WCAG and Section 508: PDF Requirements

PDF/UA clarifies and simplifies the PDF-specific technical requirements to meet WCAG 2.0.

WCAG 2.0 is regarded as the primary standard for web accessibility by national governments around the world, and is referenced in the U.S. Access Board's new rules that updates accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The six-year process of updating these requirements constitutes the first refresh since Section 508 was created in 1998. The rule is slated to go into effect in March, 2018, and references WCAG 2.0 and PDF/UA as the standard for compliant PDFs.

Creating PDFs that meet the WCAG 2.0 success criteria requires specific PDF authoring and remediation techniques. WCAG 2.0 was developed as a technology-independent standard and provides individual (normative) success criteria for accessibility which are general enough to apply across technologies, including a growing set of techniques for HTML, CSS, Scripting, PDF, Flash, and more. The Access Board's update states that all electronic documents must "conform to all Level A and AA Success Criteria in WCAG 2.0 or ISO 14289-1 (PDF/UA-1)." This proposal for accessible electronic support documentation is derived from the existing guidelines, but would newly require PDFs to comply with PDF/UA.

WCAG  does not presently represent a complete set which encompass all technical requirements for accessibility in all PDF documents. This is where PDF/UA provides help. PDF/UA provides normative technical specifications for the use of the PDF format, defining proper structure and syntax to enable reliable access. This includes identification of necessary tagging structures, how to specify alternative text for images, how to ensure correct Unicode mappings for character glyphs, and many other file, page and object-level specifications, as well as how Reader applications and assistive technologies can fully process PDF/UA conforming files to maximize accessibility.

PDF/UA defines the technical specifications to enable PDF documents to meet WCAG 2.0, but WCAG 2.0 has additional requirements which require an author’s attention. The areas where WCAG 2.0 has additional requirements include time-based media (guideline 1.2), scripting and actions (e.g. success criteria 3.2.1 and 3.2.2), and certain types of content (e.g. success criteria 2.4.4). For these and other additional requirements, the W3C’s technique documents (both general and PDF-specific techniques) provide guidance for authors interested in complying with WCAG 2.0.

WCAG 2.0 summarizes web accessibility using four broad design principles:

1. Content must be perceivable.
2. Interface elements in the content must be operable.
3. Content and controls must be understandable.
4. Content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies.

These concepts are refined and delineated in the PDF/UA specifications; please refer to this article on PDF/UA for more information: http://508compliantdocumentconversion.com/pdfua-and-section-508/

AIIM, the governing body for ISO standards, published a document that shows how to achieve WCAG 2.0 through the use of the PDF/UA standard. It can be found here: http://www.aiim.org/Research-and-Publications/standards/committees/PDFUA/WCAG20-Mapping

Why Use Accessibility In Mind For Your Section 508 Remediation: The AIM Difference

#1: Accessibility In Mind is a dedicated Section 508 and PDF/UA compliance service.

We are not a design/print house that does remediation on the side- remediating PDF documents, making them accessible and compliant, is our ONLY service.  Look at the home page of our competitors if you want to know what their main business is, then come back to AIM for your Section 508 work!

#2: We are not a middle-man, taking a commission and passing the work on to contractors.

When you work with AIM you are dealing DIRECTLY with Section 508 expert remediators, and paying less-- often 30-50% less-- than through other vendors. Deal direct, SAVE TIME AND MONEY!

http://accessibilityinmind.com/

What about ISO? What does it have to do with Section 508?

ISO 14289-1 (2012) is a set of "consensus standards" that would be "incorporated by reference" into the proposed revision/update for Section 508 (refer here). It is the formal name for PDF/UA.

ISO 14289-1 (2012), Document management applications — Electronic document file format enhancement for accessibility — Part 1: Use of ISO 32000-1 (PDF/UA-1), would be incorporated by reference at E205.1 and 602.3.1. This is an international standard for accessible portable document format (PDF) files. PDF/UA-1 provides a technical, interoperable standard for the authoring, remediation, and validation of PDF content to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities who use assistive technology such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, joysticks and other assistive technologies to navigate and read content. This proposed standard is new to both the 508 Standards and the 255 Guidelines. It is offered as an option to WCAG 2.0 for accessible PDFs.

Need PDFs that are compliant with Section 508, PDF/UA and ISO? Need answers right now? Call Accessibility In Mind, 919-410-7408, or visit our website.

What's your standard? Accessibility In Mind has you covered for Section 508, PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0, HHS

Ensuring Indemnity With Documentation

Accessibility In Mind offers extensive accessibility reporting supporting all recognized standards, guaranteeing compliance. Whatever your specific requirements may be, AIM can remediate your documents to comply.

• Section 508: Section 508 was originally added as an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in 1986. It requires  Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The regulations are broad in nature and are interpreted differently by different agencies. AIM can provide Section 508 specific reports certifying compliance.
• PDF/UA: PDF/UA (“Universal Accessibility”) specification, or ISO 14289, was published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in August, 2014. PDF/UA requires Tagged PDF (ISO 32000-1, 14.8), and adds a variety of qualitative requirements, especially regarding semantic correctness of the tags employed. It is the first fully accessible standard ISO has ever published. AIM can provide PDF/UA specific reports certifying compliance.
• WCAG 2.0: The current version,  was published in December 2008 and became an ISO standard, ISO/IEC 40500:2012 in October 2012.It consists of 14 guidelines which are general principles of accessible design, primarily for websites, but applicable to PDF accessibility. AIM can provide WCAG specific reports certifying compliance.
• HHS: The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) maintains a checklist defining their interpretation of Section 508, providing specific guidance on compliant PDF structure. AIM can provide HHS-specific reports certifying compliance.

Every remediated document is delivered with time-stamped Adobe Acrobat Pro 11 full accessibility reports, and NetCentric CommonLook reports are available for all accessibility standards. These reports prove due diligence in compliance with the most stringent requirements, and ensure indemnity from any legal challenges to document compliance.

Accessibility In Mind gives you one less thing to worry about- contact us for more information.

Is there any such thing as "Certification" for section 508 compliance?

Yes, Virginia, there is.

 AIM, formerly Electronic Document Compliance Services, is pleased to announce the availability of certificates of compliance for Section 508, PDF/UA, HHS, and WCAG 2.0. AIM can evaluate and certify compliance of any PDF, providing time-stamped accessibility reports, your insurance against any and all claims of non-compliance, guaranteed.

Contact us for a no-obligation evaluation of your documents.

EDCS To Become Accessibility In Mind

Electronic Document Compliance Services, a recognized leader in Section 508 and PDF/UA remediation services, has announced their new company name, Accessibility In Mind. 

From the company's press release:

Our mission remains constant, accessibility for all, and our singular service is document conversion and remediation- a one-stop solution to your compliance needs. Accessibility In Mind's federally certified compliance specialists complete all remediation, following industry best practices and using the latest technology, with comprehensive standards support of WCAG 2.0, PDF/UA, HHS as well as Section 508.

Health Insurance Document Specialists

We are experienced in remediation for all types of health insurance provider documents- ANOC, EOC, SOB, etc., with rapid turnaround. Complete documentation of remediation performed and compliance test reports are part of every deliverable.

Contact Accessibility In Mind and see how we can take care of your compliance needs.

Aiming to exceed your expectations: http://accessibilityinmind.com/