ADA website accessibility lawsuits have increased dramatically over the past several years, with thousands of cases filed against businesses of all sizes. If your website does not meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), you could be exposing your business to legal risk regardless of your industry. An ADA website compliance virtual assistant audits your site, documents accessibility gaps, coordinates fixes with your development team, and maintains an ongoing compliance record. This is a specialized role that sits at the intersection of legal compliance, web technology, and project coordination.
What This VA Does
| Task | Details |
|---|---|
| Accessibility audit coordination | Runs automated scans using tools like WAVE, Axe, or Deque and documents findings |
| WCAG gap analysis | Compares site against WCAG 2.1 AA standards and lists specific violations |
| Developer task documentation | Translates compliance issues into clear tickets for your web development team |
| Alt text review and updates | Reviews and writes descriptive alt text for images across your website |
| Accessibility statement drafting | Creates or updates your website's public accessibility statement |
| Remediation tracking | Monitors progress of fixes and maintains a running compliance log |
| Keyboard navigation testing | Manually tests site navigation without a mouse to identify barriers |
| Ongoing monitoring | Schedules periodic audits as site content is updated |
Skills and Tools Required
An ADA compliance VA should be familiar with WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements at minimum. Experience using accessibility testing tools such as WAVE, Axe, Google Lighthouse, or Siteimprove is essential. They should be able to read basic HTML and understand how structure, ARIA labels, and color contrast affect accessibility.
Strong written communication skills are important for creating clear remediation tickets and documentation. Familiarity with project management tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello helps when coordinating fixes with developers. Experience with CMS platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, or Webflow is a plus, since many issues can be fixed directly in the CMS without developer involvement.
Candidates with backgrounds in UX research, web design, or digital marketing with an accessibility focus are well-suited for this role.
What to Pay
| Level | Rate |
|---|---|
| Entry | $7–$12/hr |
| Mid | $12–$20/hr |
| Specialist | $20–$28/hr |
Entry-level VAs handle scanning and basic documentation. Mid-level VAs can manage remediation tracking and fix simple issues independently. Specialists with deep WCAG knowledge and developer coordination experience command higher rates.
How to Hire
Define what stage your compliance effort is at before hiring. If you have never audited your site, you need a VA who can run a full initial assessment. If you have an existing compliance program, you may need ongoing monitoring and documentation support. Be specific about your CMS, the size of your site, and whether you have an in-house developer or rely on contractors.
During the interview, ask candidates to walk you through how they would audit a website for ADA compliance. Ask which tools they use, how they prioritize issues, and how they document findings for non-technical stakeholders. A practical test — such as auditing a specific page on your site and delivering a short report — is an excellent way to evaluate their skills.
Establish a regular cadence for audits, especially if your site content changes frequently. New images, videos, or pages can introduce new accessibility issues even after your initial remediation is complete.
"Our VA caught over 80 accessibility issues we had no idea existed. She managed the remediation process with our developer and had everything documented within six weeks." — E-commerce business owner
For businesses managing compliance across multiple areas, see our guide on HIPAA documentation virtual assistant for a parallel look at compliance documentation workflows. If you also need help keeping your overall digital presence organized, our article on CRM data cleanup virtual assistant covers related data management practices.
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