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, and assisting with navigating documents and software programs.

Job Description Inter with platforms and files (35%)

• 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.

Accessible document translation and creation (35%)

• Converting materials that cannot be found in an already accessible electronic format into a Microsoft Word document. Examples may include PDFs, Power Points, 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.
• Assisting with presentation creation. Involves creating companion Power Points to speaker notes, slide-matching, and rehearsing presentation flow.

General note taking (25%)

• 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. Note taking may include but is not limited to: noting accessibility issues as they arise while navigating unfamiliar platforms, noting during meetings major discussion points alongside visual contextualization, preparing companion materials and next steps.
• Responding to scheduling and calendar needs.

Special projects/other duties as assigned (5%)

Special projects and 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.

Required Qualifications

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

A Complete Application Consists Of

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

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Review Begins

Friday, January 2, 2026

Advertised Salary Range

Min $14.42 per hour, commensurate with experience

Anticipated Start Date

Monday March 2, 2026

Contact Information to Applicants

ATLAS HR, ATLASHR

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