. This work entails active engagement with visual materials displayed on-screen during meetings alongside tracking real-time discussion. Notetaking may include but is not limited to: noting accessibility issues as they arise while navigating unfamiliar platforms (as in User Acceptance Testing); noting during meetings major discussion points alongside visual contextualization; preparing companion materials and next steps.
• Responding to scheduling and calendar needs.

5% - Special projects/other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• Depending on the center's and team's needs, well qualified candidates may be allowed a work location that is hybrid or remote.
• This position requires travel to Lawrence and/or other locations as needed, depending on the needs of the center and team.
• This position will require attendance at regularly scheduled meetings, onsite or through telecommunication platforms.

Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho, and Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

Required Qualifications

1. Successful completion of an undergraduate degree.
2. One (1) year experience with Microsoft Office suite including Word and PowerPoint.
3. One (1) year experience with video conference software (Zoom, Teams, etc.).
4. Excellent written communication as evidenced by application materials.
5. Previous experience that required high attention to detail as evidenced by application materials.

Contact Information to Applicants

ATLAS HR ATLASHR@ku.edu

Additional Candidate Instruction

A complete application consists of:

1. The University of Kansas online application
2. A cover letter that describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
3. A Resume or CV
4. Contact information for three (3) professional references

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins on Friday, January 2nd 2026 and will continue until a qualified pool of candidates is identified.

Advertised Salary Range

Min $14.42 per hour, commensurate with experience

Application Review Begins

02-Jan-2026

Anticipated Start Date

02-Mar-2026

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

FTE

0.50

Reg/Temp

Temporary

FLSA Status

Nonexempt

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Location Assignment

Hybrid