Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve provided answers to some of the most commonly asked questions we receive about document accessibility. If you don’t find an answer to your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
Why Accessible Documents?
We answer this question with a question. Why not? Accessibility is about giving access to everyone regardless of ability. Our virtual world opens endless opportunities for both abled and disabled communities. We know it is vital to ensure our virtual communication is free of barriers.
In addition to being the right thing to do, just as a website itself must comply to local, state, and federal website accessibility standards, the documents we attach must also be accessible to everyone.
What Standards Do You Follow When Making Documents Accessible?
We ensure compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
If your state or local government requires you to follow additional standards, simply let us know, and we will ensure your accessible documents comply with all the requirements.
How Long Will It Take To Make My Documents Accessible?
Because complete document remediation cannot be automated, the time it takes to make a document accessible depends on many factors. Consider the following differences in documents:
- Document length
- Native format
- Graphics
- Number of tables
- Number of lists
These are just a few factors that will affect the time it takes to remediate your documents.
The cleaner the original format, the faster the remediation. For example, a simple one-page document created by someone skilled in accessibility with the latest version of Microsoft Word can take as little as 15 minutes to remediate, while another document created in InDesign by someone not trained in accessibility may take an hour or more. For example, we once remediated a 50-page policy handbook in less time than a five-page brochure.
Our remediation specialists work quickly to make each element of your document accessible in the shortest time possible. If you have a deadline, let us know. One of our company-wide goals is to delight our clients. We’ll work with you to do just that.
Why Don't You Post Your Pricing?
Similar to the time it takes to remediate documents, pricing is also based on many factors. In order to provide accurate pricing, we review the size and complexity of each document. If we find anything in a document that requires additional remediation time that we did not originally quote, we request approval prior to completing the remediation. We know document remediation can be overwhelming, and we do our best to keep our pricing as cost efficient as possible.
(In a conversation with a recent client, we were told we don’t charge enough. We take this as a compliment of our efforts to make accessibility affordable to everyone.)
How Do I Submit Documents?
We will provide you with a link to securely upload your original documents and download your accessible, ADA-compliant document.
Will My Documents Look Different?
Yes and no. Visually, your documents will not look different (unless we need to adjust colors to allow for color contrast requirements). For a screen reader user, your documents will “look” different because they will now be able to “see” them just as you see them visually. Without accessibility features, a screen reader will either not read the content at all, read only some of the content, or read it incorrectly.
Will Accessible Documents Help with SEO?
Yes! Ensuring your documents are accessible will help Google and other search engines locate your valuable content.
Is Web Accessibility and ADA Compliance the Same Thing?
Although website accessibility and ADA compliance are often used to intend the same thing, they each have their own meaning. Website accessibility refers to everyone having access to everything at all times, regardless of ability. ADA compliance refers to conforming to accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.0 guidelines. Accessibility standards are enforced through ADA laws such as Title II and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.