Accessibility Specialist

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New York seeks an Accessibility Specialist for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to lead field accessibility assessments across built environments in NYC. You will work with City agencies, design professionals, and stakeholders to identify accessibility needs and provide practical recommendations.

Under supervision, you will document conditions, prepare reports, and contribute to shared guidelines for inspections, templates, and procedures to ensure inclusive

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in architecture, construction, engineering technology, building inspection, accessibility, project management, or related field.
• Ability to document conditions, manage multiple assignments, and produce clear reports and actionable next steps.
• Knowledge of accessibility concepts and basic architectural/ construction terms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for physical accessibility site visits, field visits, inspections, and follow-up assignments.
• Coordinate and attend field visits to City facilities, public buildings and events; document accessibility concerns.
• Prepare site visit reports with photos, measurements, and recommended actions for review.
• Assist with developing standard site visit procedures, checklists, and reporting templates.
• Apply knowledge of ADA standards and NYC Building Code to identify applicable accessibility requirements.

Skills

Organizational skills

Report writing

Communication with public

Site inspections

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Experience in community work

Job description

Job Description

The Agency You’ll Join

The New York City Mayor’s Office is responsible for overseeing city services throughout the five boroughs, coordinating public agencies and departments, and managing public property. The administration is leading the fight in making the city more affordable, reducing inequality, improving public safety, ensuring delivery of efficient and effective services, and working to make New York City’s economy stronger. We value leadership, transparency, fairness, and efficiency as we actively seek diverse talents from various sectors to join our team. For current job opportunities, visit our careers page.

The Team You’ll Work With

For half a century, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) has been the liaison between the New York City government and the disability community. In partnership with City offices and agencies, MOPD ensures City initiatives, programs, and policies address the needs and interests of people with disabilities. The office regularly engages in advocacy and policymaking at the local, state, national, and international levels to make certain accessibility and full inclusion are key priorities for all public and private stakeholders alike.

The Problems You’ll Solve

The Accessibility Specialist will assist MOPD’s Senior Director of Physical Accessibility by serving as the primary point of contact for field visits, site visits, inspections, and documentation related to accessibility in the built environment. MOPD works with City agencies, property owners, design professionals, and community stakeholders to support accessibility and inclusive design throughout New York City’s built environment. This includes providing technical guidance, reviewing accessibility concerns, coordinating site assessments, and helping develop practical recommendations for buildings, public spaces, facilities, and events.

Job duties will include

• Serve as MOPD’s primary point of contact for physical accessibility site visits, field visits, inspections, and related follow-up assignments.
• Coordinate, schedule, and attend field visits involving City agency facilities, public buildings, community spaces, public events, constituent concerns, interagency accessibility matters, Dining Out NYC locations, and other physical accessibility issues as assigned.
• Conduct field documentation of physical accessibility conditions, including photographs, measurements, notes, sketches, and other records needed to describe existing site conditions clearly.
• Prepare timely written site visit reports and follow-up materials that organize photographs, measurements, field notes, observed accessibility concerns, and recommended next steps for supervisory review.
• Support fast-turnaround accessibility assessments for events, programs, and site conditions where recommendations may be needed within the same week or day as the site visit.
• Track multiple active field assignments, including logging requests, maintaining site visit records, monitoring report status, coordinating follow-up, and documenting final disposition or close-out.
• Assist with developing and maintaining standard site visit procedures, inspection checklists, photo documentation protocols, field report templates, and internal tracking tools.
• Assist with developing standard response templates for common physical accessibility inquiries and referrals to the appropriate City, State, or federal agency.
• Apply basic knowledge of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, NYC Building Code, and related accessibility concepts to help identify applicable requirements for accessible features observed during field visits, with final technical determinations subject to supervisory review.
• Participate in interagency meetings, walkthroughs, task force discussions, and community or constituent site visits as directed by MOPD leadership.
• Under supervision, assist with other physical accessibility projects as identified by MOPD leadership.

About You

• You are an organized, practical professional with a degree or experience in architecture, construction, engineering technology, building inspection, accessibility, project management, or a related built-environment field.
• You can document existing conditions, manage multiple assignments, communicate clearly with City agencies and the public, and turn field observations into clear reports and practical next steps.
• You understand basic architectural and construction concepts, including field surveys, existing conditions, measurements, photographs, drawings, and written documentation.
• You also have a demonstrated interest in accessibility, universal design, inclusive design, public service, and/or improving access to buildings, public spaces, events, and services for people with disabilities.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
• High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

COMMUNITY COORDINATOR - 56058

Qualifications

• 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
• 2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
• 3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.