About Accessible Documents
Accessible electronic documents are those that are usable by the broadest range of users including people who use assistive technology. Accessible documents also comply with applicable accessibility standards. When your electronic documents are accessible, your content is available to more users regardless of technology preference.
The ITS Digital Accessibility Services team (DAS) provides guidance to faculty and staff on how to create accessible electronic documents including MS Word, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Additionally, Syracuse University has partnered with SensusAccess and Allyant to provide document conversion and remediation services to the campus community.
What are my options?
Do-it-Yourself
Create Accessible Microsoft Word Documents
Learning the basics on how to create accessible MS Word documents is a great place to start. Learn how to apply heading structure, add alt text to images, create meaningful hyperlinks, design accessible tables and more.
Get Started Creating Accessible MS Word Documents
Check if your PDF File is Accessible
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is the application commonly used to check the accessibility of PDF files. All faculty and staff have a license for Acrobat Pro DC on their managed machines. Learn how to check if your PDF file is readable by assistive technology in five simple steps.
How to Check if Your PDF File is Accessible
Learn How to Create an Accessible PDF
LinkedIn Learning offers a comprehensive video tutorial on how to create an accessible PDF and remediate an existing PDF.
Get Started Creating Accessible PDF Files
SensusAccess
SensusAccess is a self-service, document remediation and file conversion service. SensusAccess allows students, faculty, and staff to automatically convert documents into a range of alternate formats including audio (MP3 and DAISY), ePub3, digital Braille, digital large-print, and BeeLine Reader. The service can also remediate inaccessible documents such as image-only PDF files, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and LaTeX projects and deliver them into more accessible formats. SensusAccess is available at no cost.
Allyant Remediation Services
Allyant Remediation Services make it simple to ensure your PDF and other documents are compliant with applicable WCAG standards. This service is available at unit cost and with turnaround in a matter of days.
Get Started with Allyant Remediation Services
Service Comparison
| Service | Type | Users | Cost | Accessibility Conformance Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SensusAccess | Automated remediation/conversion | Students, faculty, staff | No cost to campus community | More accessible/usable format |
| Allyant Remediation Services | Manual remediation | Faculty, staff | Typically $5 – $8 per page, paid by requesting unit | WCAG 2.1 AA / PDF/UA compliant |
Which service should I use?
| Conversion Type | SensusAccess | Allyant Remediation |
|---|---|---|
| Untagged or scanned PDF to tagged PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Untagged or scanned PDF to MP3 | Yes | Yes |
| Accessible MS Word to EPUB, EPUB3 with media overlay, or Mobi Pocket | Yes | Yes |
| TeX or LaTex documents containing mathematical equations to HTML5 with MathML | Yes | Yes |
| Tagged PDF to improved tagged PDF | No | Yes |
| MS Word or PDF file with tables | No | Yes |
| PDF form remediation | No | Yes |
| PowerPoint slides without notes to PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Mathematic/scientific formulas | No | Yes |
To learn more about accessible documents, please contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Services team at accessibleIT@syr.edu, or visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours.