ADA Compliance 101: PDFs and Documents
For years we've observed PDFs to be the most common cause of accessibility errors and confusion within websites. While convenient, they can create barriers for users relying on assistive technologies to access information. For schools and other organizations that are required to adhere to accessibility standards, improperly formatted PDFs can present usability issues for all users while also increasing ADA compliance issues.
Why PDFs Create Accessibility Issues
PDF files have long been the industry standard for web-compatible files and accessibility. While we won't deny they can be an easy method for sharing information, making a PDF fully accessible requires careful consideration in regard to structure, accessibility tags, and testing for compliance.
Common issues include:
- Missing or incorrect document tags including language, title, and heading tags
- Poor screen reader navigation and reading order
- Unreadable scanned documents
- Limited translation support
- Lack of responsiveness and content reflow for mobile devices
Even when created with accessibility in mind, PDFs often require ongoing maintenance to remain compliant. Remediating existing PDFs by 3rd parties can be costly, and require intensive time and resources when managed internally.
A Better Approach: Put Content on Your Website
When practical, a more effective solution is creating important content directly on your website instead of relying solely on PDFs.
This approach offers several key benefits:
- Better accessibility for screen readers and keyboard navigation
- Improved responsiveness for various device sizes
- Accurate translation results for multilingual communities
- Simplified updates without needing to recreate documents
By integrating content into your website, you ensure it’s usable, inclusive, and easier to manage over time. Additionally, hosting information as rich text content improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by providing indexable HTML content and reduces the risk of outdated information remaining past its usefulness, allowing visitors to easily find the current information they're looking for.
How It’s Done
A great example of this approach in action is a Foxbright client, Lansing Public Schools.
Instead of maintaining a large, complex PDF for their Student Handbook, their team transitioned the content directly onto their website. This made the information:
- Fully searchable
- Easier to navigate
- More accessible to screen readers
- Instantly translatable for users
When PDFs Are Still Needed
We understand PDFs aren’t going away any time soon, so when rich text content alone doesn't suffice, Foxbright recommends the following considerations:
- Providing a web-based version of the content first
- Offering the PDF as a secondary, downloadable option
- Ensuring PDFs are properly tagged and tested for accessibility
Creating web-based content for each PDF may not be practical for every scenario. When independent PDFs are required, creators should ensure documents are properly tagged and tested for accessibility prior to being exported to PDF format.
Pro Tip: Many organizations have moved PDF-based information into Foxbright CMS features such as News or Stories, creating rich text fields for information while providing attachment of the original PDF. This practice is best used for time-sensitive and regularly posted information, like flyers or board meeting documents, and allows posts to be archived at desired times, making web pages more dynamic
Let Foxbright Help
Navigating ADA compliance can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to documents and content strategy.
We help organizations:
- Identify accessibility risks - Accessibility reports scan every public website page and linked document for accessibility errors, broken links, misspellings, and more.
- Content Maintenance - Convert document content into accessible rich text webpages; remediation assistance for essential documents.
- Powerful CMS - Build with accessibility in mind, the Foxbright CMS helps prevent errors before they're created.
- Compliance Support - Regular scanning and content cleanup services are an effective element for a long-term compliance strategy. Let our staff help, so your staff can focus on what they do best.
- Ongoing Guidance - Get unlimited access to our team. We have decades of web content and accessibility experience, just a phone call or or email away.
Prioritize accessibility today and give every visitor equal access and opportunity. You’ll have confidence knowing your website is compliant, inclusive, and built for all.
As a Foxbright client, you can expect:
ADA Compliance 101: PDFs and Documents 
WCAG 2.1 Level AA: What You Need to Know About the New ADA Requirements for 2026 
Cybersecurity for the Rest of Us: 2025 Edition Want to Learn More About Foxbright?
See the Difference for Yourself
Want a website that’s easy to use and backed by real people who care? Let’s talk about how Foxbright can support your organization's goals today, and for years to come.
