Independent Media Accessibility Consultant

Career Guide

An Independent Media Accessibility Consultant helps media and content teams make video, audio, and digital experiences usable for people with disabilities. They review content and workflows, recommend improvements, coordinate accessible deliverables like captions and audio description, and help teams meet accessibility expectations across platforms.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Audit video, audio, and digital content for accessibility issues
Recommend fixes for captions, subtitles, and transcripts
Define requirements for audio description and review quality
Advise on accessible publishing for web and mobile platforms
Create accessibility guidelines for content teams
Train writers, editors, and producers on accessibility best practices
Support vendor selection for captioning and audio description services
Set quality standards and review vendor work
Partner with legal and compliance teams on accessibility risk reduction
Document accessibility decisions and progress for stakeholders
Support accessibility testing with users and testers with disabilities
Build repeatable workflows to improve speed and consistency

Top Skills for Success

Accessibility Auditing

Caption Quality Review

Subtitle Standards Knowledge

Transcript Editing

Audio Description Planning

Accessible Content Strategy

Web Accessibility Knowledge

Media Production Workflow Knowledge

Quality Assurance

Client Communication

Training Facilitation

Project Scoping

Stakeholder Management

Contract Negotiation

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Media Accessibility Consultant

Accessibility Specialist

Captioning Quality Manager

Audio Description Producer

Content Accessibility Lead

Transition Opportunities

Accessibility Program Manager Accessibility Product Manager Accessibility Compliance Manager

Inclusive Design Lead

Accessibility Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Audio Description WritingCaption Standards KnowledgeAccessibility TestingProcurement ExperiencePricing StrategyScope ManagementReport WritingWorkflow Design

Development SuggestionsBuild a repeatable audit template, create sample deliverables that show before and after improvements, and practice writing clear client reports with prioritized fixes. Strengthen consulting skills by learning how to scope projects, estimate effort, set service levels, and measure results.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 55,000 to 80,000

Mid LevelUSD 85,000 to 130,000

Senior LevelUSD 135,000 to 200,000 plus

Growth Trend

Demand is rising as streaming, social video, and digital learning expand and as organizations prioritize accessibility compliance and inclusive design. Independent work is common, with pay varying by region, client size, and project scope.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

NetflixDisneyAmazonAppleGoogleMicrosoftWarner Bros. DiscoveryParamountBBCNBCUniversalCourseraDuolingo

Industry Sectors

Streaming mediaFilm and televisionBroadcast mediaSocial media platformsAdvertising agenciesE-learningHigher educationGovernment communicationsMuseums and cultural institutionsCorporate marketing

Recommended Next Steps

Create a portfolio with an accessibility audit example and a remediation plan

Develop a standard discovery checklist for client intake

Build an accessibility quality rubric for captions and transcripts

Complete training in web accessibility fundamentals

Practice audio description planning on short clips and document decisions

Set a clear service menu with pricing ranges and timelines

Network with post production teams, editors, and localization leads

Offer a pilot project to a small client to collect testimonials

Track outcomes such as error reduction and faster publishing cycles