The practice of \”tagging\” digital components of PDF documents to make them readable by assistive technology is known as \”PDF Remediation.\” On the other hand, these \”tags\” serve to identify the components and communicate to assistive technology the order in which they should be read. Because PDF files look the same regardless of the platform they are opened on, many businesses employ this format. The PDF format is reliable and consistent for visual users across numerous platforms and a wide range of devices.
What if your website has a backlog of hundreds or even thousands of files? To fix PDFs on your website, you will need a plan
- The project should be overseen by a team or individual.
Select a person to manage the project\’s coordination. This individual is in charge of compiling a list of all the PDFs on your website, including their URLs, and monitoring their updates. Assign someone to be the liaison if you choose to correct your PDFs using an outside service provider, such as our team of professional’s PDF remediation and accessibility services at DTP Labs. They will keep tabs on the movement of the documents and contact the vendor. They\’ll also see to it that the corrected PDFs are added on the website.
2. Documents that are unnecessary should be removed
Many websites end up serving as a storehouse for unused, duplicate, and out-of-date documents. On your website, only publish PDFs that are fully accessible. Multiple copies of the same document marked \”for print,\” \”normal,\” and \”accessible\” shouldn\’t exist.. Any PDFs that fit into these categories should be deleted while your team evaluates the ones on your website.
3. Make an accessibility announcement
In the interim, you should publish an accessibility statement. It ought to explain how everybody who visits your website and requests an accessible PDF can get a remedied copy. Appoint someone to keep an eye on the incoming inquiries. Even if you are unable to immediately supply the requested document, respond to any such enquiries right away. As soon as the file is accessible, make sure to follow up. Being ignored is worse than waiting for information, which is one of the most annoying situations for anyone using assistive technology. Be as prompt as you can to help prevent legal action regarding digital accessibility.
4. The most visible and used PDFs should be the ones to start with.
It can take many months or more to finish cleaning up all the PDFs on your website. Start with the PDF files that are the most recent and visible. You may keep track of which PDFs receive the most traffic using your website statistics and add them to your list of urgent files. As soon as you can, make these accessible. This can lower your risk of facing accessibility claims and ensure that most individuals have access to the crucial data in those PDF files. The ideal initial step in your plan to fix PDFs on your website is this one.
5. Make sure you follow up with the easiest documents first.
Documents that are mostly text-based, devoid of several intricate lists and tables, or that have some digital tagging already. These can frequently be finished internally. Use software that doesn\’t require knowledge of PDF accessibility. Save the complex documents until last, especially those that are scanned, require extensive alt text descriptions, or have intricate info-graphics.
6. Work steadily on what remains
Make a schedule for when your website\’s PDF cleanup will be finished. Track the development with the aid of your remediation coordinator or team. Make sure all of your PDFs are consistent with accessibility standards because it only takes one inaccessible document to start an accessibility lawsuit. If you do end up being sued, this chronology or road map may be beneficial. It will be clear that you are making an effort to fix the problem if you have a plan in place to address PDFs on your website. To save labor, many businesses may outsource their backlog of PDFs. The PDF remediation professionals at DTP Labs will make sure that your backlog of PDF files is correct, usable, and accessible.
7. The creators of content should be trained to handle their own remediation
Make your content creators responsible for the accessibility of their PDFs in order to prevent the need to update PDFs on your website in the future. Set a deadline for requiring that all newly developed content be in an accessible format (there are other formats that are more easily made accessible than PDFs). You don\’t want freshly developed material to increase the number of unavailable documents in your backlog. Train your teams to develop accessible PDFs and to fix any that are not \”born\” accessible, if necessary. The PDF remediation software from DTP Labs is incredibly simple to use and to understand. Free training and ongoing support are things we provide.
Bottom Line
One of the most difficult-to-access documents on websites is the PDF. Make sure they adhere to Section 508 compliance, WCAG 2.0 guidelines and AODA standards.
Select a coordinator, decide whether you will handle the remediation internally or externally (or both!), start with the documents that are viewed the most often, and make sure that all future documents that are submitted to your website are accessible. By taking these precautions, you can significantly reduce your chance of facing legal action related to digital accessibility and make sure that everyone can access your digital content.
Do you need help building a plan of PDF remediation services? Let us help you. Get in touch with us! We make your PDF accessible to Section 508 pdf accessibility, WCAG 2.0 and AODA standards.