Scanned and image-based digital documents are unreadable for some people, including people with disabilities and users of assistive technology. They also do not support search, copy/paste, table of contents, and other features that are useful for all users.

• Instead of scanning documents to PDF, create accessible PDFs from accessible Word, PowerPoint, InDesign, and other document formats.
• If you send scans of flyers, postcards, or other flat announcements via email, be sure to include a text version that contains the same information.
• If you are asked to distribute scanned PDFs from a colleague, vendor, or third-party, ask for an accessible version.
• If the document exists in another format, such as Microsoft Word, consider distributing the document in that accessible format.

Unstructured documents are like run-on sentences—much more difficult for people to navigate and process. Structures and styles make documents more consistent and easier to modify and maintain.
Structure longer articles and documents using headings and subheadings. This breaks up and organizes the text, which improves readability for everyone, and it will automatically generate a topic outline that’s easier for assistive technology to navigate. Using the built-in heading style buttons in Microsoft Word (Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) is one easy way to do this.

• Provide a table of contents, bookmarks, and other aids to assist users in navigating longer articles and documents.
• If your document will include lists and tables, create them using the list and table tools in your authoring program rather than inserting an image.
• If you use links, make sure the link text is meaningful and descriptive. (For example, rather than using a generic “click here,” say where the link actually goes: “5 accessibility mistakes article.”)

Images and other objects that present information can be accessibility barriers for people with low vision or blindness, or processing issues like dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Descriptive alternate (ALT) text can help users understand the content and purpose of images in your documents.
Add ALT text to images using the ALT text tool in your authoring program. When writing ALT text, ask yourself what info would be needed to understand the image without seeing it?

• For complex images such as charts or graphs, add ALT text plus a link to a longer description.
• For logos, wordmarks, buttons, and similar images, use the text in the image as the ALT text.
• Indicate images that are purely decorative using the ALT text pane or image properties panel in your authoring program

The colors you use in your document can help communicate your message and define your brand, but using color the wrong way can make it difficult or impossible for some users to understand your message. Clear color contrast can make it easier for users to differentiate text and background colors, while multiple indicators can help people distinguish between two objects of similar or perceived similar color.

• Use sufficient contrast between foreground and background colors.
• Use a color contrast tool, such as Colour Contrast Analyser from the Paciello Group, to ensure sufficient contrast.
• Do not use color as the only means of signifying or describing content in your document.
• If an object changes color dependent upon its state, those colors must contrast sufficiently with one another, as well as with the background

For viewers who have low hearing or who are deaf, captions and transcripts make it possible to perceive dialogue, understand background sounds, and otherwise experience the audio track of digital media. Captions and transcripts also provide information for people in loud or distracting environments, English language learners, people with low literacy, and others.

• Ensure that captions are available whenever they are needed.
• Provide captions with public media. You can obtain captions from a third-party (3Play.com, REV.com), or create captions in-house with YouTube, Camtasia, or other tools. If you acquire automatic captions, be sure to correct them before publishing.
• For video, provide synchronized captions.
• For audio-only media such as a podcast, provide a text transcript.
• Ensure that captions and transcripts include speaker identification and punctuation.
• If someone else is creating your media, make sure they provide captions.