What is a PDF Accessibility Issue?
PDFs are everywhere on Rowan's websites. Forms, handbooks, guides, policies — over the years, uploading a PDF became the easiest way to share a document online. Drop it in a folder, link to it on a page, done.
The problem is that "easy to upload" does not mean "easy to use." Many PDFs on our websites were created without accessibility in mind. They were scanned from paper, exported the wrong way, or converted from a Word document without any accessibility structure. To someone using a screen reader, an inaccessible PDF is completely unreadable — not difficult, not inconvenient, completely unreadable.
Siteimprove, our digital optimization platform, surfaces PDF issues directly in its dashboard, including broken links inside PDFs, accessibility test results, and which Rowan pages are linking to each file. This gives us a clear picture of what needs attention and where to start.
Why It Matters
PDFs are one of the most commonly reported accessibility barriers across universities nationwide. For students who rely on screen readers, text-to-speech tools, or high-contrast display settings, an inaccessible PDF is a locked door.
- If a form PDF cannot be read, a student cannot complete it.
- If a handbook PDF is not structured properly, a student cannot navigate it.
These are not edge cases — they are everyday barriers for members of our community.
A word on how we got here
For a long time, PDFs were treated as the default way to put information on a website. Need to share a policy? Upload a PDF. New student form? PDF. Faculty handbook, event flyer, program guide? PDF, PDF, PDF.
That approach made sense when the web was a document library. But the modern web is a service, so we must build better habits going forward. Visitors expect to find information quickly, on any device, using any tool — including assistive technology. A PDF that was created through Word’s “Print → Save as PDF” function, scanned from a stack of papers, or exported without accessibility tags does not meet that standard.
How To Make PDFs Accessible
The right approach to creating or updating an accessible PDF depends on where your document starts.
- Microsoft Word: Word has a built-in Accessibility Checker. Before you export, use it. It will flag missing alt text on images, heading structure problems, and other common issues. Within the Review dropdown, locate the “Check Accessibility” item. When you are ready to export, use Export → Create PDF (where you’ll also find the Check Accessibility button).
- Do NOT Print → Save as PDF. In Microsoft Word, this difference matters. Exporting properly preserves the document's accessibility structure. Printing to PDF strips it out.
- Google Drive: The university is onboarding Grackle, a tool that checks and improves the accessibility of Google Docs and Slides before they are exported as PDFs. More information on Grackle is coming. In the meantime, focus on structure: use proper headings, add alt text to images, and avoid using tables for layout.
PDF Remediation
Not every PDF needs to be fixed. Some should not exist on the website at all. Before remediating, ask these questions in order:
- Delete it — Is the content outdated, superseded, or no longer relevant? Tag it for deletion in Cascade. Do not remove it yet — tag it first, and we will develop a plan together before anything is removed. (For instructions on tagging, see “How to tag an asset in Cascade” below.)
- Archive it — Does it need to be preserved but is no longer actively used or linked? Tag it for archival in Cascade, so it may safely move out of active circulation.
- Convert it to a web page — Is the content still current and useful? HTML is almost always more accessible than a PDF and far easier to maintain over time. A well-structured web page can be updated in minutes. A PDF requires a full export cycle every time.
- Remediate it — Only if the PDF genuinely must remain a PDF. This is the most time-intensive path. Use Word's Accessibility Checker or Grackle to address issues before re-exporting.
How to tag an asset in Cascade
Every Cascade asset has a field to add custom tags. To do so, open an asset’s “Edit” function, then scroll to the bottom of the window. Add an appropriate tag from the drop-down menu — “delete,” “archive,” “convert,” or “remediate.” Tagging gives Web Services a full picture of your approach to remediation before anything is changed or removed. Therefore, you will have data-driven information on what work must be done.
What To Avoid
- Don't create a page whose only purpose is to link to a PDF. If the content in that PDF can live on a web page, it should. Creating a page that just says “Click here for the handbook” and links to a PDF is a missed opportunity to provide accessible, searchable, maintainable content.
- Don't rename or move a PDF without a plan. People bookmark PDF URLs directly. Faculty share them in syllabi. Students save them in emails. Moving or renaming a PDF without a redirect breaks every one of those saved links silently.
- Don't skip the triage step. Jumping straight to remediation on a document that should be deleted or converted wastes time and delays real progress.
- Don't print to PDF. To preserve accessibility structure, always export using Save As → PDF or Export → Create PDF in Microsoft Word. Use Download → PDF Document in Google Docs.
- Don't tag and forget. Tagging a file in Cascade is the first step, not the last. Once your site has been inventoried, we will work through a plan together.
Resources & Next Steps
Not sure how to tag a file in Cascade, or unsure which triage category a document falls into? Submit a support request — we will help you work through it.
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