Section 508/ Accessibility Consultant

Goldschmitt and Associates (G&A); United States; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedule

Telework options

Impactful projects

Career growth

Job summary

Goldschmitt & Associates seeks a Section 508/Accessibility Consultant to ensure that digital services and dashboards for Federal Student Aid meet accessibility standards.

You will work within a cross-functional team to integrate accessibility into design and development from the start, not as a final check. Focus on practical remediation and validation for assistive technologies and data-heavy tools.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years in digital accessibility or a related field.
• Ability to pass a 6C Public Trust investigation (US citizenship).
• Strong knowledge of WCAG/Section 508 and accessible UX principles.
• Ability to communicate accessibility concepts to non-technical teammates.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the team expert for Section 508, WCAG, and accessible design.
• Translate accessibility requirements into practical design, development, and test criteria.
• Collaborate with UX and engineering early to identify accessibility needs.
• Review wireframes and prototypes to surface accessibility barriers before development.
• Evaluate digital products for accessibility using manual and automated testing.
• Test keyboard navigation, screen readers, focus order, and dynamic content accessibility.

Skills

Section 508

WCAG standards

Automated testing

Manual testing

Screen readers

HTML/ARIA

Cross-functional

Documentation

Tools

ANDI

axe

WAVE

Accessibility Insights

Job description

At Goldschmitt and Associates LLC (G&A), we’re not just another company—we’re a catalyst for innovation and impact, and we’re inviting passionate, forward-thinking individuals to join us on this journey. Recognized multiple times on the Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies, G&A is a leader in tech transformation and system modernization for some of the nation’s most important federal agencies.

Our culture is built on creativity and collaboration. We offer flexible schedules, telework options, and an environment where your ideas truly matter. At G&A, you won’t just clock in—you’ll be solving real-world challenges and working on projects that make a difference in the lives of millions.

Joining our team means becoming part of a vibrant, connected community where innovation thrives, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a strategic thinker, or a problem-solver, at G&A, you’ll have the opportunity to level up your career while making a real-world impact.

If you’re ready to be part of a company that values purpose as much as progress, G&A is the place for you!

Summary:

Goldschmitt & Associates is seeking a Section 508/ Accessibility Consultant to help ensure that digital services, data products, dashboards, documentation, and user interfaces developed or supported for Federal Student Aid are accessible to people with disabilities and comply with applicable federal accessibility requirements.

This role will work as part of a cross-functional product, human-centered design, analytics, and engineering team. The consultant will bring accessibility into the design and development process from the beginning rather than treating accessibility as a final compliance review.

The Section 508/ Accessibility Consultant will help teams understand accessibility requirements, review designs and working solutions, identify barriers, recommend practical fixes, and validate that remediated products provide an effective experience for users of assistive technology.

The role will support FSA's Human-Centered Data Design work as well as accessibility needs that may arise across cloud tools, dashboards, reporting interfaces, data products, documentation, and other digital services. FSA specifically requires internal-facing data interfaces and reporting templates to comply with Section 508 standards and FSA design patterns.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the team's subject matter expert for Section 508, WCAG, and accessible digital design
• Interpret accessibility requirements and translate them into practical design, development, testing, and acceptance criteria
• Partner with HCD/UX designers during research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing to identify accessibility needs early
• Review wireframes and prototypes before development to identify potential accessibility barriers
• Evaluate websites, applications, dashboards, analytical interfaces, data catalogs, reports, documentation, and other digital products for accessibility
• Perform manual accessibility testing using keyboard-only navigation and commonly used assistive technologies
• Use automated accessibility-testing tools to identify common accessibility defects and support repeatable testing
• Test screen-reader behavior, focus order, keyboard navigation, form controls, labels, headings, tables, links, status messages, and dynamic content
• Review charts, dashboards, and other data visualizations to ensure that important information is not communicated through color or visual presentation alone
• Evaluate color contrast, text resizing, responsive behavior, visible focus indicators, and other visual-accessibility requirements
• Review PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and other electronic documents when accessibility compliance is required
• Work with developers to identify the cause of accessibility defects and recommend practical remediation approaches
• Help engineering teams incorporate accessibility checks into development and testing processes
• Develop accessibility acceptance criteria for user stories and product backlog items
• Support accessibility testing during sprint, release, and readiness activities rather than waiting until final acceptance
• Document accessibility findings, severity, recommended corrective action, and validation results
• Retest corrected defects and document closure
• Support Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), or similar accessibility documentation when required
• Help teams establish reusable accessible components, patterns, templates, and design guidance
• Provide accessibility training, coaching, office hours, and hands-on support to designers, developers, analysts, product owners, and other team members
• Monitor changes to federal accessibility standards and help the team adjust practices when requirements change
• Work with FSA personnel and other contractors to resolve accessibility issues that cross organizational or system boundaries
• Promote accessibility as part of product quality and user experience rather than as a stand-alone compliance activity

Necessary Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of Section 508 requirements and WCAG accessibility standards
• Experience performing both automated and manual accessibility testing
• Experience testing web applications using keyboard-only navigation and assistive technologies
• Experience with screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, or comparable technologies
• Knowledge of accessible HTML, ARIA, semantic markup, forms, tables, navigation, and interactive components
• Experience reviewing wireframes, prototypes, and user interfaces for accessibility before development
• Ability to identify accessibility defects and explain corrective action to designers and developers
• Experience documenting accessibility findings and validating remediation
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively with UX designers, software engineers, product managers, analysts, testers, and Government stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications:

• Possess at least 5 years of professional experience in digital accessibility, Section 508 compliance, accessible UX, accessibility testing, or a related field
• Possess the ability to pass a 6C Public Trust investigation, including US citizenship

Preferred Qualifications:

• Federal Government accessibility experience
• Department of Education or Federal Student Aid experience
• Experience testing data-intensive applications, dashboards, business-intelligence tools, or analytical interfaces
• Experience with accessibility testing tools such as ANDI, axe, WAVE, Accessibility Insights, or similar tools
• Experience with accessible document testing and remediation
• Familiarity with Design Systems and reusable accessible component libraries
• International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) certification such as CPACC, WAS, or CPWA
• Experience integrating accessibility testing into Agile, DevSecOps, CI/CD, or automated quality processes
• Experience conducting accessibility-focused usability testing with users of assistive technology