Online Volunteer for Audio Recordings

Job Posting Organization:
The UNESCO Office for the Caribbean is dedicated to promoting peace, eradicating poverty, and fostering sustainable development through intercultural dialogue. Established to serve twenty Caribbean English and Dutch-speaking Small Island Developing States, the organization operates across various sectors including Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, and Communication and Information. The member states under its regional mandate include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. UNESCO's mission emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, ensuring that their voices are heard and represented in public discourse and policy dialogues.

Job Overview:
The Online Volunteer position is focused on enhancing accessibility to knowledge through audio recordings. This role is crucial in supporting UNESCO’s inclusion mandate by providing clear and professional audio versions of articles related to disability inclusion in Caribbean Small Island Developing States. The volunteer will be responsible for recording both standard and Easy-Read versions of the Knowledge Series articles, which are designed to be accessible to individuals with varying levels of literacy and visual impairments. The recordings will not only include the articles but also the launch event agenda and follow-up news articles, ensuring that all content is available in an auditory format. This initiative is part of a broader commitment to the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy and aims to highlight the contributions of various sectors towards advancing disability inclusion in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Online Volunteer will undertake several key responsibilities, including:

• Producing high-quality audio recordings of both the standard and Easy-Read versions of the Knowledge Series articles in English and/or Dutch.
• Recording the launch event agenda and the follow-up news article, ensuring clarity and accessibility in narration.
• Utilizing clear, expressive, and accessible narration techniques suitable for a diverse audience, including those with visual impairments and cognitive disabilities.
• Ensuring that all recordings meet UNESCO’s audio quality standards, including being in MP3 or WAV format and free from background noise.
• Collaborating with the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean to ensure accurate pronunciation of names, organizations, and Caribbean-specific terms.
• Editing or re-recording sections as necessary to maintain clarity and quality.
• Submitting final audio files by the agreed deadline to ensure timely dissemination of information.

Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this position should possess the following qualifications:

• Proficiency in English and/or Dutch, with strong verbal communication skills.
• Experience in audio recording and editing, with a good understanding of audio quality standards.
• Familiarity with accessibility issues, particularly concerning persons with disabilities.
• Ability to narrate in a clear and engaging manner, suitable for a diverse audience.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work.
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with the UNESCO team.

Educational Background:
While specific educational qualifications are not explicitly stated, a background in communications, media, linguistics, or a related field would be beneficial. Additionally, any training or coursework related to audio production or accessibility would be advantageous for this role.

Experience:
Candidates should have prior experience in audio recording and editing, ideally with a focus on producing content that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Experience working in a volunteer capacity or with non-profit organizations, particularly in the context of disability inclusion or community engagement, would be highly valued.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory, and knowledge of Dutch is also required for this position. Familiarity with Caribbean dialects or languages would be considered a plus, as it would enhance the quality and relatability of the recordings.

Additional Notes:
This is a volunteer position, and while it does not specify a contract duration, it is expected that the volunteer will commit to completing the recordings by the agreed deadlines. The role is designed to be flexible, allowing for remote work, which can accommodate volunteers from various locations. The position emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, aligning with UNESCO's broader mission to support marginalized communities.