Documents comprised of scanned images of text are not 508 compliant. Scanned images of text are unable to be accurately interpreted by screen readers and cannot be. How to make a pdf fillable 508 compliant form from a. The step by step guide to section 508 compliant pdfs is for the writers, editors, illustrators, managers, and content developers tasked with 508 compliance. Creating section 508 compliant electronic documents u.
May 26, 2017 any and all digital communications that a company under section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant. A portable document format pdf is a file format created by adobe to create standard consistency when a document is physically printed from a standard printer. A compliance assessment ca assesses a products ability to perform within the parameters defined in policies, procedures, and control mechanisms. Testing documents for 508 compliance to check your document for 508 issues or compliance open the document in a 508 true tester. There is an extensive list of requirements for section 508 compliant pdf documents. While the checks are good and give more coverage than the adobe checker, there are a few that the aspa 508 team does not view as required fixes for either 508 or wcag 2. Aspadcd general office document file 508 checklist hhs. Pdf allows the publisher to ensure that a document looks the same online as it does in print form. Readers can view a pdf portable document format on both mac and a pc, as well as on mobile devices. Welcome to the webinar creating section 508 compliant electronic documents. Commonlook software suite pdf accessibility and compliance. Since june 2001, the law has required all content on government hosted or contractor hosted websites and intranet sites to be 508 compliant.
In addition to section 508 requirements, hhs has policies, standards, and requirements for electronic documents that include but arent limited to the following. Enables teams to rapidly test, repair and report on accessible pdf documents. Please be aware that pdf files included in the course must meet section 508 guidelines as well. Test and debug a pdf for 508 compliance acrobat pro test and debug a pdf for 508 compliance acrobat pro dc to determine which version you have, find the program under the start menu of your computer or rightclick on the desktop icon and choose properties. The make accessible action walks you through the steps required to make a pdf accessible. On february 18 2015 the us access board announced its proposed rule for us federal policy on section 508, and identifies pdfua as equivalent to wcag 2. The passfail criteria in this document represent an interpretation of section 508 web standards. Section 508 complianceconforming to a set of standards that make digital media accessible to people with disabilitiesis mandatory for all federal agencies. For the full text of section 508, please see the official government 508 web site. Making files accessible the checklists are the official hhs accessibility checklists. If you are posting a nonaccessible not 508 compliant pdf and you are not posting the same content in some other accessible format e. Appligents experts tag, check and validate documents.
Create and verify pdf accessibility, acrobat pro adobe support. If no is answered to any item, then the file is not 508 compliant. In addition to section 508 requirements, hhs has policies, standards, and requirements for electronic documents that include but are not limited to the following. Cms pdf file 508 checklist 1 cms pdf file 508 checklist document information. Section 508 compliant checklist for portable document format. How to make a pdf fillable 508 compliant form from a word document.
All aim created forms are compliant with section 508, and can make your information easier to access for the enduser as well as document. Manage standardscompliant pdf files on websites, intranets and internal networks. Section 508 guide tagging pdfs in adobe acrobat pro. The checklist from section a forward is based on the wcag 2. It is also used to freeze or lock content that should remain intact or in context with other information. Your production staff should use the programs builtin features and formattingfor example, for labeling. Even if you do not have access to those tools, adobe acrobat provides an automated way to check the accessibility of a pdf file.
In addition, content providers should provide descriptive text and file size of any. Six myths busted regarding section 508 pdfua compliance and. It is not a legal guide to 508, nor is it a programmers reference manual. The portable document format pdf is the standard format for online electronic publication of documents. Whenever someone was going to upload a file, wed warn them about compliance, and offer them a contact for making their files 508 compliant we had an inhouse group for that. Pdf files tend to be produced by someone other than the website developers or administrators. For this document, we are going to use adobe acrobat 10. If no is the answer to any item, then the document is not 508 compliant. Section 508 checklist for accessible pdf accessible.
