Document Remediation

Two students viewing content on a monitor

What is Document Remediation?

Document remediation is the process of fixing a document file with accessibility issues. It should be used as a last resort as it requires specialized training and testing.

Remediation is a time-consuming endeavor and becomes more challenging when an original source file is not available.
Remediation can be avoided by:
- Using best practices when creating new documents.
- Posting more information online instead of sharing via documents.
- Archiving outdated document files.

Is Remediation Right for You?

Before committing to doc remediation, consider if correcting a source file is feasible and whether moving the content online or removing the document may be more practical.

Have Access to the Source File?

Fix accessibility issues in the original source file.

Consider converting your PDF to a Microsoft Word Document if you don't have access to an original file.

Not having access to original files may force you to rebuild a document.

Could this Content be Moved Online?

A webpage or online form is often easier to access, update and maintain.

Most people prefer to complete forms online vs. print them out.

Moving information online may eliminate the need for remediation.

Does the Document Still Need to Exist?

Remove any outdated files that are no longer needed for current services.

Outdated files can either be archived, deleted or moved offline.

Archive documents only if they meet the University’s archiving requirements.

Still not sure if document remediation is feasible? Use the Decision Guide below for additional guidance.

Decision Guide

Use the table below to decide whether a document should be remediated,
converted to web content, removed from the website or archived.

Document Scenario	Recommended Action
The document is needed to support current department business, programs or services and must remain available online.	Remediate the document and confirm that it meets accessibility requirements.
The information in the document is brief or mainly text-based.	Incorporate the information onto a new or existing webpage.
The document is no longer relevant or needed.	Remove the document from the website or archive it.
The document is a flyer.	Incorporate the information onto a webpage.
The document is a PDF document or PDF form.	Remediate the document or convert it to web content. Forms can be converted to either a Microsoft Form or an OIT Paperless Form.
The document is a scanned PDF or photocopied document.	Remediate or recreate the file. Scanned documents are treated as images and do not contain accessible text or other accessibility features.
My department cannot remediate the file.	Move the information to a webpage or online form.

PDF Remediation

Due to its difficulty, training is strongly recommended before attempting PDF remediation.

If PDF remediation is required, you can expect to commit time to specialized training and the manual review and testing of docs. Visit the Video Tutorials webpage if you have not completed training on document accessibility. The guidance below can be used to understand what is involved before you to decide to remediate.

The table below outlines items that must be assessed when reviewing your remediated PDF documents & forms.

Before exporting, use the built-in accessibility checker in Adobe Acrobat as well as a manual (human) review. While automated checkers can identify common issues, they cannot confirm full-accessibility.

W3C: PDF Accessibility Techniques

Please note: PDF Forms require additional training to make accessible.

Feature	Details
Document Tags	All items within the document are properly tagged and identified. All items are properly identified including: headings, images, links, tables, paragraph text, data entry fields, radio controls, drop-down options, etc.
Proper Reading Order	This refers to the order in which the information in your document will be read aloud to a user on a screen reader. The reading order sequence must match the order in which the information appears to a visual user.
Check box options Applies to PDF Forms	These items must be properly tagged and identified. Check box must be interactive and allow the user to fill and erase. Learn more about check box options. Critical: Without this feature, users on assistive technologies will not be able to interact with your PDF form.
Electronic Signatures/ Adobe Sign Applies to PDF Forms	If signatures are required, this feature must be properly tagged and identified. Fields must allow user to interact and attach signature(s). Signatures field must route to relevant recipient(s). Learn more on Adobe Signatures. Critical: Without this feature, users on assistive technologies will not be able to interact with your PDF form.
Data Entry Fields/ Fillable Fields Applies to PDF Forms	If the PDF form collects information and/or requires a text-based response from a user, the document form fields must be tagged. Data entry fields must be tagged and identified. Learn more about data entry fields. Critical: Without this feature, users on assistive technologies will not be able to interact with your PDF form.
Radio Buttons Applies to PDF Forms	If the PDF form contains yes/no or choice option or similar, these items must be tagged and identified. Radio buttons are also known as "Form Bubbles," or "Option bubbles". Learn more about PDF Radio Buttons. Critical: Without this feature, users on assistive technologies will not be able to interact with your PDF form.
Drop-down options Applies to PDF Forms	If PDF form includes any drop-down options, these items must be tagged and identified. Critical: Without this feature, users on assistive technologies will not be able to interact with your PDF form.
Headings	Headings serve as landmarks that allow screen reader users to jump between sections of the document. Headings can be thought of like chapters within the document. Maintaining proper heading order is critical for document accessibility. Please visit the headings section on the web accessibility webpage for best practices.
Images	If the images in the PDF document add value to the reader or are critical to describe, provide alt text. Decorative images that add no value or are not critical in describing can be marked as decorative. Keep images in-line to ensure document readability.
Item Lists	When sharing a list of items, use the built-in bullet list feature or numbered list feature (if the sequence must be followed in a particular order). This assists both visual users and visually impaired users.
Hyperlinks	Ensure all links use descriptive wording. Remove any links with short phrases such as "Click Here" or "Learn more" - these do not provide sufficient context for users on screen reader devices. Do NOT include a full webpage URL, as these will be read as presented to screen reader users.
Tables	Tables must contain first-row headers to be accessible. Avoid merging cells, rows, or columns. These can make navigating the table difficult for users of screen readers.
Color Contrast	Choose font colors that contrast well. Black or similar darker colors pair well with the default white background in Microsoft Office products. Do not assign meaning to colors (color-code information) Some visual users may be color blind. This is an issue since it can cause them to miss out on information when it is organized only by color.

The use of Artificial Intelligence in document accessibility is a new and evolving space.
While AI tools can assist with document accessibility, they do not qualify as substitutions for required trainings and manual evaluation of documents.
AI should also not be used to remediate large numbers of department files with the expectation that results produced are error-free or compliant.

Any document processed with an AI tool, is required to be reviewed and tested by humans to confirm accessibility.

Adobe Acrobat’s automatic tagging feature is capable of adding tags to a PDF, however, it's not a magic button that will remediate a document.
Its results are too often not reliable enough to make a document compliant and accessible.
The tags, reading order and document structure must still be manually reviewed, corrected and tested.