Document Accessibility Considerations
The topics listed below can apply to document accessibility. There is no right or wrong order to work through them. You can also use this page as a reference. If you are looking for a comprehensive list, consider consulting the Instructional Content Accessibility Toolopens in a new window.
A note about Word and PowerPoint documents exported as PDFs
If you create a Word or PowerPoint document with the intention to distribute it as a PDF, consider if it is appropriate to share the document as both the native format and a PDF.
Word and PowerPoint include many powerful accessibility features. Sharing these documents in these formats allow users to resize text, change font, and make other customizations. These changes can improve the reading experience for users with low vision or dyslexia.
When we save Word and PowerPoint documents as PDFs using the save as option in the File menu, the resulting PDF has significant accessibility barriers. Exporting as a PDF from a computer with Adobe Acrobat Pro results in a more accessible PDF, but language and title still need to be declared.
A Note About Google Docs
Google Docs has some limitations when creating accessible documents. In particular, when creating a PDF from a Google Doc, the document must be exported to Word first. Additionally, tables lack the ability to have tagged header rows, and the interface can introduce barriers for users of assistive technology.
A note about Canva
Canva makes it easy to make very attractive visuals. Unfortunately, Canva's export options are not very accessible. If you want to use Canva, your best bet is to export your project as a PDF. Expect to remediate the resulting PDF. They often need to be tagged, ordered, and have alt-text applied before they are accessible for blind or low vision users. Unlike image files, PDFs can include text layers. Depending on the complexity of the resulting PDF, advanced software may be required to remediate.