This webpage shares best practices when creating documents.
To comply with updated ADA Title II requirements taking effect April 24, 2026, documents must be made accessible before they are published on the University website.
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This section provides information on document accessibility, including the importance of creating accessible documents.
An accessible document is a file created with features that help users with disabilities access and understand its content. These features are particularly important for individuals who are blind, have low vision, or use assistive technology such as screen readers. As a best practice, documents should be created in software that supports accessibility features, such as Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat and Google Docs.
See the Accessibility Features section to learn more about the features that make documents accessible.
What not to do:
Avoid creating documents in online graphic design platforms such as Canva or similar. These platforms lack crucial accessibility features required to make documents fully accessible.
Updated Title II requirements require public institutions, including public colleges and universities, to make their services, programs, and digital content accessible to people with disabilities. It protects qualified individuals with disabilities by helping ensure equal access to websites, mobile apps, documents, and other public-facing services.
Title II's scope includes all document file types available for download or reference on your website, including but not limited to:
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Excel
This also includes any documents currently in use for classes, University services, policies, steps, etc.
Free educational trainings are available, including on-campus trainings and external opportunities.
This section provides information for when to consider the document remediation process.
Document remediation is the process of updating an existing document file to make it accessible. In many instances, remediation is much more difficult and time-consuming than creating a new accessible version of the document.
This will vary by department, but only documents that need to remain on the website should be prioritized for remediation. Check out the Decision Matrix in the next section for more information.
The decision matrix below is intended to help determine which documents should be prioritized for remediation. During your department audit review, your department may find that some files are no longer needed or feasible to remediate. Any document retained for continued use on the website must be made accessible by your department.
| Questions to consider: | If Yes, | If No, |
|---|---|---|
| Does this document need to be available on the website for users to download and/or reference? | Remediate | Remove from website |
| Can the information from this document be incorporated as information on a webpage? | Add information to a webpage or create a new webpage | Remediate |
| Can this form become an online form? | Move the content into Microsoft Forms or a similar online form system | Remediate |
| Is this document still relevant? | Remediate | Remove from website or archive |
| Is this document a flyer? | Remove from website | Remove from website |
The table below includes common items that must be assessed when evaluating your PDF document's accessibility using Adobe Acrobat.
Videos & Articles
- See videos on PDF accessibility in the Trainings, Resources & Videos section.
- Article: How to check and fix PDF accessibility issues
- Article: Remediate a PDF for accessibility using Adobe’s Accessibility Checker
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Document Tags |
|
| Proper Reading Order |
|
| Headings |
|
| Images |
|
| Item Lists |
|
| Links/Hyperlinks |
|
| Tables |
|
| Color Contrast |
|
You can consider the following solutions for instances when a document cannot be remediated.
| Solutions | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Remove the document(s) from the website | If a document is not feasible to remediate, remove it from your website. |
| 2. Turn the document into information available on a webpage |
If the document is too difficult to remediate, incorporate its information into accessible content on a webpage. If the document is a form, consider migrating it to Microsoft Forms or a similar online form platform. |
| 3. Recreate the document using best practices for documents | If the source document is not fixable or is not feasible to remediate, start a new accessible version of the same document. |
| 4. Proceed with document remediation | If a document must be remediated, check out the Trainings & Resources section for more information on trainings, document accessibility courses, and videos. |
| 5. For simple reference documents, use the CSU's AI PDF Remediation Tool |
The AI PDF Remediation Tool from the CSU only supports simple documents such as meeting memos, notes, and minutes. It does not handle complex documents that contain tables, images, data fields, drop-downs, and rating options. |
| 6. Archive the document* | *Note that specific conditions must be met for content to be considered archived. Visit the Document Archiving Procedure webpage to learn more. |
Please note that automated and AI-based tools are new and evolving technologies that do make mistakes. These tools should not be solely relied upon to create compliant documents.
