Summer Intern I - Digital Accessibility

City of Sarasota • College Park, MD

7d • $16

About The Position

To perform general office work in designated department or area of assignment within the City of Sarasota's Planning Department. This Part-Time internship offers hands-on experience in digital accessibility, document remediation, and inclusive design practices. The intern will assist the Planning Department in meeting the DOJ’s updated ADA Title II guidance by ensuring public-facing documents are accessible. This includes applying WCAG 2.1 AA standards and ADA best practices to digital content.

Requirements

• Education and experience equivalent to a junior or senior in high school or attending vocational school or college.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PDF editing.
• Familiarity with accessibility principles (WCAG, ADA Title II) or willingness to learn.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and communicate effectively.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to plan, organize, and implement action with reference to assignments.
• Ability to communicate ideas, both verbally and in writing, with clarity and precision.
• Ability to maintain accurate and comprehensive records of activities.
• Ability to adapt to changing assignments and a varying workload which may be inherent in the orientation to any given science, discipline, or municipal operation.
• Ability to effectively participate in such work as may be required.
• Ability to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the assigned position, in accordance with the standards set by both the Department Head and the educational institution.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees, superiors, officials of the City, and the general public.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with assistive technology tools or accessibility auditing software preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Review and remediate agendas, backup documents, and other public-facing materials for accessibility compliance.
• Add alternative text to images and graphics.
• Ensure proper heading structure and readable formatting for screen readers.
• Convert PDFs and Word documents into accessible formats.
• Assist with creating accessibility checklists and documentation for staff.
• Support testing of documents using accessibility tools (e.g., screen readers, color contrast analyzers).
• Provide feedback and recommendations for improving accessibility workflows.
• Participates in departmental planning sessions for both day-to-day and special projects.
• Works independently, as assigned, under the general or specific guidelines as to Department policy and practice.
• Assists in cost analysis, efficiency evaluation, productivity studies, market surveys, and other statistical studies relative to assignment(s).

Benefits

• Retirement Benefit: The City of Sarasota made the transition to become a Florida Retirement System (FRS) employer effective December 1, 2021. To learn more about what this benefit may mean for you, please visit MyFrs.com.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: High school or GED