In April 2026 a new web accessibility law goes into effect for state and local governments. If you have PDFs on your website (you probably have a lot), they need to be accessible (they probably are not). This is a big deal.
- Some qualify for exceptions (and you need to move them into clearly labeled archives).
- Some are outdated and no longer relevant.
- Many shouldn’t even be PDFs.
- You’ll want to keep some, which may require remediation.
Remediation is the process to make a PDF accessible. It’s expensive and time consuming. Sometimes it’s the right choice, but avoid doing it indiscriminately. In many cases, it perpetuates a poor user experience.
Start with an audit
Start solving your PDF problem with an audit. You’ll be able to pinpoint:
- Outdated PDFs that can be removed
- Which ones qualify for an exception
- PDF content that should be web text instead
- PDFs that need to be remediated
Your audit findings help you tailor your strategy for working with departments. For example:
- Which department has the most PDFs?
- What kind of content is most common?
- What content is better as web text?
What I learned doing a document audit
I recently audited 2,500 documents for a government agency. While this is a large sample, it’s not all of their documents. They still have thousands more.
Here’s what I learned and how it helps inform their strategy.
60% are from before 2020
Most of these documents are old. In some cases, they are outdated and no longer relevant. In other cases, they belong in an archive.
20% are agendas
Agendas posted before the compliance deadline should qualify for the archive exception, as long as they are in a clearly labeled archive.
If you continue to use PDF for agendas:
- Update your Word templates for agendas, minutes and staff reports so they are accessible.
- Train staff who make agendas (and meeting documents) on how to make accessible documents.
Agendas can also be formatted as web text.
20% are reports, plans, and studies
Some of these can be reformatted as web text instead. For example, here’s a web text version of a strategic plan.
Many of these were likely created by consultants. Add contract language requiring consultants to make documents accessible.
30% are for building and planning
This department will probably need the most resources and support for:
- Reformatting PDF content as web text
- Accessible document training
- Working with vendors who create reports, plans, and studies
- Remediation
36% probably don’t qualify for an exception
For the documents that do qualify, the vast majority fit the archive exception. This means they need to be moved into clearly labeled archives.
For the rest, you’ll need to make a decision:
- Are they still relevant and needed?
- Should they be reformatted as web text?
- Which ones need to be remediated?
If it’s on the website, it’s official
After reviewing thousands of PDFs, I started to notice something. Many of them are simple in terms of content and can easily be web text. But they are on official letterhead or created in a way to look “official.” For example, a letter from the Fire Chief reminding residents about holiday tree fire safety.
Counter the mindset that official letterhead is always needed. If it’s on your official government website, it’s official.
Default to web text
Documents are not just an accessibility problem. They are also a usability problem. Most of the content I reviewed through the audit would be better as web text.
Web pages are easier to:
- Find
- Load
- Read
- Share
Set criteria in your organization for what is allowed to be a PDF and what should be web text. For some, this will feel like a big shift in how they do their job. Support them with training, examples, and clear guidelines.