Digital File Accessibility Guidelines

PDFs are everywhere: on websites, in newsletters, in reports and in posts. And yet, there is something we rarely say out loud: most PDFs are not accessible, fundamentally difficult or impossible for many people to use. A study of scientific publications found that only 4.5% of PDFs were properly tagged and 97% had no alternative text for images: https://lnkd.in/eY9G8JZf Large-scale research shows that less than 3% of PDFs fully meet accessibility criteria: https://lnkd.in/eY9G8JZf For people who are blind, PDF forms are often unusable or extremely difficult to complete because labels, structure, and reading order are missing: https://lnkd.in/efrWBHTg In other words: PDF inaccessibility is a default. PDFs were designed to preserve visual layout, not to ensure accessibility. That creates a fundamental tension: - screen readers need structure and semantics - PDFs often provide only visual positioning For many users, this means: - content read in the wrong order - no navigation between sections - tables and images that lose meaning - forms that cannot be completed So what can we do when we have a PDF? 1️⃣ Always question the format Could this be HTML instead? Could the key information live directly on the page? 👉 Research shows that users with visual impairments perform significantly better with structured web content than with complex documents 2️⃣ Never make PDF the only access point Provide a web version and add a summary or key points. 👉 If one format fails, users still have access 3️⃣ Add context before the download What is inside? How long is it? Is it accessible? Example: “Annual report (PDF, 32 pages)” 👉 This reduces cognitive load and helps decision-making 4️⃣ Ensure text is actually text (not an image) Many PDFs are just scanned images and screen readers cannot interpret them. 👉 If text cannot be selected, it likely cannot be read 5️⃣ Improve structure, even minimally Add headings, define reading order and tag basic elements. 👉 Even partial structure dramatically improves navigation 6️⃣ Support non-text content Add alternative text for key images and avoid meaning conveyed only visually. 👉 Remember: 97% of PDFs still miss this 7️⃣ Be transparent when it’s not accessible Acknowledge limitations and provide a contact for alternative formats. 👉 Accessibility is also about communication, not just code Even when PDFs are “technically accessible”: - they can still be hard to read cognitively - they can still require more effort than HTML - they often remain less usable overall 👉 Accessibility ≠ compliance 👉 Accessibility = usability It’s not: ❌ “PDF = bad” ❌ “Let’s fix the file and move on” It’s: ✅ “How do we make this content accessible in multiple ways?” ✅ “What happens if this format fails?” Because at the end of the day users don’t care about the format, they care about accessing the information. #Accessibility #A11y #WebAccessibility #PDF #DigitalAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #ContentDesign #UX #DesignForAll

What if the tool you're building is making the web less accessible - not because of how it works, but because of what it lets people create? Most web developers have heard of WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). It's the go-to standard for making websites accessible. But WCAG isn't the only accessibility guideline out there. And if you're building anything that lets users create or publish content online, there's another one you should know about: ATAG. ATAG stands for Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines. And it applies to more tools than you might think. If you're building a CMS, a blog platform, a social media tool, a website builder, an email editor, a comment system, a forum, or really anything that lets people create and post content, then you're building an authoring tool. That also includes plugins, extensions, and add-ons for platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, Webflow, etc, or at least the ones that involve content creation. If your plugin gives users a way to input and publish content (think form builders, page builders, review systems, or portfolio tools), ATAG applies to you too. ATAG has two parts, and both matter: • Part A is about making the tool itself accessible. Can someone using a screen reader or keyboard actually use your editor? Can they format text, upload images, and publish without barriers? • Part B is about helping users produce accessible content. Does your tool prompt for alt text when someone uploads an image? Does it flag missing headings or low contrast? Does it make it easy to do the right thing? That second part is where it gets really interesting. Because even if your tool is technically accessible to use, if it doesn't guide users toward creating accessible output, you're potentially multiplying barriers across the web. Think about how many blog posts, product pages, newsletters, and social updates get published every day through tools like these. If the tool doesn't support accessible content creation, that's a lot of inaccessible content going out into the world. WCAG tells us how to make our own sites accessible. ATAG asks us to think bigger - to make sure the things we build help other people create accessibly too. If this is new to you, that's ok. It's not talked about nearly enough. You can find the full guidelines at w3.org/TR/ATAG20, and it's worth a read if you're working on anything in this space. #Accessibility #WCAG #a11y #webdevelopment [Image description: Comparison graphic showing two accessibility guidelines side by side. On the left, WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) with the tagline 'Make your site or app accessible.' On the right, ATAG (Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines) with the tagline 'Help your users create accessibly.' Each side has an illustration of a developer, working on a website, and pointing at a website as though to guide someone.]

