What is an Accessible PDF?


  • December 19, 2017
  • /   Adot Labs
  • /   learningcenter
Woman typing on a laptop sitting at a desk

Changing Times

Today you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t use PDFs. The Vice President of Engineering at Adobe has estimated that there are about 2.5 trillion new PDF documents created per year. This level of popularity solidifies the need to ensure that PDF accessibility is of the utmost importance.

Where PDFs are Used

PDF is a popular format for documents that have multi-layer design elements, such as, restaurant menus, sale flyers, bills/invoices, schedules or terms & conditions documents. PDF's are popular because they will always display in the same manner, regardless of what type of device is used to open them. 

PDFs Equal Problems for Disabled Users

It was Actress Emma Thompson who said, “Being disabled should not mean being disqualified from having access to every aspect of life.” 

With the popularity of PDF documents, you would think that everyone can use them easily. Unfortunately, this is not always the case – that is, not unless certain obstacles have been removed from the document. That’s why it’s important to make sure that accessibility is a top priority before you create or publish PDF documents.

According to the US Census, nearly 1 in 5 Americans have a disability.  While Adobe has taken the needed steps to allow for the creation of accessible documents, there are still PDFs that aren’t following any accessibility standard, causing roadblocks for disabled users. These roadblocks are now leading to more businesses facing litigation as they may be in violation of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is a law designed to protect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life.

The Obstacles of a PDF 

When a PDF isn’t initially and intentionally created to be accessible, obstacles are often unintentionally added to the document. For example, if the document is long, (think several pages) and doesn’t have bookmarks added, then a person using a screen reader will not be able to properly navigate and find information within the PDF. If the document was solely an image, a person using a screen reader would be unable to read its content.  If the tabs that are used to navigate the PDF don’t follow the order of the document, then a screen reader will not be able to properly read the document in its intended order or potentially tab through form fields. If the description for an image in the document is labeled “picture” for each image, then the screen reader will simply read the image as “picture” not giving the user any indication of what they are actually “viewing”. These are just a few of the many settings and issues that people with disabilities may face when encountering an inaccessible PDF. The inability to use and properly read/use a document or fill out a form is frustrating, embarrassing, and also a major violation of the ADA.

What You Need to Make Your PDF Compliant

The idea of recreating documents for compliance sake can be overwhelming for some but there is no need to worry. Thankfully, for us all, there are standards for PDFs in place and available for everyone to use. You can view a list of standards here from Adobe.

 

How Do You Know if Your PDF is Accessible?

PDF accessibility is tested using a combination of automated tools and human verification (there is currently no easy button to remove this manual process). You can find PDF resources from Adobe here. For the manual portion, make sure that you are well versed in accessibility to ensure that you are fully validating the accessibility of any document. Should you not have the necessary expertise in PDF accessibility, please be sure to consult with a company, like Adot Pro, that has the qualifications to help you. If not, you could waste valuable time and money and still end up with obstacles in your PDFs that could put you at risk for legal action under the ADA.

The Bottom Line

Before solely focusing on PDFs, ensure that your complete digital presence is reviewed. Be sure to sign up for your free accessibility report using the button below.  This report will detail your major accessibility errors and will help you formulate a comprehensive plan.

After you review your accessibility report, you will be empowered to ensure your website is fully compliant before you find yourself facing legal action. Use the promo code ADOT100 to receive 100% off your setup fee with Adot Pro.

What is Adot Pro?

Adot Pro is a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) that enables website owners to create an accessible version of their existing website, without having to completely start over or engage in a costly redesign. It has been designed to provide a direct, easy and affordable accessibility compliant version of a business’s digital information that impaired individuals can use to engage content online as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III laws.  

Adot Pro is a practical solution for a reasonable price that any business can afford. If you sign up before you get sued, it’ll protect you from lawyers while you consider options for your main website.  Ensure that your digital presence is accessible and sign up for your free accessibility test below today.

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