We are looking for an experienced Accessibility Tester / DHS Trusted Tester to support an internal efficacy evaluation of our proprietary document accessibility engine, ansrAccess.
The role will involve conducting detailed accessibility audits across digital documents and web-based learning content, comparing manual audit findings with results generated by ansrAccess and leading industry accessibility tools. Your findings will help identify detection gaps, false positives, false negatives, severity misclassifications, and other accessibility-related blind spots, directly contributing to product improvements.
This is a freelance opportunity suited for accessibility professionals with strong hands-on experience in Section 508, WCAG 2.2 AA, document accessibility, and web accessibility testing.
- Conduct manual accessibility audits using the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Process.
- Establish a manual accessibility baseline or "ground truth" for assigned documents and web content.
- Evaluate accessibility findings generated by ansrAccess.
- Run assigned files and web content through relevant industry benchmark tools and compare the results.
- Identify and document:
- True positives
- False positives
- False negatives / missed violations
- Severity misclassifications
- Gaps in remediation guidance
- Map accessibility findings to relevant WCAG 2.2 AA and Section 508 success criteria.
- Perform detailed testing of complex document structures and HTML/LMS content.
- Maintain accurate test data and document-level findings in the required assessment matrix.
- Contribute to technical reports highlighting accessibility detection gaps, recurring issues, and potential root causes.
- Provide prioritized recommendations that can support product, QA, and engineering teams in improving the accessibility engine.
- Participate in technical discussions or debrief sessions with the product and engineering teams as required.
You will work with approved test files and web content that contain realistic and complex accessibility scenarios. The evaluation process will typically involve:- Reviewing and validating assigned test content.
- Performing a DHS Trusted Tester manual audit.
- Evaluating the same content using ansrAccess.
- Running the content through relevant industry benchmark tools.
- Comparing and mapping findings across the different evaluation methods.
- Documenting discrepancies and accessibility gaps.
- Contributing findings and recommendations to the final technical analysis.
Depending on your area of specialization, you may be assigned responsibility for testing one or more of the following:- PDF: Tagged and untagged PDFs, reading order, tag structures, alt text, tables, forms, contrast, etc.
- Microsoft Word: Heading structures, lists, tables, document properties, and object placement.
- PowerPoint: Slide reading order, group shapes, decorative elements, slide masters, alt text, etc.
- Canvas LMS / HTML: Heading hierarchy, semantic HTML, ARIA, links, tables, embedded media/iFrames, and color contrast.
Test assignments will be aligned with your demonstrated area of expertise.
Tools & Technologies
Experience with relevant accessibility testing and assistive technology tools, including:
- JAWS
- NVDA
- PAC
- Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Accessibility Checker
- WAVE
- axe DevTools
- ANDI
- Browser DOM inspection tools
- PDF accessibility/structure inspection tools
- Active DHS Trusted Tester Certification v5.0 or higher.
- Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience auditing complex digital documents and/or web content for accessibility.
- Strong knowledge of US Federal Section 508 requirements and WCAG 2.2 AA.
- Demonstrated experience with accessibility testing for PDF, Microsoft Office documents, HTML, LMS content, or similar digital content.
- Practical experience using assistive technologies such as JAWS and/or NVDA.
- Experience with accessibility inspection, auditing, and benchmark tools.
- Strong ability to identify, analyze, categorize, and clearly document accessibility defects.
- Excellent attention to detail, particularly when working with complex document structures and edge cases.
- Ability to work independently and consistently meet agreed testing deliverables and timelines.
This is an opportunity to work on a product-focused accessibility evaluation where your expertise will directly influence the improvement of an accessibility testing engine. Your work will help strengthen automated accessibility detection and improve the quality and reliability of accessibility insights provided to users.
If you are a DHS Certified Trusted Tester with strong experience in digital accessibility and enjoy deep-dive testing, analysis, and finding the issues that automated tools miss, we’d love to hear from you.
ansrsource provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, caste, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We respect and support diverse cultures, backgrounds, talents, and perspectives. We believe embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment will help us grow and succeed as an organization and better serve learners, who are the ultimate audience for all we create.
3+ years