diff --git a/app/models/etd.rb b/app/models/etd.rb
index 7f0ab1245..d59cc3fab 100644
--- a/app/models/etd.rb
+++ b/app/models/etd.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 require 'workflow_setup'
-# Generated via
-#  `rails generate hyrax:work Etd`
+
 class Etd < ActiveFedora::Base
   include ::ProquestBehaviors
   include ::Hyrax::WorkBehavior
@@ -16,6 +15,24 @@ class Etd < ActiveFedora::Base
   after_initialize :set_defaults, unless: :persisted?
   before_save :set_research_field_ids, :index_committee_chair_name, :index_committee_members_names
 
+  ##
+  # @!attribute [rw] visibility_translator_class
+  #   @return [VisibilityTranslatorClass]
+  attr_writer :visibility_translator_class
+
+  def visibility_translator_class
+    @visibility_translator_class ||= VisibilityTranslator
+  end
+
+  ##
+  # @return [VisibilityTranslator]
+  def visibility_translator
+    visibility_translator_class.new(obj: self)
+  end
+
+  delegate :visibility,  to: :visibility_translator
+  delegate :visibility=, to: :visibility_translator
+
   # Get all attached file sets that are "primary"
   def primary_file_fs
     members.select(&:primary?)
diff --git a/app/services/visibility_translator.rb b/app/services/visibility_translator.rb
index 2457ae0af..b7bd0c042 100644
--- a/app/services/visibility_translator.rb
+++ b/app/services/visibility_translator.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class VisibilityTranslator
   ALL_EMBARGOED   = 'embargo; all'.freeze
   FILES_EMBARGOED = 'embargo; file'.freeze
   TOC_EMBARGOED   = 'embargo; toc + file'.freeze
+  OPEN            = Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PUBLIC
 
   attr_accessor :obj
 
@@ -32,13 +33,60 @@ def self.visibility(obj:)
   end
 
   def visibility
-    return VisibilityProxy.new(obj).visibility unless obj.under_embargo?
-    return ALL_EMBARGOED                       if     obj.abstract_embargoed
-    return TOC_EMBARGOED                       if     obj.toc_embargoed
+    return proxy.visibility unless obj.under_embargo?
+    return ALL_EMBARGOED    if     obj.abstract_embargoed
+    return TOC_EMBARGOED    if     obj.toc_embargoed
 
     FILES_EMBARGOED
   end
 
+  def visibility=(value)
+    case value
+    when FILES_EMBARGOED
+      raise(InvalidVisibilityError.new('Invalid embargo visibility level:', value, obj)) unless
+        obj.under_embargo?
+
+      obj.files_embargoed    = true
+      obj.toc_embargoed      = false
+      obj.abstract_embargoed = false
+      proxy.visibility       = OPEN
+    when TOC_EMBARGOED
+      raise(InvalidVisibilityError.new('Invalid embargo visibility level:', value, obj)) unless
+        obj.under_embargo?
+
+      obj.files_embargoed    = true
+      obj.toc_embargoed      = true
+      obj.abstract_embargoed = false
+      proxy.visibility       = OPEN
+    when ALL_EMBARGOED
+      raise(InvalidVisibilityError.new('Invalid embargo visibility level:', value, obj)) unless
+        obj.under_embargo?
+
+      obj.files_embargoed    = true
+      obj.toc_embargoed      = true
+      obj.abstract_embargoed = true
+      proxy.visibility       = OPEN
+    else
+      proxy.visibility = value
+    end
+  end
+
+  def proxy
+    VisibilityProxy.new(obj)
+  end
+
+  class InvalidVisibilityError < ArgumentError
+    def initialize(msg = 'Invalid visibility level:', level = nil, obj = nil)
+      @level = level
+      @obj   = obj
+      @msg   = msg + " #{level}\nNo embargo is set on #{obj ? obj.id : 'the object'}."
+    end
+
+    def message
+      @msg
+    end
+  end
+
   ##
   # Determines the value of the default `#visibility` method as implemented in
   # `Hydra::AccessControls::Visibility` for the provided `source`. Since we
@@ -57,6 +105,7 @@ class VisibilityProxy
     include Hydra::AccessControls::Visibility
 
     def_delegator :@original, :read_groups
+    def_delegator :@original, :set_read_groups
 