The following guidelines have been established for pdf files by hhssamhsa to meet section 508 compliance requirements. The risks of noncompliance why document accessibility matters in 2014 accessible as the web page content to be in compliance with the laws and to ensure 100% of your web site is accessible. Pdfs are unique in their crossplatform usability, and if they are constructed and tagged correctly they will look the same on different systems without having to install. The focus of this webinar is on creating accessible ms word and portable document format pdf documents. Guidance for creating accessible content in adobe acrobat portable document format pdf that is compliant with section 508. It is a compliance standard set by section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 that requires federal agencies to provide software and website accessibility to people with disabilities. Currently available software is not capable of automatically tagging pdf files for section 508 certification. Dhs section 508 compliance test process for applications about this document who should use this document this document has been designed for and is intended for use by dhs trusted testers.
Department of health and human services hhs policies and standards, there is a requirement that all documentation published on the internet including web applications, web pages and all attached files must be accessible to all individuals, including those with. While section 508 compliance is currently only legally binding for united states federal agencies or other agencies that are federally funded, chances are its only a matter of time before your customers request you provide them with an accessible online experience and 508compliant electronic files like downloadable pdfs when they visit. The checklist below, a series of tables, is based on the content of the pdf. Converting your word document to a pdf is as simple as 123. Sep 27, 2017 welcome to the webinar creating section 508 compliant electronic documents. Section 508 fillable forms interactive 508 compliant pdf. All elements should be properly tagged, using the make accessible feature, in order to make the documents as compliant as possible with the section 508 requirements. The next step in creating adacompliant pdfs is to make sure that your pdf conversion settings are properly set. These pdf forms are fully accessible but there is no computation, validation, or verification of the information you enter. If using an authoring tool, make sure the tool is capable of generating accessible pdf documents that conform to pdf ua some do not. Section 508 compliance checklist section 508 self check web accessibility self evaluation form this is a printable form and not an electronic form. This underlying structure is not inherent in the pdf, but must be planned for during the source document creation, or added to the document during pdf remediation.
Department of the treasury internal revenue service. There are dozens of electronic document formats to serve many purposes. To compare the two products, check out this matrix. A trusted tester is a person certified to provide accurate and repeatable section 508 compliance test results for software and web applications. According to the comments about this section of the regulations, this provision places a responsibility on the web page author to know that a compliant application exists, before requiring a plugin.
Now you have created a compliant document in microsoft word, you will need to convert it to pdf format, the universally recognized format for web documents. We, the code monkeys, were not to take on the risk. They exist for accessibility purposes only and have no visible effect on the pdf file. Pdfs require 508 remediation as they are not accessible by screen readers. Does the order of the pdf tags match that of the order that the content should be read in. Acrobat 10 is the most widely used program for testing throughout fema. If no is answered to any item, then the document is not 508 compliant. Im the doi section 508 program manager, and im joined by my colleague catherine emmett. Sop 508 compliance for documentation cadsr training. Training and it solutions washington dc virginia va. When generating pdf documents through conversion from another format, or through an automated tool, ensure the resulting pdf file is properly tagged to support accessibility. Nov 12, 20 while section 508 compliance is currently only legally binding for united states federal agencies or other agencies that are federally funded, chances are its only a matter of time before your customers request you provide them with an accessible online experience and 508compliant electronic files like downloadable pdfs when they visit. Feb 23, 2015 learn how to make your documents 508 compliant in nexights stepbystep video tutorial. Department of health and human services hhs policies and standards, there is a requirement that all documentation published on the internet including web applications, web pages and all attached files must be accessible to all individuals, including those.
Adobe portable document format pdf documents should be created using adobe acrobat version 6 or later software, or equivalent tools from adobe. Pdf text content not the actual visual text contains misspellings and or spacing issues. Section 508 compliance doesnt apply to pdf documents. Anytime you are preparing an electronic document that will be posted online or distributed via email, whether its an internal document or an external document, you need to follow the section 508 guidelines.
