Web Accessibility Consultant

The Client is seeking experienced Web Accessibility Consultants to support the creation, remediation, testing, and maintenance of accessible electronic documents and forms intended for publication and distribution.

The consultant will work closely with the DCS Policy team to ensure official documents meet established accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA, PDF/UA requirements, and DCS document standards.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience remediating Microsoft Word documents, PDFs, and fillable PDF forms, along with strong knowledge of accessibility testing, document structure, screen-reader usability, and assistive technologies.

The consultant must be able to improve the accessibility and semantic structure of official documents while preserving their original content, meaning, terminology, legal requirements, and policy intent.

Review and remediate DCS policy documents, protocols, forms, and other electronic documents for accessibility.

Create accessible Microsoft Word source documents using appropriate styles, headings, lists, tables, links, images, and document properties.

Convert Microsoft Word documents into properly structured and accessible PDFs.

Remediate existing PDF documents to meet applicable WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA and PDF/UA requirements.

Create and remediate accessible fillable PDF forms.

Ensure form fields have appropriate labels, instructions, grouping, and logical tab order.

Validate keyboard navigation and screen-reader usability of electronic forms.

Establish logical document structure, heading hierarchy, reading order, and navigation.

Create meaningful hyperlink text and appropriate alternative text for images.

Properly identify decorative images and other content that should not be announced by assistive technologies.

Remediate complex tables and determine when information should instead be presented using headings, lists, or paragraphs for improved accessibility.

Perform automated and manual accessibility testing.

Conduct quality-control reviews of remediated documents before publication.

Identify accessibility defects and recommend appropriate remediation.

Assist with creating and improving accessible Word templates, PDF templates, and electronic form templates.

Identify recurring accessibility issues and recommend processes and standards that reduce the need for future remediation.

Collaborate with policy teams and other stakeholders to ensure accessibility requirements are incorporated into document development.

Maintain document accessibility while preserving substantive content and legal/policy requirements.

Accessibility Standards

Strong knowledge and practical experience with:

WCAG 2.1

WCAG 2.2

Level AA accessibility requirements

PDF/UA

Accessible PDF structure

PDF tagging

Semantic document structure

Assistive technology accessibility principles

Microsoft Word Accessibility

Advanced experience with Microsoft Word accessibility features, including:

Styles

Heading hierarchy

Lists

Tables

Hyperlinks

Images

Alternative text

Document properties

Navigation

Accessible PDF conversion

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Hands-on experience with PDF accessibility remediation using Adobe Acrobat Pro, including:

PDF Tags

Reading Order

Table structure

Links

Figures

Alternative text

Document Properties

Form Fields

Form field labels

Tab Order

Keyboard navigation

Accessible PDF Forms

Experience creating and remediating accessible fillable PDF forms, including:

Form field labels

Instructions

Grouping

Radio buttons

Checkboxes

Logical tab order

Keyboard navigation

Screen-reader usability

Accessibility Testing Tools

Experience with accessibility testing and validation tools such as:

WebAIM Contrast Checker

WAVE

ANDI

Color Contrast Analyzer

NVDA

PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker)

Experience with the Matterhorn Protocol or comparable PDF/UA testing methodologies is strongly preferred.

Manual Accessibility Testing

The successful candidate should be comfortable performing manual accessibility testing, including evaluating:

Document structure

Heading hierarchy

Reading order

PDF tags

Tables

Links

Images

Alternative text

Forms

Keyboard navigation

Screen-reader compatibility

Color contrast

Navigation and usability

Candidate Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

Strong hands-on experience with digital accessibility and document remediation.

Demonstrated experience remediating accessible Word documents and PDFs.

Strong understanding of WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA.

Experience with PDF/UA and accessible PDF tagging.

Advanced Microsoft Word accessibility knowledge.

Advanced Adobe Acrobat Pro accessibility remediation skills.

Experience creating and remediating accessible fillable PDF forms.

Experience performing both automated and manual accessibility testing.

Strong knowledge of screen-reader accessibility and keyboard navigation.

Excellent attention to detail.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to preserve the original meaning and substantive content of documents while making them accessible.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to work effectively with policy teams and cross-functional stakeholders.

Experience with PAC / PDF Accessibility Checker.

Experience with the Matterhorn Protocol.

Experience working with government agencies or public-sector organizations.

Experience working with policy, legal, regulatory, or compliance-related documents.

Experience developing accessibility standards, templates, or remediation procedures.

Experience identifying recurring accessibility problems and implementing preventive solutions.