Digital Accessibility Specialist

The University of Virginia Library seeks a collaborative and detail-oriented Digital Accessibility Specialist to help steward library-wide efforts to ensure that digitized and born-digital materials-such as PDFs, scanned content, audiovisual media, archival materials, and collections are digitally accessible.

Working across departments, the Digital Accessibility Specialist fosters collaboration, coordinates strategies, and helps develop sustainable practices that make digital accessibility efforts efficient, consistent, and forward-looking. The role does not involve sole responsibility for performing all remediation work, but also empowers and trains others, develops best practices, and embeds accessibility as a shared responsibility. In doing so, the Digital Accessibility Specialist advances the Library's strategic goals of enhancing user experience and broadening the reach of library resources.

As part of the Library's commitment to digital inclusion accessibility, the Digital Accessibility Specialist will play a central role in aligning Library content with community expectations, accessibility standards such as ADA Title II, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and the Library's broader vision of equitable access to knowledge.

About the University of Virginia Library:

The University of Virginia Library is here to ensure that the University community has the information it needs for teaching, research, and personal enjoyment and enrichment. Regularly ranked in the top quartile of ARL libraries, UVA Library has six locations, more than 220 staffers, and more than 100 student employees. Additionally, as a major research institution, the Library regularly collaborates with professional organizations such as the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), Virginia Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, and others.

The University of Virginia Library promotes a culture of respect, collaboration, accountability, and mutual understanding. Departments and individuals are expected to work together, both in professional collaborations and in creating a culture where all can thrive.

The UVA Library is interested in reviewing candidates with a broad range of experiences, education, and qualifications. If you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every preferred qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Responsibilities

• Support digital accessibility remediation projects across the Library-including scanned documents, digitized collections, archival materials, and audiovisual content-ensuring alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Section 508, and ADA Title II.
• Support, guide, and maintain digital accessibility workflows, working across departments to identify priorities, track progress, and document outcomes.
• Support the Academic Captioning Program, working in partnership with Library staff and campus units to ensure multimedia accessibility needs are met.
• Collaborate with colleagues in digital collections, digitization, instructional scanning, instructional support, special collections, and metadata to integrate digital accessibility into upstream workflows and minimize future remediation needs.
• Build and maintain relationships with external vendors who specialize in various types of remediation; assess needs and connect specific content types with the most appropriate vendor solutions.
• Develop and maintain clear documentation, standards, and guidance materials for digital accessibility remediation.
• Consult with staff on creating accessible digital documents, reinforcing sustainable and compliant practices.
• Track digital accessibility-related projects, tasks, and metrics using project management tools; contribute to regular reporting and continuous improvement efforts.
• Stay current with accessibility-related legal requirements, standards, and best practices in digital accessibility, particularly as they apply to libraries and higher education.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Experience: At least four years of experience. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Licensure: Project Management Institute (PMI) certification is typically possessed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of digital accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1, Section 508, ADA Title II)
• Experience coordinating or contributing to accessibility or remediation projects.
• Familiarity with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, voice recognition software) and how users engage with digital documents and media.
• Working knowledge of document remediation tools (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Pro, Equidox, ABBYY FineReader, or UDOIT).
• Familiarity with building and optimizing workflows and processes.
• Understanding of metadata and digitization workflows as they relate to digital accessibility.

The ideal candidate will have strong communication and organizational skills, demonstrated project management experience, and a record of leading or facilitating projects across departments or organizations. Experience writing documentation, providing training or support, and working in an academic library, or higher education setting is also preferred.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Anticipated hiring range is $80,000 -$90,000, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

• This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.
• This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and is eligible for a hybrid schedule, with additional on-site presence as needed, after required in-person training and in accordance with UVA's remote work guidelines.

About UVA and the Community

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Application review will begin after October 15, 2025. Preference will be given to applications received by this date.

Additional Requirements

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0076194. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants: Apply through your Workday profile by searching "Find Jobs."

Reference Check Process

Reference checks will be completed by UVA's third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

Contact

For questions about the application process, please contact Karon Harrington at fak3ph@virginia.edu.

For questions about the position, please contact Elyse Girard, at elyse@virginia.edu.

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