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Downloadable Documents

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Your Impact

Accessibility laws apply to all forms of online content, including downloadable documents.

You have a role in ensuring that everyone has equal access to information regardless of the format. By making downloadable documents, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), accessible to people with disabilities, you’re making all digital content easier for everyone to access, understand, and use.

A sheet of paper with a report containing charts.

Grow Your Skill

Make Accessible Documents

Learn about Color Contrast and AccessibilityLearn how to write for web accessibilityRead a guide about page structureUse Acrobat Pro to create and certify PDF accessibilityLearn about PDF usability issues

For Google Workspace

Make your Google Docs accessibleMake your Google Slides accessible

For Microsoft Office

Make your Microsoft Word documents accessibleMake your Excel documents accessibleMake your PowerPoint presentations accessible

What You Can Do

PDFs are not Accessible by Default

PDFs and documents are only accessible if you make them accessible.

PDFs are for Printing

PDFs are intended to be printed. PDFs were not designed for screens.

Prefer Web Page to PDF

Do not use a PDF to present digital content that could be a web page.

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) is Better

HTML is always the most accessible, mobile-friendly, easy-to-update, and user-friendly format.

PDF Remediation is Costly

Making a non-accessible PDF into an accessible PDF, a process known as remediation is time consuming and may be technically challenging.

Accessibility Standards

Accessibility guidelines and standards aren’t unique to Louisiana. They’re established by industry leaders, government regulations, and academic research.

Section508.gov

U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Louisiana Governor’s Office

Louisiana Office of Disability Affairs

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

WCAG 2.2 Standards
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