     def initialize(original)
       @original = original
diff --git a/spec/models/etd_spec.rb b/spec/models/etd_spec.rb
index 4c05b7f98..528c7c1fd 100644
--- a/spec/models/etd_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/etd_spec.rb
@@ -431,4 +431,110 @@
       its(:degree_granting_institution) { is_expected.to eq "http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/organizations/geu" }
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#visibility' do
+    subject(:etd) { described_class.new }
+
+    let(:all)        { VisibilityTranslator::ALL_EMBARGOED }
+    let(:files)      { VisibilityTranslator::FILES_EMBARGOED }
+    let(:open)       { Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PUBLIC }
+    let(:restricted) { Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PRIVATE }
+    let(:toc)        { VisibilityTranslator::TOC_EMBARGOED }
+
+    it 'is restricted by default' do
+      expect(etd.visibility).to eq restricted
+    end
+
+    context 'when under full embargo' do
+      subject(:etd) { FactoryBot.create(:sample_data_with_everything_embargoed) }
+
+      it 'is embargo (all)' do
+        expect(etd.visibility).to eq all
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when under file-only embargo' do
+      subject(:etd) { FactoryBot.create(:sample_data_with_only_files_embargoed) }
+
+      it 'is embargo (file)' do
+        expect(etd.visibility).to eq files
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when under toc embargo' do
+      subject(:etd) do
+        FactoryBot.create(:sample_data_with_only_files_embargoed, toc_embargoed: true)
+      end
+
+      it 'is embargo (toc + file)' do
+        expect(etd.visibility).to eq toc
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when restricted' do
+      subject(:etd) { FactoryBot.create(:etd, visibility: restricted) }
+
+      it 'is restricted' do
+        expect(etd.visibility).to eq restricted
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#visibility=' do
+    subject(:etd) { FactoryBot.create(:etd, visibility: restricted) }
+
+    let(:all)        { VisibilityTranslator::ALL_EMBARGOED }
+    let(:files)      { VisibilityTranslator::FILES_EMBARGOED }
+    let(:open)       { Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PUBLIC }
+    let(:restricted) { Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PRIVATE }
+    let(:toc)        { VisibilityTranslator::TOC_EMBARGOED }
+
+    it 'can set to open' do
+      expect { etd.visibility = open }
+        .to change { etd.visibility }
+        .to open
+    end
+
+    context 'with no embargo set' do
+      it 'cannot set to file restricted access' do
+        expect { etd.visibility = files }.to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+
+      it 'cannot set to toc restricted access' do
+        expect { etd.visibility = toc }.to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+
+      it 'cannot set to all restricted access' do
+        expect { etd.visibility = all }.to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with an embargo' do
+      subject(:etd) do
+        FactoryBot.create(:tomorrow_expiration,
+                          files_embargoed: false,
+                          toc_embargoed:   false)
+      end
+
+      it 'can set to file restricted access' do
+        expect { etd.visibility = files }
+          .to change { etd.visibility }
+          .to files
+      end
+
+      it 'can set to toc restricted access' do
+        expect { etd.visibility = toc }
+          .to change { etd.visibility }
+          .to toc
+      end
+
+      it 'can set to all restricted access' do
+        etd.visibility = files
+
+        expect { etd.visibility = all }
+          .to change { etd.visibility }
+          .to all
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/embargo_expiration_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/embargo_expiration_service_spec.rb
index 19fed47d8..6bf7576ce 100644
--- a/spec/services/embargo_expiration_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/embargo_expiration_service_spec.rb
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
     it "changes the embargo permissions" do
       expect { service.expire_embargoes }
         .to change { etd.reload.visibility }
-        .from(etd.visibility_during_embargo)
+        .from(etd.visibility)
         .to(etd.visibility_after_embargo)
     end
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
       it 'does not deactivate embargo' do
         expect { service.expire_embargoes }
           .not_to change { etd.visibility }
-          .from(etd.visibility_during_embargo)
+          .from(etd.visibility)
 
         expect(etd.under_embargo?).to be_truthy
       end
diff --git a/spec/services/visibility_translator_spec.rb b/spec/services/visibility_translator_spec.rb
index f12f08ce1..006fb8939 100644
--- a/spec/services/visibility_translator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/visibility_translator_spec.rb
@@ -55,4 +55,59 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#visibility=' do
+    let(:obj) { FactoryBot.create(:etd, visibility: restricted) }
+
+    it 'can set visibility of object to open' do
+      expect { translator.visibility = open }
+        .to change { obj.visibility }
+        .to open
+    end
+
+    context 'when the work has no embargo' do
+      it 'cannot set visibility of object to file restricted level' do
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::FILES_EMBARGOED }
+          .to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+
+      it 'cannot set visibility of object to toc restricted level' do
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::TOC_EMBARGOED }
+          .to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+
+      it 'cannot set visibility of object to all restricted level' do
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::ALL_EMBARGOED }
+          .to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when the work is under embargo' do
+      let(:obj) do
+        FactoryBot.create(:tomorrow_expiration,
+                          files_embargoed: false,
+                          toc_embargoed:   false)
+      end
+
+      it 'can set visibility of object to file restricted level' do
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::FILES_EMBARGOED }
+          .to change { obj.visibility }
+          .to described_class::FILES_EMBARGOED
+      end
+
+      it 'can set visibility of object to toc restricted level' do
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::TOC_EMBARGOED }
+          .to change { obj.visibility }
+          .to described_class::TOC_EMBARGOED
+      end
+
+      it 'can set visibility of object to all restricted level' do
+        translator.visibility = described_class::FILES_EMBARGOED
+
+        expect { translator.visibility = described_class::ALL_EMBARGOED }
+          .to change { obj.visibility }
+          .to described_class::ALL_EMBARGOED
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end