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Webinar Recording - Making Word, PowerPoint, and Existing PDF Documents Web Accessible (Recorded December 4, 2025. 38 minutes)
Web Accessible Documents
Guidelines
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- A U.S. civil rights law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life.
- Ensure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
- Applies to digital content.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- A federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.
- Applies to schools, universities, hospitals, and other entities that receive federal funds.
- Requirements
- Provide equal access to programs and activities.
- Implement reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids (e.g., interpreters, assistive technology).
- Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (ed.gov, hhs.gov, mdek12.org)
- Section 504 applies only to federally funded entities, while ADA applies broadly to public and private sectors.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- International standards developed by the W3C to make web content accessible to people with disabilities.
- Ensure websites, apps, and digital tools are usable by everyone, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments.
Core Principles (POUR)
- Perceivable: Information must be presented in ways users can perceive (e.g., text alternatives for images).
- Operable: Interface must be usable via keyboard and assistive technologies.
- Understandable: Content and navigation must be clear and predictable.
- Robust: Content must work across current and future technologies.