Non-HTML content—such as documents, presentations, or forms—is often created and then published as portable document files (PDF)s without accessibility in mind. These non-HTML digital resources can pose formidable accessibility barriers to people with disabilities when they are not to be accessible.
15.4% of adults in the United States have cognitive and/or vision disabilities. This translates to over 36 million people.
Poorly designed PDFs are often significantly or completely inaccessible to people with cognitive and/or vision disabilities.
In a recent world-wide survey of screen-reader users, over 75% of people indicate that PDFs are either somewhat or very likely to pose significant accessibility barriers.
Help Articles on Accessibility for Non-HTML Content
The following help articles will guide you through the accessibility principles and best practices you should consider when creating and repairing non-HTML content with noted accessibility barriers.
Please note that Adobe Acrobat Pro is typically required in order to generate fully accessible PDFs. Departments may purchase Adobe Acrobat Pro by submitting a software installation request.
If you have any additional questions regarding digital accessibility for public-facing digital resources at PSU, please email help-accessibility@pdx.edu or submit a Digital Accessibility Support ticket.