SUMMARY

Web Accessibility Consultant with extensive experience as a front-end Web and CSS developer, senior information architect, and technical communications specialist, providing consulting solutions for accessible, standards-compliant, and cross-browser compatible websites and web applications.

Specialties in Accessible Web design and development, W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and Section 508 accessibility. Strong accessible information design and content delivery experience in the software technology, financial services, education, and health care industries.

• Assists businesses, organizations, and individuals in using the World Wide Web and other online technologies to promote their ideas, products, and services more effectively through standards-compliant accessible websites and web applications.
• Assists clients in translating user needs into universal and accessible information design, website architecture, and effective user interfaces.
• Assists clients in accessibility project planning, establishing and administering accessibility testing programs, and remediating accessibility issues to ensure compliance with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 accessibility standards.
• Trains cross-functional project teams employing the latest technologies (structured HTML5 and CSS3 and JavaScript frameworks) in accessible Web development.
• Helps clients determine the best strategies for managing content repositories and writing accessible Web content.

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Accessibility Technologies:	WAI-ARIA, NVDA, JAWS, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Deque Worldspace, HiSoftware AccVerify, WebAIM WAVE, Cynthia Says, etc.
Presentation Software:	Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook), Adobe Acrobat Professional (PDF), etc.
Internet Technologies:	HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript & jQuery Integration
Web Tools:	JetBrains WebStorm, Adobe Creative Suite (Dreamweaver), Adobe Photoshop, CSE HTML Validator, TopStyle Pro, Beyond Compare, JIRA, Subversion and Tortoise SVN, FTP clients, etc., for both Linux and Windows Server
Content Management Systems:	Microsoft SharePoint, Oracle WebCenter Content and Portal, Autonomy HP Teamsite, etc.
Operating Systems:	Microsoft Windows, Unix, MVS, Macintosh OS

EXPERIENCE

Gardner Information Design, Inc., Arlington, MA
Web Accessibility Consultant (self-employed)
2002 to Present

• Contracts and freelance projects in accessibility consulting, front-end web development, information architecture, and content delivery for enterprise organizations (www.gidi.biz/projects.html).
  [Project breakout follows below]
• Development of custom and accessible websites for small businesses, professionals, and non-profit organizations (www.gidi.biz/custom.html).
• Founder of Boston-IA (www.Boston-IA.org), a professional organization advocating for Accessible Web Design and "Making Internet Accessibility Mainstream" (active from 2003-2010).

Cantina Consulting, Boston, MA
Accessibility Remediation Specialist (contract)
March 2015 - April 2015

• Analyzed and repaired accessibility issues in the front end of online training software for a major educational client.
• Contributed accessibility expertise and consulted on accessibility issues as a member of an agile team, on a remote basis.
• Daily tools included HTML5, Sass and CSS, WebStorm, GitHub, JIRA, and NVDA.
• Team communication tools included Basecamp, JoinMe, Slack, Screenhero, Google Docs, and email.
• The development environment included AngularJS, Bootstrap, Python, Django, and Grunt, among others.

Altisource Labs, Boston, MA
UI Developer (contract)
December 2013 - June 2014

• Front-end web development on web application components for an enterprise software suite in the financial services industry.
• Developed HTML5 templates and CSS3/Sass stylesheets for a UI Framework based on AngularJS and Kendo UI in an agile environment.
• Developed project documentation for consumption of framework components by UI developers on several international teams.
• Working environment included open source development tools, including Node, Grunt, Bower, Yeoman, Compass, git, JIRA, Confluence, and OpenVPN.

Institute for Human Centered Design, Boston, MA
Web Accessibility Consultant and Trainer (consulting)
April & August 2013

• Created and delivered two custom workshops to train IHCD staff in accessibility development and testing techniques.
• Recommended accessibility development and testing tools and provided lists of accessibility resources for staff reference.
• Reviewed next steps for testing mobile applications for accessibility.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, MA
Web Designer (contract)
March 2011 - July 2013

• During four discrete development phases, designed the user interface for an internal web application through user interviews, design sessions, and business specifications.
• Solely responsible for building HTML prototypes and the front end of the application using XHTML templates and cascading stylesheets (CSS).
• Tested the integrated application and reported issues to the back-end developers (JIRA).
• Chief responsibility for ensuring compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards, completing a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) document, and educating the rest of the team about accessibility issues.

FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., Akron, OH
Usability Consultant (consulting)
July - September 2011

• Performed proof of concept analysis for upgrading an existing Windows-based call center application with a new Web-based application using the SAP Customer Relationship Management framework.
• Interviewed business stakeholders, conducted contextual inquiry with call center representatives supporting energy customers, and contrasted user interface designs and process flow differences between the two applications.
• Produced a usability and interface design report presenting the benefits and disadvantages of converting to the new system, user interface observations, and recommendations for future development directions.

RSA (The Security Division of EMC), Bedford, MA
Web Developer (contract)
August - December 2010

• Development of CSS and HTML for GUI toolkit components used in building RSA web-based applications.
• Participation on an international team with other developers and the User Experience Design team.
• Testing and bug-fixing for three code drops in a rapid development environment including the use of Dreamweaver, Perforce, JIRA, Tomcat, Javascript, and Sencha ExtJS components.
• Contributed recommendations for Accessibility compliance and CSS best practices.

Nuance Communications, Inc., Burlington, MA
Web Developer (contract)
May - June 2010

• Participated on a collaborative team developing a web site redesign of Nuance.com [version launched September 2010].
• Performed content management analysis using Microsoft SharePoint.
• Established contribution regions in Oracle Universal Content Manager (UCM) and Site Studio.

Beam Interactive and Relationship Marketing, Inc., Boston, MA
Web Developer (contract)
March - April 2010

• Participated in the development of strict XHTML/CSS page templates for Common Cents Mobile, an e-Commerce web site developed for Virgin Mobile [launched May 2010].
• Performed quality assurance testing prior to conversion to XSL and 3rd-party content management.

The Andover Companies, Andover, MA
Process Documentation Consultant (freelance projects)
November 2007 - August 2009

• May 2009 - August 2009: Converted mainframe, network, and web application documentation from the local area network into an open-source wiki (DokuWiki) to facilitate access by the Technical Services group of the Andover insurance companies.
• Added Massachusetts Personal Information Security Protection policy and compliance information to the wiki.
• October 2008 - January 2009: Reorganized an online repository of technical documentation and developed an HTML interface for an audience of technical support personnel.
• November - December 2007: Produced documentation of Information Technology policy and procedure processes for annual audit purposes.

Cramer, Norwood, MA
Presentation Engineer (projects)
July 2008 - March 2009

• Developed over two dozen web sites, microsites, HTML emails, prototypes, and application templates for state-of-the-art marketing campaigns for Cramer clients (Cramer.com).
• Employed hands-on XHTML and CSS development, integrating Photoshop composites, JavaScript routines, and Flash players, to construct Web pages in Windows, .NET, and various content management environments.
• Worked with project managers, visual designers, information architects, other front-end web developers, back-end programmers, and Flash developers in a rapid-paced development environment.

Isovera, Cambridge, MA
Accessibility Lead (project)
April - December 2008

• Served as accessibility expert and user interface consultant on a project to redesign the Massachusetts Accessible Housing Registry (MassAccess) for the Massachusetts Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) [version launched December 2008].
• Developed flexible web page layouts (XHTML & CSS) and accessible forms for integration into a PHP web application and SQL database, to enable people with disabilities and others to search for accessible and affordable housing online.
• Participated in user interface design for interactive elements of the web application, and information architecture and content management for the Help & Resources section.
• Tested the completed web application for compliance with U.S. Government Section 508 and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Enterprise Web Accessibility Standards, as well as performing browser compatibility and heuristic quality assurance testing.

