Federal Work Study Potential: Digital Accessibility Undergraduate Intern for Document Remediation

University of Virginia | Office of Equal Opportunity & Civil Rights

About the Role

Help make the University of Virginia’s digital content accessible to everyone.  Digital Accessibility Interns perform high-volume remediation of PDF document files for UVA staff. As a Digital Accessibility Intern, you will learn to use industry-standard tools to identify and fix accessibility barriers in PDF documents by gaining the skills that are increasingly sought after in government, education, and technology sectors.

Interns will work in small teams of other undergraduate students led by a Graduate Digital Accessibility Lead Intern, who will assign tasks, provides day-to-day direction, and check the quality of remediated documents. UVA's Digital Accessibility Coordinator will supervise this program. Students with attention to detail who are passionate about equity in information access are encouraged to apply.

What You’ll Do

Production Work (approximately 85% of effort)

Interns will be expected to:

• Manage high-priority and escalated accessibility remediation requests.
• Remediate PDFs and digital documents to meet WCAG 2.2 AA and PDF/UA standards.
• Ensure proper reading order, tagging, headings, alt text, color contrast, and metadata.
• Review and remediate complex content, including tables, charts, and multi-column layouts.
• Write or acquire descriptive alternative text for images and figures.
• Follow team processes and standards of practice.
• Utilize tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, Equidox, SensusAccess, and PAC.
• Meet established deadlines for assignments and tasks, submitting completed tasks to the Graduate Digital Accessibility Lead Intern for review.
• Update work log  in the tracking system.

General Team Responsibilities (approximately 15% of effort)

• Attend both in-person and virtual onboarding and training.
• Participate in weekly virtual team check-ins and engage in program improvement discussions.
• Speak up proactively when questions or concerns arise.

This position will start as soon as possible and last through the end of the academic year (May 7, 2027).

Submit a CV/resume as well as a cover letter describing your commitment to digital accessibility, prior relevant experience and related skills.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Current UVA undergrad student

Licensure: None

Federal work-study students are eligible to apply.

The Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights is committed to fostering a welcoming and respectful team culture. Students from all lived experiences, abilities, and academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn new software
• Good written communication skills
• Interest in accessibility or inclusive design (no prior experience required)

Training is provided. No prior accessibility knowledge required. All majors are welcome.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience with Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Word accessibility features, or HTML/document structure concepts
• Previous practice with PDF editing, document formatting, or accessibility remediation
• Interest in digital accessibility and/or disability studies
• Understanding of document version control and best practices for shared file management

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. Remote work is possible after an initial training period. 

WEEKLY HOURS

Up to 10 hours/week during the semester

Hourly Rate: $18/hour 

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.