Quick Tips and Tricks for 508 Document Remediation

In the dawn of the digital era, traditional file cabinets and paper documents have been replaced by digital files such as PDFs, Word Docs, PPTs, etc. Created by Adobe Acrobat, a Portable Document Format (PDF) is the most commonly used document type to share, sign, and send files around the world as it is compatible with almost all software. You can share PDF documents without losing any information.

However, these PDFs have certain limitations in terms of accessibility, which might create issues for everyone to use them or view the contents. For instance, people relying on assistive technologies find it difficult to access PDFs, which only creates a digital void. Hence, section 508 compliance ensures that the digital gap doesn’t widen and people with disabilities get equal access to Information and Computer Technology. This includes your documents, services, websites, and everything that is procured digitally.

Features of Accessible PDFs

The next question that pops up is what differentiates a PDF from an accessible PDF The answer is an accessible PDF is one that is compatible with assistive technologies. It has multiple features which make it easier to be accessed for persons with disabilities including cognitively or visually impaired people.

Note that not every tagged PDF becomes an accessible PDF, where tagging is just one aspect of the entire PDF remediation process. A file or a document can be considered accessible only if it meets a certain set of accessibility guidelines. In a nutshell, an accessible PDF looks similar to a regular PDF but with a few add-ons and enhancements.

Here’s a list of features to ensure the accessibility of the document:

1. Subtitles and Closed-Captioning: Provide text content for audio and video files to help people with hearing impairments.
2. Alternative Text for Images: Add text descriptions for images and visuals such as tables, charts, graphs, etc. that convey the same information.
3. Keyboard Navigation: Make prominent visual indicators available along with an on-screen focus for keyboard-only navigation. Also, allow the option to skip repetitive navigation links.
4. Screen Reader: An accessible PDF should provide access to screen readers that can aptly convert on-screen text to synthesized speech.
5. Zoom-in: Make sure that the zoom functionality in the documents is not disabled. Give the option to zoom to 200 percent.
6. Color: Make sure that there’s sufficient color contrast between the text and the background. Also, do not use only color to differentiate or convey information. Avoid bright colors and screen flickers.
7. Time-outs: Provide sufficient time for web pages with time-outs with ample warnings and significant indicators.
8. Forms: Allow assistive technologies to access, complete, and submit forms online by providing directions as well as cues to walk through the process.

Significance of PDF Accessibility

Accessibility is a critical component in ensuring inclusivity in your business, irrespective of the industry vertical you deal in. People from all walks of life can read and understand your content, regardless of any disabilities they may have. For instance, individuals with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities can use screen readers, braille displays, and other assistive tools to view the contents and get the information.

• Obligatory Compliance : Ensuring PDF accessibility is vital for compliance with accessibility laws and regulations such as the ADA and WCAG that need digital content to be accessible to all users. You might have to pay hefty fines and have to incur the costs of getting the document remediated.

• Enhanced User Experience : The accessibility features undoubtedly help individuals with disabilities. At the same time, accessible PDFs can improve the experience for all users. Well-structured documents with clear language become easier to read and navigate, making them more user-friendly and enhancing their experience.
• Improved SEO : The addition of tags helps ensure that content is discoverable and easy to find online. This improves search engine optimization (SEO) organically. The features added to make a PDF accessible also impact the discoverability, usability, and overall accessibility of the document.

Document Remediation Tricks

Document remediation is the method of making digital documents such as PDF, Word Files, PowerPoint presentations, etc., accessible to individuals with disabilities. The process involves improving the readability as well as the navigability of a digital document to make it AT-friendly. Hence, people with auditory, visual, or physical disabilities can equally access the content. Listed below are 5 quick tips for document redressal:

• Use Easy-to-Understand Language : Using language that is clear and concise is important while remediating a document. Refrain from using complex words, phrases, and sentence structures that might confuse readers. Aim to use simple, easy-to-understand language that everyone can comprehend.
• Ensure Proper Layout and Formatting : Document layout and format have a significant impact on its readability. Use a font size and type that is easy to understand when remediating a document, and ensure that spacing is consistent. Use headings and subheadings to break large chunks of text into small consumable bytes, making the document easier to navigate.
• Add Alt-text to Non-text Elements : Non-text elements like images, graphs, charts, visuals, etc., can pose a challenge for individuals with disabilities. Adding captions to images and alternative text descriptions to other such non-text elements makes the document more accessible.
• Use Descriptive Link Text : Provide descriptive link text along with the context for the linked content if the document contains hyperlinks. Prefer not to use generic phrases like ‘click here’ as they don’t provide any useful information to people who use magnifiers, screen readers, or other such assistive technologies.

While remediating a document, consider the needs of all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers or magnifiers. While designing with the accessibility-first concept in mind, you can be assured that everyone can access and comprehend the content of the document. For this, you can engage in document remediation services to redress your documents. The professionals add all the necessary accessibility elements and deliver the highest-quality outcomes within the stipulated time and budget.

Conclusion

Other than mandatory legal compliance, ensuring accessibility helps businesses to increase market reach and carve a unique niche for themselves. After all, customers and businesses today look for products that are all-inclusive. Avail of 508 compliance services and take a step closer to ensuring digital accessibility.