What I’m looking for
Working with standards to assure compliance
Summary of qualifications
Document handling and media management has been the mainstay of my diet for over 20 years. Providing access to those documents and media for people of all abilities is a priority. When taking that to the Internet, the key is creating accessible environments that lead to accessible content. It’s what I do all day—engineering the semantics of interaction.
Development & user interface skills
My best practices & standards:
- Accessibility (Section 508, PAS 78, WCAG 1.0 and 2.0)
- Progressive enhancement, semantic markup, Web standards
- Quality assurance
What I do:
- Accessibility auditing
- Front-end development
- Information architecture, document design
- Usability, prototyping, wireframing
- Working with content-management systems
What I know:
- Accessibility Standards: Section 508, WCAG 1.0, WCAG 2.0
- User Interface Markup Languages: HTML 4.01 & 5, XHTML 1.0 & 1.1, CSS through CSS3, XML, XSL
- Content Syndication Markup Languages: Atom, OPML, RSS
- Lightweight Markup Languages: Textile, Wikitext, BBCode
- Web Frameworks: Drupal, Fusebox, jQuery, Ruby on Rails, Smarty, Yahoo! UI Library
Professional work history
-
January 2009 to Present
- Point person for Section 508 compliance, assistive technology, and functional accessibility for Web content, applications, and documents
- Responsible for Section 508 training and the planning and implementation of the Accenture Digital Diagnostics Engine (ADDE)
- Additional responsibilities include training and providing leadership to other Section 508 specialists
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Semantic Engineer at 12seconds.tv, Santa Cruz CA USA
January 2008 to January 2009
- Managed the development for all phases of the UI Web application development from requirements-gathering, cross browser testing, and production deployment
- Facilitated design walkthroughs with team to validate the user interface against requirements and information architecture
- Wrote code based on functional specification and technical design; adhered to development techniques and standards
- Kept up to date on new technologies and offer analysis of present or future benefit to end-users
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Senior Web Developer, Product Manager, & Evangelist at Quiddities Dev Inc, Santa Cruz CA USA
January 2002 to January 2009
- Ensured all USA clients’ projects are compliant with Section 508; ensured all other clients’ projects adhere to WCAG
- Developed custom standards-compliant content management systems
- Audited, created, and maintained Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT) and accessibility statements in compliance with Section 508
- Organized a large database, developed a set of clear user requirements, built prototypes of Website for user acceptance, and drove final Website design
- Managed projects, setting priorities and measurable objectives, monitored and reported on the process, progress, and results
- Reviewed business requirements, ensured clarity, and established expectations for services requested
- Spoke at conferences and technology meetups to increase the awareness and improve the perception of Web accessibility and standards
Throughout the above, used open-source applications to reduce time and cost.
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Consultant at Irenology.org, Osijek CROATIA
February 2000 to December 2004
- Technical consultant for non-profits. Built a Web presence to promote democracy and to assist in building democratic institutions
- Worked for and educated organizations and individuals throughout eastern Croatia – Croatia’s most ethnically diverse war-affected region – on harnessing the Internet as a means to bring peace into their communities
- Designed Web marketing plan and built a series of Websites for community organizations that supported the reconstruction effort
- Developed best practices models for deploying accessible Web sites
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Document Analyst with Adecco at Lockheed Martin, Bethesda MD USA
December 1998 to January 2000
- Responsible for Y2K testing the PeopleSoft Human resource management systems software platform throughout all divisions of Lockheed Martin
- Wrote test specifications and user documentation, monitored test execution, managed ongoing testing and quality assurance
- Project-managed the support for software engineering teams by maintaining technical databases, creating documentation for testing, and coordinating testing of computerized support systems. Applicable to several internal systems supporting human resources, payroll and compensation, and employee benefits
- Developed clear, replicable methods to meet technical data requirements
Presentations
Volunteer work history
-
2000 – 2003
- Worked in post-conflict environment advocating for the support of psychological assistance
- Prepared funding proposals for projects involving issues of health, especially the widespread psychotraumatization of the population and its effects on the rebuilding of society and the prevention of future conflict
- Communicated with the general public, scholars, donors, and others regarding information, data, and research generated from the complex rehabilitation in conflict and post-conflict areas
- Designed Websites with accessibility and universal access as a constant standard and best practice
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2000 – 2000
- Monitored, assisted, and advised in democratic institution-building and reconciliation in post-conflict environment
- Liaised with local authorities and NGOs to draft observations
- Interviewed voters, media, opposition parties, and Municipal Election Committees
- Reported fairness and infractions to ODHIR and OSCE
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1997 – 1997
- Consultant support to incoming and outgoing professors in translation, research, drafting, and academic events
- Edited research journals and books on international security issues
- Developed specialized bibliographic database system for cataloguing academic journals in both English and Spanish
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1995 – 1998
- Evaluated and recorded incoming complaints regarding violations of civil liberties
- Prepared cases to be submitted to Legal Advisory Panel
- Researched related legislation, including via LexisNexis
- Networked with cooperating attorneys and reviewed for litigation
- Sorted out the difference between what is and what isn’t a public issue or a private problem
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Producer/Public Service Director at WGDR 91.1 FM, Vermont USA
1994 – 1998
- Contributed to the station’s first Web presence, and published relevant and timely content on the Website and the intranet
- Responsible for organizing and delivering non-commercial public service announcements (PSAs)
- Produced and hosted radio programs and conducted public interest interviews in the studio and in the field
- Carried out the tradition of being responsible with the public trust
Additional information
Languages
- English (Native proficiency)
- Croatian (Limited working proficiency)
- German (Limited working proficiency)
- Spanish (Limited working proficiency)