Automated Tools
Be cautious with misleading features such as the "auto tag document" option that appears inside Adobe Acrobat. Using the "auto tag document" feature does not guarantee that your document is accessible.
Reviewing AI-Remediated Documents
Documents remediated with AI or any automated tool need to be reviewed and tested by humans to confirm compliance. The following videos provide tips for checking your document’s accessibility in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. Additional information can be found in the Trainings & Resources section.
The Chancellor’s Office recently launched a tool to help campuses meet new Title II digital accessibility requirements. Using AI-assisted processing, the tool can complete a significant portion of PDF accessibility remediation and produce a more usable document.
The tool was developed by Willie Peng, CSU Fullerton’s Assistant Vice President for Information Technology/Infrastructure Services.
Note: Output results vary by document complexity and the tool does not yet provide full compliance. At this time, the tool can handle simpler documents.
Document audits provide a snapshot of all the documents currently linked on your department website.
In anticipation of Title II, each item listed in your department audit sheet must be evaluated for compliance.
If you have not started your department document audit, please begin now.
Reviewing your audit findings as a team is highly encouraged, as it will help expedite the audit process. Files that are not accessible should be either: remediated, removed from the website, converted to web content or in some instances, archived. The Decision Matrix can be used to help determine the appropriate outcome for each linked document.
- Open each document link listed in the Document Link column.
- Review each document's accessibility.
- In the Document Accessibility column, indicate one of the following file statuses:
- Remediate (Only use this for files you plan to make accessible)
- Accessible (Only use for documents that are confirmed as accessible)
- Delete from website
- Convert to web content or online form
- Archive*
Items Marked for Document Remediation
If your department plans to keep files on the website, those documents must be prioritized for remediation and made accessible. If you decide to remediate, you can explore resources in the Document Remediation section.
File Archiving
*Specific conditions must be met for files to be considered archived. Visit the Document Archiving Procedure webpage for more details.
Need a copy of your Document Audit?
Please contact the Web Services Team at webupdate@csustan.edu.
This section shares important accessibility features that you can incorporate into your documents to make them more accessible. Note some formatting features may impact visual and visually-impaired uniquely.
Accessible documents should be made using programs that contain accessibility features. Notable programs include: Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat and Google Docs.
Add Document Headings
Headings help create an outline and make it easier for users of screen readers to browse your document.
- Headings allow visually-impaired users on screen readers to jump between parts of your document.
- Headings must follow the heading hierarchy.
- When headings do not follow the heading hierarchy, it creates makes the document confusing for visually-impaired users.
- Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users.
Add Alt Text Descriptions to Images
Provide meaningful alt text descriptions on the images shared in your document.
- Alt text descriptions are short image descriptions available to users with visual impairments (on screen readers).
- When an image is encountered by a screen reader, it will look for the provided alt text description and read it aloud to the visually-impaired user.
- When an image in your document does not add value or is purely for decorative purposes only; it can be marked as decorative, so that a screen reader can ignore it.
- *Certain images can be marked decorative if they do not add value to users
- Check out the Decorative Images help page from W3 to learn when an image can be considered decorative.
- Impacts visually-impaired users
Check Color & Contrast
Use colors that contrast well so that your document remains legible to visual users.
1. Maintain good color contrast.
- If possible, stick to the default black font color or choose a dark font to ensure easy readability.
- Avoid modifying the document background color.
2. Do NOT assign meaning to color.
- Why? A percentage of visual users may be colorblind, which greatly impairs their abilities to distinguish certain colors.
- Avoid marking critical information with color alone. Convey importance by using words or text, rather than color.
- Impacts visual users.
Format Hyperlinks
Links in your document should use wording that is clear about the link's destination or its purpose.
- Avoid generic phrases like “click here,” “read more,” or “learn more.”
- These phrases lack context and do not explain the destination or action.
- Avoid pasting full webpage URLs in your document. These will be read aloud to users on screen reader devices and can become a distraction.
- Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users.
