Non-HTML digital resources—such as documents, presentations, or forms—are often created and then published as portable document files (PDF)s without accessibility in mind. These Inaccessible PDF resources can pose formidable accessibility barriers to people with disabilities.
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 or Foxit PhantomPDF is typically required in order to generate fully accessible PDFs. Departments may purchase Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit PhantomPDF by submitting a software installation request.
If faculty or staff 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.