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

University of Virginia Physicians Group; United States; Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work after training

Job summary

University of Virginia is seeking a Digital Accessibility Intern to remediate PDFs and digital documents for UVA staff, aiming to meet WCAG 2.2 AA and PDF/UA standards. You’ll work in small teams led by a Graduate Lead Intern, with supervision from UVA’s Digital Accessibility Coordinator.

The role emphasizes attention to detail, willingness to learn, and collaboration across teams. Remote work is possible after an initial training period, with up to 10 hours per week at $18/hour.

Qualifications

• Current UVA undergraduate student (federal work-study eligible).
• No prior accessibility knowledge required; training provided.

Responsibilities

• Remediate PDFs and digital documents to meet WCAG 2.2 AA and PDF/UA standards.
• Ensure reading order, tagging, headings, alt text, color contrast, and metadata are correct.
• Review complex content like tables and multi-column layouts.
• Write descriptive alt text for images and figures.
• Meet deadlines and log work in tracking system.

Skills

Attention to detail

Written communication

Interest in accessibility

Training provided

No prior accessibility knowledge

All majors welcome

Education

Current UVA undergrad student

Tools

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Equidox

SensusAccess

PAC

HTML/document structure concepts

PDF editing

Microsoft Word accessibility features

Job description

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.

What You’ll Do

Production Work (approximately 85% of effort)

• 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).

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.

In 1819, Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and inaugurated a bold experiment. Two centuries later, Jefferson's vision thrives.

Across Grounds - and throughout the world - UVA students, faculty, staff and alumni challenge convention, break barriers and pursue the greater good.

The University of Virginia is made up of eleven schools and affiliated foundations in Charlottesville plus the College at Wise in Southwest Virginia. The University of Virginia Health System is a renowned academic medical center committed to providing outstanding patient care, educating tomorrow's health care leaders and discovering new and better ways to treat diseases. The University's Medical Center, School of Medicine and Physicians Group are recognized for their excellence in patient care, education and research. At UVA, we offer a rich collection benefits, which have long been recognized and valued for their comprehensiveness and competitiveness in the market. In addition to a robust array of traditional benefits such as health care, time off, and retirement, UVA offers a comprehensive list of benefits and services to help staff and faculty meet their personal and family needs.