What is Document Accessibility?
It's the process of designing documents that can be read, used and understood by everyone, including those who use assistive technologies.
- Anyone who creates, edits or shares University documents is responsible for ensuring content is accessible to all users.
- If you're new to document accessibility, training is highly recommended. Start by watching the Introduction to Document Accessibility video.
To comply with Title II requirements, all content published on the University website, including documents, must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Please use the extended compliance deadline to explore alternative formats and make necessary changes to make content accessible. Learn more by visiting the California State University's ATI webpage.
Get Help With:
Remediation
To make documents compliant, specialized training is recommended.
Document Audits
To prepare for Title II, each file listed in department audits must be reviewed for accessibility compliance.
Courses & Modules
Free self-paced document accessibility courses and related materials are available.
Online Forms
Online forms are a more accessible format than using traditional (non-compliant) PDF forms.
Meet REMI
REMI is an AI document accessibility assistant that can help staff review documents, identify potential accessibility concerns and suggest next steps before sharing files online.
Please note: REMI’s answers, recommendations and draft content are not certified as accessible. All AI-generated content must be manually reviewed before publication. REMI can improve overall document accessibility but it's not a one-click fix and does not replace document accessibility training or human review.
A Stan State ChatGPT Edu account is required to chat with REMI
REMI is short for :
- Review
- Evaluate
- Make Inclusive
- REMI can help you determine if whether a document should be: Remediated, Converted to webpage content, Moved to an online form, archived, removed.
- You can ask REMI all of your questions related to document accessibility.
- You can chat with REMI about all other accessibility concerns.
Help Me Determine the Best Way to Share
Review My Document
Can you please review my document against WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria? Does it follow best practices for document accessibility? If not, can you please outline them for me in layman’s terms and recommend the next best steps?
Convert Existing File to a Workable Word Document
Can you review this document and help produce a workable Word file? Please use best practices for WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Title II.
Keep My Formatting
Can you review this file and help make it into a workable Word file? I'd like to keep the existing formatting as much as possible. Please use best practices for WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Title II.
- REMI does not certify that documents produced or reviews are accessible - only humans with document accessibility training can confirm.
- REMI does not perform document audits.
- REMI does not remediate complex files, especially those spanning multiple pages.
- REMI does not handle PDFs that contain complex graphs, tables or diagrams.
File Format Limitations
- REMI only supports WORD and PDF at this time.
- As with all AI models, REMI may not get things right the first time. It can sometimes take multiple attempts before you reach a desired output.
- If you have an existing file format, you can instruct REMI to retain it's formatting. REMI will do its best to follow it.
- You can instruct REMI to apply font styles of your choice throughout the document.
Common Misconceptions
The following are common misconceptions related to documents and document accessibility.
| Misconception | Clarification |
|---|---|
| Selectable text makes a PDF accessible. | False. Selectable text helps, but accessible PDFs need proper tags, headings, reading order and more to be truly accessible. |
| Accessibility checkers and AI catch everything. | False. Automated checkers and artificial intelligence are great for catching most issues, but they do miss things. Manual reviews should still be performed when checking documents. |
| Bolded text makes headings. | False. Bold formatting is visual only. Use actual heading styles so assistive technology can identify document structure. |
| Accessibility can be added later. | It can, but remediation is often more difficult and time-consuming. Build accessibility into your original document files as much as possible. |
| Scanned PDFs are accessible. | False. Scanned PDFs are image-based and require significant remediation before they are accessible. |
| Accessible documents have to look plain. | Not necessarily. Accessible documents can still be visually engaging when accessible structure, color and design practices are used. |
Updated: September 03, 2026