How to make PDF's WCAG (Accessibility) compliant

Written By Asad Jobanputra

Last updated 3 months ago

Overview

This guide provides the simple process for submitting course documents, primarily PDFs, to the Accessibility Agent for automated remediation. The agent initiates the WCAG Compliance Process immediately upon receiving your file.

Who it's For

  • Instructors: To ensure course readings, slides, and handouts are accessible to all students.

  • Faculty/Staff: To quickly remediate non-compliant legacy documents.

Why Use It

Document accessibility is a critical requirement for regulatory compliance (e.g., ADA, Section 508). Using the Accessibility Agent ensures:

  • Automated Compliance: The agent automatically checks for and applies necessary tags, alt-text, and structure adjustments.

  • Time Savings: Avoids the need for manual remediation using complex external software.

  • Inclusive Learning: Guarantees materials are readable by screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Access the Document Accessibility Hub

  1. Follow the steps in the [Link to: Where to Access the Accessibility Agent] guide to navigate to the Document Accessibility Hub.

  2. You will see the file submission area.

2. Select and Import Your File

There are two methods for submitting your PDF file to the agent:

Method A: Browsing Files

  1. Click the Browse Files button within the submission area.

  2. This will open a file selection window on your laptop or desktop computer.

  3. Navigate to and select the PDF file you wish to remediate, and then click Import to bring the file into CampusMind.

Method B: Drag and Drop

  1. Locate the PDF file on your desktop.

  2. Drag the file directly into the designated file upload area on the screen.

Rule on Top: The system is designed to handle detailed processing. Only one file can be submitted at a time to initiate the WCAG compliance process individually and ensure high-quality remediation.

3. Initiate WCAG Compliance Process

Once the file is imported or dropped, the system will immediately add the file to the queue and begin the compliance process.

Status

Action Taken by Agent

Queued

The file is secure and waiting for processing resources.

Processing

The Accessibility Agent applies remediation steps, including checking for proper tag structure, adding necessary alt-text placeholders, and optimizing reading order.

Completed

The original file has been remediated. A Download Compliant PDF link will appear.