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.
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: August 17, 2026