As you might know, PDFs can be problematic for our online audience. It can be difficult to ensure that PDFs are accessible to all visitors. They’re also hard to read on mobile devices and create an inconsistent user experience.
In fact, PDFs cause such a variety of headaches that the user-experience experts at Nielsen Norman Group recommend avoiding PDFs entirely, with an exception only for PDFs intended to be printed.
In order to provide the best user experience for our audiences, the web team is taking a similar approach: As of July 1, 2024, we’ll no longer remediate and/or upload inaccessible PDFs to NIU websites.
What can I use instead of a PDF?
You can provide the web team with one of the following:
- An accessible Microsoft O365 document
- A PDF for the web team to convert to HTML content
What about PDFs that are already on my site?
Documents already on your site in PDF format may remain online. When you request an update to a PDF, the web team will convert the content to HTML or ask you to provide an accessible Microsoft O365 document at that time.
How do I make Microsoft documents accessible?
Microsoft Office 365 programs have built-in tools to check for accessibility issues. You can use the accessibility checker while you create your content to make sure it’s accessible. Learn how to use the accessibility checker in Microsoft Word.
It’s your responsibility to run the checker and fix any issues before submitting a document to be uploaded.
Can I submit a fully accessible PDF to be uploaded?
If you provide the web team with a PDF that’s been fully remediated for accessibility, we will post it online.
How can I prepare for this change?
You can take steps now to get ready for this change:
- Compile a list of PDFs on your website or ask the web team to send you a list.
- For each PDF, determine if it’s preferable to convert the content to HTML or provide an accessible Microsoft O365 document, so you’ll be prepared for future updates.
- Learn how to use the accessibility checker in Microsoft Word and begin creating accessible O365 documents going forward, as well as for the existing PDFs you’ve identified for this format.
What if I have a question?
If you have any questions about this change, please contact Holly Nicholson at hnicholson@niu.edu.
