Document Accessibility
This guide is designed to help UF faculty members ensure their documents are fully accessible before they are uploaded to any UF College of Education websites.
Please follow the option that best fits your current document situation. This tool is to help faculty and staff assess and remediate documents currently on UF College of Education websites, as well as help employees prepare accessible documents in the future.
Important Note
All non-updated documents will be removed from the current website on 12/15/26 in preparation for upcoming ADA accessibility mandates.
Faculty and staff will be receiving email notices along with a file containing documents removed from part of the website they might be affiliated with in Summer/Fall 2026. Please follow the steps outlined below for any files you would like to have re-added to College of Education websites.
Step 1: Determine if the information still needs to be on the website
When reviewing documents previously on the website, assess whether the information they contain is both up to date and necessary for the intended audience. Program websites, specifically, are intended for prospective students. Documents for current students, including program plans, forms and handbooks, should be distributed through alternative methods. This helps reduce the content management effort required to keep our website up to date and accurate.
Please note: Information and reports required to be publicly available for accreditation or similar purposes are NOT exempt from federal accessibility requirements and must be made compliant.
Step 2: Determine if the information needs to be an uploaded document
The next step is to determine if the information needs to be included on the website in its current document form. Due to several factors related to website best practices and accessibility, we recommend converting written or table-based information into web pages. These pages should include headings, links, and other structures to help with navigation and clarity, and to provide answers to common questions.
We recommend that faculty work with us to turn other internally managed documents, including department-specific application agreements, waivers and college-wide program applications, into web forms. If an uploaded form was created by an entity outside of the College of Education, please work with them directly to procure an accessible version.
Step 3: If needed, remediate document(s) by applying the following options:
If you have determined that the document must be available to download rather than converted into a web page, then you will need to ensure the document meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards in order to comply with Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Choose an option below to learn how to make your documents accessible.
Option A: You own the original Microsoft Word document
If you created the document in Word, it is best to fix accessibility issues in Word’s native accessibility checker before submitting the .DOCX file or converting to PDF.
- Use Headings: Apply built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to create a logical hierarchy for screen readers.
- Add Alternative (Alt) Text: Right-click images and select “Format Picture” to provide a short description in the ‘Description’ field (do not use the ‘Title’ field).
- Format Tables: Keep tables simple (ideally 6 columns or less). In the ‘Design’ tab, check ‘Header Row’ and ‘First Column’. Under ‘Table Properties,’ ensure ‘Repeat as header row at the top of each page’ is selected.
- Run the Accessibility Checker: Click the ‘Accessibility Checker’ feature to identify and fix remaining issues.
- Export to PDF correctly: Go to File > Save As, select PDF, and click ‘Options’. Ensure that ‘Document structure tags for accessibility’ is checked before saving to maintain the work you did in Word.
Option B: Your document is text-based and doesn't require extensive editing (SensusAccess)
For documents that are primarily text and need to be converted into more accessible formats, UF provides SensusAccess as a self-service resource. This is a useful alternative for converting text-based files when you are not the document’s owner. To use this tool, upload your document and request the “text over image” output.
Option C: Your PDF document has selectable text and doesn't require extensive editing (Adobe Acrobat)
Adobe Acrobat Pro includes accessibility tools that can be used to make your document more accessible. Adobe provides an overview of the features in its help articles. As with any automated tool, you should manually verify the following elements to ensure compliance:
- Ensure security settings do not prevent access to screen readers and assistive technologies,
- Text is not embedded as an image,
- Content has been properly tagged,
- The reading order in the Tags panel is logical,
- Document language is set,
- Document has a title in application bar,
- Long documents have bookmarks to skip to needed content,
- Text has adequate color contrast,
- Images have alternative text set,
- Tables have equal numbers of columns in each row and vice versa,
- Table tags are properly nested
- Form fields have descriptions,
- Headings have proper hierarchy.
PDFs that do not meet these minimum standards will not be added to College of Education websites.
Option D: Your PDF document has text embedded as an image (Adobe Acrobat)
Screen readers cannot read text that is part of an image. This means that most scanned documents are not accessible unless special steps are taken to convert the image into individual text characters. Adobe offers a free Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Tool for this purpose.
Making Image Based Text in PDFs Accessible
To make PDFs containing image based text accessible, you should:
- Use an OCR tool to convert the image to text.
- Verify all of the text in the image was properly converted. (Try selecting the text with your mouse. It should now be in individual lines.)
- Use Adobe Acrobat Pro’s accessibility tools as in Option C to verify the minimum accessibility requirements have been met (See below).
Minimum PDF Accessibility Requirements Include:
- Ensure security settings do not prevent access to screen readers and assistive technologies,
- Text is not embedded as an image,
- Content has been properly tagged,
- The reading order in the Tags panel is logical,
- Document language is set,
- Document has a title in application bar,
- Long documents have bookmarks to skip to needed content,
- Text has adequate color contrast,
- Images have alternative text set,
- Tables have equal numbers of columns in each row and vice versa,
- Table tags are properly nested
- Form fields have descriptions,
- Headings have proper hierarchy.
Note: PDFs that do not meet these minimum standards will not be added to College of Education websites.
Step 4: Submit your remediated documents to ETC for final checks and uploading
Once the document has been made ADA compliant, please submit a help request on the EduGator Helpdesk that includes your document. Staff at the office of E-Learning, Technology, and Communications (ETC) will perform an accessibility review using Adobe Acrobat Pro (if a PDF) prior to including the document on any College of Education webpage.
To Make Processing Faster
Depending on the size of the document, the accessibility check can add substantial time to the processing your request. You can help streamline the process by:
- Including a rationale for why the content must be in a document instead of a webpage in your request,
- Performing an accessibility self-check before submitting your document (see step 3 above),
- Monitoring your e-mail for follow-up questions about your request.
Decisions on whether to include your documents on College of Education websites will be made on a case by case basis. Documents that do not comply with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines will not be posted online until they are compliant.
Document Accessibility Checklist
Digital documents are notoriously difficult to make accessible, so when possible it is preferable to convert them into webpages which can take advantage of a web browser’s built-in accessibility features. If you must use a digital document, here are some things you need to check for accessibility.
Every Document |
|---|
Basics
Text and Structure
Images
Links
|
Check if Applicable |
|---|
Long Documents
Tables
Forms
Complex Images
Math
|
Other Accessibility Resources
At the University of Florida, we are dedicated to empowering our faculty with the tools, opportunities, and support needed to excel in their academic and research endeavors. Access key resources that can enhance your work, promote your research, and support your professional growth.
Accessible UF
UF Accessibility has compiled information and resources to aid compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. View Accessible UF ResourcesThe A11y Project
This non-profit promotes web accessibility best practices. They offer tons of articles, checklists, and courses to help you make online content accessible.
W3C Accessibility Tools List
The W3C is the governing body that controls web standards including the WCAG AA standard for accessibility. They have compiled a list of tools to help evaluate and improve accessibility on websites.
Ally In Canvas Training
This UF IT course explains how to use Ally in Canvas to evaluate accessibility in your online courses. View Ally TrainingAccessible by Design: Making PDFs & PowerPoints ADA-Compliant
Helpdesk Resources
Course Accessibility
Get info and resources about improving accessibility in your online courses.
Communications Guide
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Information on setting up your internet connection and using UF’s Virtual Private Network (VPN).Webinars
Explore recorded webinars and practical training resources created to support UF College of Education faculty and staff.