PDF and electronic document decision tree

Documents appearing on IU websites must be accessible to people with disabilities. If your website includes, or you are considering adding, a PDF or other document to your website, you must make sure the document is accessible. This decision tree will help you decide how to remediate existing and new PDFs and other documents on your websites.

For each PDF or other electronic document on your website, ask these questions:

• Must the document or its content appear on the website?
  • Yes: Continue.
  • No: Remove the document. If the document must be preserved for legal, fiscal, or historical reasons, consider archiving it in the Archives of Institutional Memory (AIM).
    Notes:

    • Documents that are still in active use should not be archived. As a best practice, documents placed in AIM should first be made accessible.
    • If you place documents in AIM and link to them from your website, you must still make sure the document is accessible.
• Is the document required to be presented in its current form, such as for legal purposes?
  • Yes: Do you have access to edit the document's source file?
    • Yes: Make sure the source document is accessible.
      • Make Microsoft documents more accessible
      • Accessible PDF document resources
      • Create accessible PDF forms and documents with Acrobat Pro DC
    • No: You may still need to remediate the document to make it accessible.
      • Make an existing PDF file accessible
      • Equidox is a cloud-based service for remediating or migrating PDF content. There are some important considerations for its strengths, data classification, and privacy concerns. See About Equidox at IU.
  • No: Continue.
• Could your document be a webpage?
  • Yes: Create a webpage with actual text to share your information. Avoid posting images of documents. Instead, include actual text on the webpage.
  • No: Continue.
• Is the document a form?
  • Yes: Turn the document into a MachForm or FireForm.
  • No: Continue.
• Will the document be updated periodically?
  • Yes: Consider adding your content on a web page instead of in a document.
  • No: Continue.
• Does your document need to be printed?
  • Yes: Provide all the pertinent information in an accessible version such as a web page, Word document, spreadsheet, Pressbook, etc. Also provide a downloadable, print-ready PDF.
    Note:

    Many students are not printing documents, but instead accessing them on mobile devices, so it is imperative that documents are mobile friendly.
    • About Pressbooks at IU
    • Host long-form content in Pressbooks
    • Pressbooks: Make your book accessible and inclusive
  • No: Continue.
• Is the document primarily text and created as a text document (Microsoft Word)?
  • Yes:
    • When the content of the document can be publicly shared: Add your content to a web page, or share and maintain the original accessible source document. Editing access can be limited in the sharing options in SharePoint.
    • When sharing the document should be limited to a smaller audience, such as a department: Share and maintain the original accessible source document in SharePoint with sharing options restricted.
    • When sharing restrictions are a primary concern: Engage Data Management, the University Information Security Office, and the University Information Policy Office to learn what tools and best security practices you should follow.
  • No: Continue.
• Was the document created as a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation?
  • Yes: Share an accessible version of the document's original format.
    Tips:

    • Sharing documents via Microsoft 365 or Google Slides can allow you to keep those shared files up to date without resending them to your audience.
    • Provide a shortened link with a meaningful file name to make your shared document easier to access.
    • Create an accessible document using Microsoft PowerPoint
  • No: Create an accessible version of the document.
    • Accessible PDF document resources
    • Create accessible PDF forms and documents with Acrobat Pro DC
    • Make an existing PDF file accessible
    • Make Microsoft documents more accessible
    • About Equidox at IU