Tables Should Use First-row Headers
Tables with first-row headers greatly assist users of screen readers.
- First-row headers assist screen reader users in understanding how the table is structured.
- First-row headers also assist visual users comprehend which columns pertain to the corresponding rows.
- Tables impact both visual and visually-impaired users.
Use Legible Fonts
Stick to fonts that are easy to read and legible to visual users.
- Sans-serif fonts are recommended for readability.
- Sans-serif fonts include: Arial, Calibri, Aptos.
- Serif fonts include: Times New Roman, PT Serif, Cambria.
- Impacts visual users.
Use the Bullet/Number List Features
Bullet and numbered lists help improve the readability for both visual users and visually-impaired users.
- If item order does not matter, use a bulleted list.
- If item order does matter, use a numbered list.
- Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users.
Remove Blank Paragraphs
Avoid using the "Enter" key to create blank paragraph space in your documents.
- Screen readers can detect blank paragraphs and will read them aloud, which can become distracting.
- Instead of using the “Enter” key to create empty space, use paragraph spacing options in your word processor.
- Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users.
This section contains trainings, including free training courses on document accessibility. Courses offer a deep dive into more advanced document features. Additional information can be found in the Video Tutorials section.
Trainings
These one-hour introductory workshops will show you:
- The basics of document accessibility
- How to enable accessibility features to create accessible documents in Microsoft Word
- Check out the next sections to learn more about fixing advanced documents
Free Online Courses
This free, self-paced course helps faculty and staff create accessible Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF documents with a bonus option to learn about spreadsheet accessibility. Participants gain long-term skills to integrate accessibility principles into instructional materials and course design. The course is provided by WebAIM and the Office of the Chancellor.
Enroll using your staff email.
- Format: Asynchronous (self-paced, Chancellor's Office Canvas course)
- Start Dates: First Monday of each month
- Duration: Flexible – up to 180 business days to complete
Check out these free LinkedIn training courses that can show you how to fix documents that contain more advanced features including fillable fields, drop-down options, and more.
Courses require Stanislaus State login credentials
These free, self-paced courses show you how to create accessible documents in Microsoft Word.
The instructional videos are provided by the General Services Administration and were developed by the Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice.
This section contains videos on document accessibility. The videos and materials included in this section are credited to their original creators.
Most forms that do not require a signature or collect sensitive information, can be recreated in Microsoft Forms, which is a more accessible option since they generally work better with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Some forms that could be converted to Microsoft Forms include:
- Appointment request forms
- Event registration forms
- Feedback forms
- Intake & Interest forms
- Item / inventory checkout forms
- Project request form
- Rating forms
- Submission forms
- Suggestion forms
- Surveys
- Volunteer sign-up forms
- Question submission form
Benefits of Using Online Forms
| Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Better screen reader support | Microsoft Forms generally work better with screen readers and keyboard navigation than fillable PDFs, which more often create barriers since they are not always built correctly. |
| Less complicated than a fillable PDF | A fillable PDF has to be carefully tagged, labeled, ordered, and tested for accessibility. MS Forms are often a safer option because they reduce the chance of those issues being encountered. |
| Easier to update & maintain | Microsoft Forms can usually be edited, shared, and updated more efficiently than remediating a PDF, which can help your department in keeping content accessible over time. |
| Supports campus login options | Microsoft Forms can be configured to require a campus login, which can help limit access to Stan State employees, staff, or students when relevant. |
| Useful for common department processes | Ideal for forms that are used for requests, registrations, feedback, questionnaires, checkouts, and other routine department processes that do not require a signature. |
Have Complex PDF Forms?
PDF forms with complex features require additional steps to make accessible. Check out the next section to learn more about complex PDF forms.
PDF forms with more complex features such as fillable fields, drop-down menus, radio buttons, ratings and signatures should be created only when necessary. If you opt to create a more complex PDF form, please ensure its accessible prior to distributing.
Updated: March 20, 2026