This is a non-merit position. Candidates must follow the instructions in the “To Apply” section.

The Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB) is seeking a passionate and tech-savvy Rehabilitation Technology Specialist (RTS) to join our small but dedicated team. This role combines direct training with clients and staff, hands-on work with assistive technology in educational and employment settings, and support for integrating nonvisual access tools in real-world environments.

In this role, you’ll work closely with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselors and clients, providing hands-on training, assessments, and technical support to help individuals use access technology effectively in school, work, and daily life. You will also collaborate with businesses to evaluate technology accessibility, recommend solutions, and deliver training to support inclusive hiring and employee retention. A key part of this position is the ability to teach technology clearly, provide excellent customer service, and work effectively with both clients and employers. You’ll help clients build skills, troubleshoot technical challenges, and ensure assistive technology integrates smoothly into real-world environments.

This is a full-time position with standard work hours from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. Workdays may be adjusted as needed to accommodate travel. The position is based in Des Moines and includes regular statewide travel with overnight stays to effectively serve assigned areas and support program needs across. If you are passionate about accessibility, skilled in technology, enjoy teaching, problem-solving, and customer service, and want to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and careers, we encourage you to apply.

Duties and responsibilities to include the following:

• Deliver individualized, one-on-one instruction in clients’ homes or communities within an assigned region. This includes assessing client skills, developing personalized training plans, and guiding clients through training to support their employment goals.
• Conduct in-person and online small group trainings on various assistive technology topics.
• Perform worksite assessments and provide workplace support for clients and transition-age youth.
• Research, test, and recommend assistive technology and adaptive solutions for work and education settings.
• Install, configure, maintain, and perform advanced troubleshooting on assistive technology solutions such as screen readers, magnifiers, refreshable braille displays, and video magnification systems, and other specialized hardware and software.
• Produce clear, thorough reports and case notes documenting work performed.
• Assist employers in evaluating and improving accessibility of workplace technology.
• Provide information and technical assistance to IDB staff, volunteer tech mentors, clients, and partners.
• Collaborate with schools across the state to ensure students have necessary assistive technology and accommodations.
• Evaluate and remediate electronic documents (e.g., PDFs, Word, PowerPoint) to ensure accessibility and usability with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
• Add to and update IDB’s technology curriculum.

Essential functions:

• Communicate effectively in person, by phone, and in writing with clients, counselors, employers, volunteers, and community partners.
• Translate technical information into clear, understandable language for nontechnical audiences.
• Produce clear and thorough reports and documentation related to client training, assessments, and workplace support.
• Travel regularly and stay overnight as needed (up to 1 to 4 days per week) to effectively serve assigned areas and support program goals through statewide service and efficient use of resources.
• Research and independently learn new and updated technologies, identifying training resources as needed.
• Evaluate strengths and limitations of non-visual assistive technologies and make appropriate recommendations.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues related to assistive technology integration.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil, industrial, mechanical, architectural, electrical or rehabilitation engineering and experience equal to one year of full-time work in the design, development and fabrication of mechanical or electrical components or assemblies for products such as industrial equipment, machinery, power equipment, service systems, machine tools and measuring instruments;

OR

An equivalent combination of education and experience substituting one year of professional work experience as indicated above for one year (thirty semester or equivalent hours) of the required education to a maximum of four years.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have:

• Direct experience teaching or training others, particularly in assistive or access technology.
• Familiarity with assistive technology commonly used by individuals who are blind or have low vision (e.g., screen readers, screen magnifiers, braille displays).
• Strong communication skills for explaining technical concepts clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to evaluate and remediate electronic documents to ensure accessibility and screen reader usability.

Address

524 4th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309