PDFs are one of the biggest issues we run into when it comes to trying to keep UL.ie as digitally accessible as possible.

Our accessibility scores, which we are extremely proud of, are constantly battling against large, graphic-heavy, and inaccessible documents.

Donal Rice, Senior Design Advisor, ICT for the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) at the National Disability Authority of Ireland recently said:

“Do not commission and pay public money for inaccessible PDFs".

Under EU legislation, as a public sector website, UL.ie must be "fully accessible to persons with disabilities".

Non-compliance with accessibility guidelines can result in a loss of funding or even legal action. This legislation covers all digital content, so all documents we produce must be accessible.

PDFs can be made accessible, but it is time-consuming and there is still no guarantee that it is accessible to everyone and every adaptive technology.

Even if you put in the effort to make a PDF accessible, unfortunately, the chances are nobody is going to want to have to download a file just to see the content.

PDFs ruin the user experience. Users don’t want to receive information in a downloadable file format, they want and expect webpages because they’re on a website.

Most users will lose patience when trying to navigate a document, especially if they’re on mobile which accounts for approximately 70 per cent of UL.ie users.

So what should you do instead of uploading a PDF to your UL.ie site?

Who is the PDF for?

First, ask yourself who is going to benefit from the information. If it’s just current staff and students, consider linking to the Sharepoint file instead of uploading the file itself.

Sharing the file via internal communications should also be considered here, such as UL Connect.

The best thing to do

Create a webpage alternative to your PDF using proper heading hierarchy and other accessible practices. If you are wondering what this looks like, here is an example on the UL website of webpages that previously existed as a PDF.

We have also recently collaborated with Ceremonies to help them move from printed booklets and online pdfs for graduation ceremonies to webpages listing graduands.

Webpages are easier to update; for example if an element of a module were to change, the edits can be made directly on the webpage.

If you’re relying on the PDF version, you would have to edit the file, re-upload it to the site and remove the old one. It’s obvious here which one takes less effort.

Forms/surveys/quizzes

The Web Team fully encourages the use of Microsoft (MS) forms, as do the IT Department (ITD). MS forms are accessible, GDPR-friendly and can be embedded directly onto your webpage using the Embed Microsoft Form block type.

MS Forms allows users to input and submit information on the same page without needing to download a file, find it, fill it out, and email it to the relevant address.

In just a few clicks the form is completed and automatically goes to a pre-selected email address.

Reports

If you have commissioned a graphic design agency to create a report, ensure that digital accessibility is something they prioritise.

Similarly, if you’re creating one yourself, aim to make a document that is 100 per cent accessible. Word and Adobe have built-in accessibility checkers that can help you along the way.

Microsoft Power BI is a great option for data-rich reports, and there’s lots of information available on how to make MS Power BI reports accessible.

Microsoft Sway, which is ITD-approved and accessible, also has some nice templates that can be used for all kinds of reports.

Newsletters

First of all, ask yourself why you create newsletters. Who are they for? If they’re for a UL-only audience, try UL Connect.

We really like Microsoft Sway for creating newsletters. There’s some really nice Microsoft Sway templates to work from, making it easy to update your site’s visitors on what’s happening without them needing to download a file.

If you absolutely must use a pdf on your site, ensure that it’s 100 per cent accessible. Then, make sure the user understands that they’re going to download or open a file once they click on the link.