Fresenius Medical Care North America, Lexington, MA
Web Content Designer (contract)
May - September 2007

• Participated in redesign of the Fresenius Medical Care NA intranet.
• Performed information architecture and content analysis to reorganize over 15,000 documents for intranet delivery.
• Created web page layouts using Oracle content management products (Oracle Universal Content Manager and Oracle PortalAS), HTML/XHTML, and cascading style sheets.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Information Architect (contract)
January - April 2007

• Designed a solution to reorganize the Health & Dental Plans section of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts web site (Bluecrossma.com), to support Massachusetts universal health care reform and market healthcare products to consumers for the first time.
• Created site maps and wireframes, and reviewed and monitored content management data entry to deliver the revised website within three months.
• Created wireframes and site maps for other Blue Cross Blue Shield web initiatives, including a microsite featuring supplemental health plan benefits.

Knowbility, Inc., Austin, TX
Program Director, AIR-Boston (project)
March 2006 - April 2007

• Directed a project to bring Knowbility's Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR), an accessible Web design education and awareness program, to the greater Boston area (Knowbility.org).

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Process Documentation Consultant (contract)
August - December 2006

• Organized process documentation for the Enterprise Testing Solutions group (responsible for the quality assurance of all BCBSMA software development projects).
• Created process and user documentation regarding application testing and test tracking (including use of the Mercury Quality Center test management system).
• Consulted on documentation strategies to support department activities for user acceptance and automation testing.

TecAccess LLC, Rockville, VA
Senior Accessibility Consultant (consulting projects)
August - December 2005

• Converted the 200-page TecAccess website (now SSB BART Group) to accessible XHTML and CSS, demonstrating accessibility best practices.
• Prepared contract proposals for Section 508 and Telecommunications accessibility projects for major clients and government agencies.
• Made PDF documents accessible on behalf of U.S. government agencies.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Technical Writer (contract)
January - July 2005

• Reorganized the BCBSMA Quality Assurance process library to support enterprise-wide application development projects.
• Documented the system development lifecycle for Information Technology project managers.

Fidelity Investments, Merrimack, NH
Technical Writer (contract)
November - December 2004

• Participated in the creation of Human Resource policy and procedure documentation for a national banking institution client, using Lotus Notes.

Staples, Framingham, MA
Front-End Web Developer (contract)
January - July 2004

• Participated in a major redesign of Staples.com [version launched July 2005].
• Hand-coded XHTML and CSS, employing highly structured modular design (Macromedia HomeSite).
• Built Web pages and page templates for dynamically generated content, according to page comprehensives and design specifications.
• Tested Web pages for cross-browser compatibility and ensured consistency with strict in-house standards.
• Participated in the maintenance and structuring of the project source control library.

MEMBERSHIPS

• Boston Accessibility Group (A11y-Bos.org)
• Boston-IA (founder, Boston-IA.org)
• User Experience Professionals Association (Boston UXPA)
• Boston CHI
• Agile New England (ANE)
• STC AccessAbility SIG
• International Webmasters Association (IWA)

WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

• Boston Accessibility Roundtable, 2011 - 2019
• Boston Accessibility Annual Conferences, 2010 - 2019
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking User Group Conference, 2011
• IEEE Conference: Accessing the Future, 2008
• Site Search Analytics with Lou Rosenfeld, 2008
• HTML Writers Guild: Photoshop for the Web, 2008
• Aging by Design Annual Conferences (Bentley University), 2004 - 2006
• HTML Writers Guild: Design Concepts; HTML Forms, 2004
• XML Workshop, 2004
• Watchfire Accessibility Seminars, 2002-2003
• Corporate and e-Business Portals, 2002
• XML for Technical Communicators, 2002
• Moving from HTML to XML, 2002

EDUCATION

School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA

• January 2003 - June 2004: Graduate certificate in Accessible Web Design/Interactive Design, with specific focus on accessibility and universal design principles.

State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY

• Master of Arts in English (permanent teaching certification)
• Bachelor of Arts in English, summa cum laude