1 in 6 people globally live with a disability. Add family members and caregivers, and the influence grows dramatically. This is one of the largest underserved consumer markets. Ask yourself: → Can someone use your website without a mouse? → Are your videos captioned? → Are your PDFs readable by screen readers? → Is your checkout usable without precise clicking? These details affect who can engage with your brand. The UK Click-Away Pound research found that 71% of consumers with disabilities leave websites that are hard to use. Inclusive campaigns deliver results too (study by Unstereotype Alliance, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Unilever): → 62% likelihood of being a consumer’s first choice → 3.5% higher short-term sales and 16% higher long-term sales → 15% higher consumer loyalty Simple changes like adding keyboard navigation, captioning videos, making PDFs readable, and structuring your copy make things easier for everyone. Customers spend more time, make purchases more easily, and return more often. Run a basic accessibility check on your website. Review your video library for captions. Test your checkout with only a keyboard. Look at your PDFs through a screen reader. If you find gaps, fix them. If you’re not sure where to start, bring in expertise. Accessible marketing is good business. Companies that get this earn loyalty and stand out in the market. How easy is it for someone with a disability to buy from you? #AccessibleMarketing #DigitalAccessibility #CustomerExperience #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityAwareness

You don’t need an overhaul. You don’t need a task force. Just start. Here’s how to get started today… 1. Fix Your Deck Take 15 seconds and add alt text to each image. Describe what’s important, that’s it. “Person smiling.” that’s weird. And not that helpful or contextual. Colleague laughing during a team meeting with a coffee mug in hand.” That’s way, way better. Alt text not your thing? Build your deck to make sense without images. AccessAbility Pro Tip. Check your contrast. Black text on a grayish background is less edgy and more exclusionary. 2. Stop Breaking PDFs Before sending PDFs you drafted into the wild… Make sure they’re accessible. Can you highlight the text? Can a screen reader navigate it without crying? Go ahead. I dare you. I double dog dare you! Control + Alt + Enter key turns on Narrator for Windows machines. See how long it takes you to read that pdf… Before you start crying… BTW… Accessibility checkers in Adobe Pro don’t catch all violations. Not even close. Digital equity is about meeting people where they are, online! Ask yourself. Is this content better on the world wide web or within the enterprise grip of Adobe? 3. Create Links That Don’t Suck You know what’s cool? A website with a bunch of repeated links… Click here, Click here, Click here, and  Read more, Read more, Read more… #Riveting Why not… Just tell people where the link is taking them? Download our accessibility checklist Register for the webinar Watch Tanner spill coffee during a live presentation 4. Lose Your Mouse Ever lost your mouse? Let’s pretend. Try navigating your website or app only using your keyboard. Keep tabbing like your life depends on it. If you can’t get to the end without rage-quitting, guess what? Neither can someone using a screen reader. 5. Caption Everything Videos… Zoom meetings… Instagram Reels… Everything. Auto-captions are okay, but don’t trust them. What’s the point of putting them there if your beautiful voice can’t clearly be read? You don’t want your big point to get missed in the dust cloud of automation… That’s the point of accurate captions. You don’t need to be perfect… You just need to start. So start. People you include will notice… And so will everyone else. #ThingsTannerSays #Daily #Journaling #Accessibility #A11yTips #Inclusion #JustDoIt

Ensuring your documents are accessible matters more than ever. The team at Digital Accessibility Services, Ohio State has published a comprehensive guide on “Evaluating PDFs for Accessibility” that walks you through the crucial checks, from automated tools to manual verification of headings, tables, images, and reading order. Whether you create PDFs from scratch or audit existing ones, this is a powerful resource to make your content inclusive for all users. https://buff.ly/F4oZs06 #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #PDF #PDFAccessibility #DigitalInclusion #A11y #DocumentAccessibility