As we work to make all of our digital content accessible to everyone, Portable Document Format (PDF) files can be some of the more challenging and daunting ones to tackle. Any PDF files uploaded to the website, shared via email, or available in Google Drive must meet Section 508 standards.

PDF files are designed to ensure consistency as printed documents, and have been widely used, they are not the most accessible or mobile-friendly option. We encourage you to use other formats, such as posting directly to the website, whenever possible.

When creating a new document or remediating an older PDF, you should ask yourself some questions to determine the best method to make the content accessible:

1. Do I still need this document?
   1. Tackling the remediation of old content is a great time to clean up out-of-date information. If the content is available elsewhere in a more accessible format, is out-of-date, or is no longer frequently accessed, consider deleting it or removing it from public view (move to private page or Google Drive).
2. Does this document need to be in PDF format?
   1. It is usually much easier to make the content accessible by posting it directly to the website as a page or post (HTML).
   2. If it is a form, a Google Form or Qualtrics form is typically a more accessible option.
   3. If it is a PDF of a presentation, consider sharing a video recording or accessible presentation slides instead.
   4. If it is a newsletter, consider using ActiveCampaign or HTML instead to create an accessible newsletter.
3. Can I convert this document to a different format to improve accessibility?
   1. Recreating the document content in another format is usually easier than remediating the PDF within Adobe.
4. Do I have the source file?
   1. If you decide you need to keep the document as a PDF, it's much easier to rebuild it accessibly from a source file like Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. You'll be able to set the heading structure, reading order, and alternative text, and can export the document as a PDF with tags.

If you decide that you must create the document as a PDF, you'll need to follow careful steps to ensure the document is compatible with assistive technology.

• PDF Accessibility Series (Introduction, Source Documents, Remediation)
• Grackle: How to Create Accessible PDFs Using Google Docs
• How to create an accessible PDF from Word
• LinkedIn Learning: Creating Accessible PDFs
• LinkedIn Learning: Advanced Accessible PDFs

If you need to remediate a PDF and don't have the source file in Word or InDesign, you can remediate it in Adobe Acrobat or FoxIt.

• PDF Accessibility & Remediation using Foxit (University of Georgia)
• How to Test and Remediate PDFs for Accessibility Using Adobe Acrobat DC