About the role#
Help make the University of Virginia’s digital content accessible to everyone. As a Digital Accessibility Intern, you will perform high-volume remediation of PDF documents for UVA staff. You will work in small teams of undergraduate students, guided by a Graduate Digital Accessibility Lead Intern and supervised by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator. This role provides an opportunity to learn industry-standard tools and gain skills in digital accessibility.
What you'll do#
Your work will be split between production tasks and team collaboration. You will focus on the following:
- 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.
- Use tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, Equidox, SensusAccess, and PAC.
- Update your work log in the tracking system and meet established deadlines.
- Attend onboarding and training sessions.
- Participate in weekly virtual team check-ins and discuss program improvements.
- Communicate proactively when questions or concerns arise.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment as a UVA undergraduate student.
- Strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn new software.
- Good written communication skills.
- Interest in accessibility or inclusive design.
- Experience with Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Word accessibility features, or HTML concepts is preferred.
- Previous practice with PDF editing, document formatting, or accessibility remediation is a plus.
- Interest in digital accessibility or disability studies is helpful.
- Understanding of document version control and best practices for shared file management is preferred.
Location & details#
- This position is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.
- The role is part-time, up to 10 hours per week.
- Work is on-site, with the possibility of remote work after an initial training period.
- Federal work-study students are eligible to apply.
- All majors are welcome to apply.
About University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public institution of higher learning based in Charlottesville. Founded in 1819, it operates 12 distinct schools and serves as the largest employer in its region. The university maintains an annual economic impact of 5.9 billion dollars. It focuses on academic research and the preparation of students for leadership roles.
How to get in at University of Virginia
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