Everything You Need to Know About Document Accessibility

Posted July 18, 2024

AudioEye

Posted July 18, 2024

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Document accessibility ensures that everyone, including those with disabilities, can access and navigate online documents, including PDFs. Learn more about what makes a document accessible and how you can enhance the accessibility of your existing documents.

Think about how often you use online documents in your day-to-day life — whether it be in the office or in your personal life. From Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint Presentations to PDFs and Microsoft Word documents, you’re likely using one type or another daily.

Because documents play an integral role in our daily routines, they need to follow the same accessibility standards as websites. Regardless of the document type, making them accessible to everyone—especially those with disabilities — ensures inclusivity and equal access.

What exactly makes a document accessible? And how can you create accessible documents? We’ll discuss these in more detail below and provide an overview of the legal requirements around document accessibility.

What is Document Accessibility?

As the name suggests, document accessibility refers to making online documents accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes digital documents like PDFs, Word documents, presentations, spreadsheets, etc. The goal of document accessibility is to ensure individuals with disabilities can easily access, navigate, and understand content.

What Makes a Document Accessible?

A document is typically considered ‘accessible’ if it can be easily read and understood by all users, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, physical, motor, and neurological disabilities or impairments. While not an exhaustive list, the following are a few characteristics that make a document accessible:

Proper use of headings: Ensure your headings follow a logical order (i.e. H1, H2, H3, etc.) in your digital documents. This enables users to easily navigate and understand your content. The right use of headings is particularly helpful for screen reader users as it helps them understand where they are on a page. It can also help them understand the logical reading order of the page.
Descriptive links and anchor text: When creating a hyperlink, make sure the anchor text is as descriptive as possible. For example, rather than using ‘click here’ as your link text, use ‘Click here to fill out an application.’ More descriptive text descriptions help screen reader users understand where the link is going to take them and explains what their next steps are.
Alt text for non-text content: Most digital documents contain non-text content, including images, graphs, tables, or charts. Without alternative text (alt text), these elements may not be accessible to individuals with disabilities. For example, someone who is blind and relies on a screen reader may not have access to a graph that includes important context for the rest of the document.
Screen reader compatibility: Many individuals with disabilities rely on the use of screen readers to interact with content. You’ll need to ensure your documents are screen reader-friendly by testing them with assistive technologies. Doing so will help you identify any areas of confusion and take steps to remedy them.
Keyboard accessible: Along with screen readers, some users with disabilities use only a keyboard (no mouse) to navigate online spaces. Your users should be able to navigate and interact with your digital documents through keyboard commands or shortcuts. Having the right document structure can help with this.
Appropriate color contrast: Users who are colorblind or who have low vision may struggle to see and comprehend text or other web elements without sufficient color contrast. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommends a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 between text and background colors as this improves readability for these users. A color contrast checker can help with this.

Each of the accessibility features mentioned above contributes to how accessible PDF documents or other document formats are.

Why Do Documents Need to Be Accessible?

Accessible documents isn’t just a matter of convenience — it’s also a legal requirement.

Most countries have enacted accessibility laws that mandate digital accessibility for all web pages and other online documents — including online documents. For example, in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires organizations to follow WCAG guidelines which specify how to make online documents accessible. The European Accessibility Act and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) have similar requirements in place for their respective regions. Failing to provide accessible documents may result in discrimination allegations. This can lead to lawsuits or demand letters that can damage the public’s perception of your brand and your overall reputation.

More importantly, providing accessible documents is the right thing to do. Most online documents contain important information that everyone deserves equal access to. Failing to provide access creates barriers that limit someone’s educational and employment opportunities. Removing those barriers shows your commitment to inclusivity, equality, and human dignity.

How to Create Accessible Online Documents

When it comes to creating accessible online documents, the process starts in the document design process. You’ll want to ensure the accessibility features we mentioned above (e.g., alt text, appropriate color contrast and heading styles, logical use of headers, etc.) are included in your document. Add these features in before publishing your document — this will save you a significant amount of rework.

Once you’ve published your document, go back and test it for accessibility. Use a free screen reader tool to ensure it works well with common screen readers like JAWS and NVDA. Check how easily users can navigate through or fill out a document using only a keyboard. Doing so will help you find and fix some document accessibility barriers before they impact your users.

Be sure to regularly test your online documents for ongoing accessibility. Remember, every time you make updates or add new content, you may inadvertently create additional accessibility issues. Continuously testing your documents can help you ensure ongoing compliance and accessibility.

Make Every Document Accessible with AudioEye

Accessible documents isn’t just about compliance; it’s about fostering inclusivity in the digital world and ensuring everyone — regardless of their abilities — has equal access to information in all its forms.

At AudioEye, we carefully test all your web-delivered documents — from PDFs and Word documents to forms and Google Docs — to ensure they follow WCAG best practices. By combining both technology and subject matter expertise, we help you quickly achieve document accessibility.

Learn more about AudioEye’s Document Remediation process by scheduling a demo with us today!