Cms pdf file 508 checklist 1 cms pdf file 508 checklist. The forms on this page are provided in adobe acrobat portable document format. Sop 508 compliance for documentation cadsr training nci. This issue is a violation of section 508 and wcag 2. Sep 21, 2015 gsa program activities include the development and deployment of webbased tools and resources, ongoing education and training initiatives, establishment and support of a government wide network of agency section 508 coordinators, and maintenance of the section 508 website.
Have you provided a link to the appropriate plugin. Pdfua designation certifies that documents are compliant with iso standard 14289, the new international standard for accessible pdfs. A pdf file can be made accessible to screen reader users, but it may be best to include an accessible html version of a document instead of, or in addition to, pdf. All elements should be properly tagged, using the make accessible feature, in order to make the documents as compliant as possible with the. It is intended to be used as a companion to document remediation training offered at the section 508 testing and training center. Pdf files tend to be produced by someone other than. Accessible alternatives must be provided for powerpoint files. Is the pdf a pdf portfolio or does the pdf have file attachments. Learn how to make your documents 508 compliant in nexights stepbystep video tutorial. Open each individual document in the portfolio and test with the appropriate test process. Standard offering successful completion of the ca will provide valuable insight into the capabilities and limitations of. If someone wanted to upload a pdf or ppt or word doc, they had to ensure it was 508 compliant first. Section 508 compliant checklist for portable document format pdf files form 14305 catalog number 58451d rev. This is usually introduced from conversion of the source file or ocr.
Even if you dont, it may be just good business, as following its guidelines ensures that. Section 508 compliant checklist for portable document. As of january 2018, the technical requirements of section 508 have changed to incorporate wcag 2. Converting microsoft word files to adacompliant pdfs with adobe. How to create 508 compliant adobe pdf documents dau. If a pdf form includes form fields for example, text fields, buttons, list boxes, users can fill the form online with acrobat reader. Scanned images of text are unable to be accurately interpreted by screen readers and cannot be made compliant. Dhs section 508 compliance test process for applications. Section 508 compliance nec display solutions responds to notice of section 508 accessibility, title v of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended under the workforce investment act, requiring federal agencies to make their electronic and it accessible to disabled employees and members of the public. When a pdf is created from an office file, initial tags will be generated based.
All federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding are required to be 508 compliant. Pdf portfolios are collections of many different documents combined into one pdf figure 1. The checklist includes compliance with section 508, in addition to other usda requirements. Aspadcd general office document file 508 checklist. Irs section 508 compliant pdf forms internal revenue service. A pdf file can be made accessible to screen reader users, but it may be. Through the testing process, if an element is found to be not compliant, then the element remains not compliant even if.
May 25, 20 but unlike printed documents, pdf files can contain clickable links and buttons, form fields, video, and audio as well as logic to help automate routine business processes. In rare cases like this, the pdf can be accompanied by contact information for users in need of accommodation. Section 508 compliance accessible document solutions. For accessible pdf files, the recommended format is the pdfua format which complies with wcag 2. Generate accessible pdf files from high volume print streams. Apr 26, 2012 if you want to make sure all readers have access to your pdfs, the stepbystep guide to section 508 compliant pdfs may be exactly what you need.
Fillable pdf forms can be accessed over the internet or via email. Six myths busted regarding section 508 pdfua compliance. In order to successfully complete this course, you should be familiar with microsoft office applications and adobe acrobat. The following standards are excerpted from section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 1194. The recent section 508 refresh brought harmonization with the wcag 2. Creating accessible, section 508 compliant documents. Tests and validates documents against the leading accessibility standards. This instructorled, handson course teaches the essential skills necessary to work with microsoft word, powerpoint, excel, and adobe pdf files to make them 508 compliant. It prompts to address accessibility issues, such as a missing document description or title. Any and all digital communications that a company under section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant. To help ensure that 508 compliant pdfs are disseminated, this test process has been created to evaluate documents against all applicable 1194. A beginners guide to section 508 and accessibility compliance.