Addressing the Barriers to Digital Equity
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.3 billion people live with a significant disability. That’s approximately 16% of the global population and that percentage is only expected to increase as the population continues to age.
Despite the push for digital equity to address this growing segment, many businesses have failed to resolve the accessibility issues of the many PDFs available on their websites, stored in their archives, and regularly sent to customers via digital channels. Standard PDF documents are difficult for those with certain cognitive, motor, and visual impairments to navigate, preventing them from acting on critical communications, such as bills, statements, policies, contracts, and notices. This lack of PDF accessibility results in poor customer outcomes and a digital experience that alienates key demographics.
PDF/UA: International Standard for Document Accessibility
Published as an International Standard (ISO 14289), the PDF/UA standard provides a set of technical specifications that a PDF must meet to make the content readable to assistive devices that those with disabilities rely on, such as screen readers, text-to-speech software, and adaptive keyboards. A PDF/UA document allows all users, regardless of abilities, to independently access the information contained within the PDF. A PDF/UA document is universally accessible and compliant with other key accessibility laws, including WCAG 2.0, Section 508, Section 1557, EN 301 549, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
While the standard has long been regarded as best practice, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and similar national and regional laws are making digital accessibility a business mandate. Compliance with the PDF/UA standard is now critical to preventing legal sanctions and brand damage. Optimizing PDFs for accessibility isn't just a legal matter though—it's a matter of social equity and inclusion, ensuring those with disabilities have equal access to digital information.
Achieve Rapid PDF Remediation with Inspire Adapt
Inspire Adapt is an automated PDF accessibility solution that reduces the time and expense involved in manual document remediation. The solution converts inaccessible PDFs into PDF/UA format on-demand or at the batch level via an automated workflow built to support high-volume document remediation. PDFs are automatically mapped and tagged, with tagging structures and rules streamlined into templates that allow remediation to programmatically be applied to large volumes. By embracing automation, your business can avoid legal risks and enable all customers to engage with your PDF content.
Download the brochure to learn how Inspire Adapt:
- Automates the manually intensive task of document tagging, while enabling flexible customization
- Remediates high-volume batches through the automated application of accessibility templates
- Programmatically processes and remediates millions of documents in a fast and secure manner
- Reduces manual intervention with support for diverse document types, structures, and content
- Fosters a more inclusive and positive experience for all, delighting your entire customer base
- Ensures compliance with global accessibility standards, eliminating legal fines and penalties
Convert millions of documents into fully accessible, tagged PDFs - fast!
