Making PDFs Accessible in D2L
Data provided by initial Ally reports indicate that the largest area of concern for course files in D2L courses are PDF files. Instructors are encouraged to follow the Reduce, Replace, Remediate motto in regards to PDF.
Reduce
Reduce the use of PDF files by using other file formats, such as Word Docs or HTML.
- Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and HTML pages within D2L provide accessible formats that may be easier to manage and update for accessibility than PDF files. Instructions for creating accessible Microsoft Office and HTML Files in D2L can be found in the Accessibility section of the eLearning Instructor Resource Site.
- PDFs may be exported to Microsoft Office formats by using the Export feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Instructions can be found at How to export PDFs to Microsoft Office formats.
Replace
Replace PDF files that are old, scanned, or printed with a higher quality, more recent version of the PDF.
- Is the PDF from a publisher or other third-party provider? Reach out to the publisher representative or third-party provider to inquire about obtaining an updated, accessible version.
- Is an up-to-date version of the PDF available from the LCC Library? Check with the Library Liaison for your department to see if there is an accessible online version available through one of the libraries database services.
Remediate
Remediate PDF files if there is no way to avoid PDF usage. This entails a manual, time-intensive process, using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. If Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is not already installed on your LCC computer, please contact the LCC Help Desk to request to have it installed. The Help Desk can be reached by phone at (517) 483-5221, by email at lcc1@lcc.edu, or submit a service request through the 5Star Service Center.
If remediating, keep in mind the following:
The accessibility of PDFs increases significantly when the following are present:
- PDF is tagged in the correct order using the Reading Order tool.
- PDF is scanned with Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
- PDF includes a title.
- PDF has a set language.
- PDF has alternative text for all images.
- PDF has been checked for contrast issues (ie. yellow font on a white background.)
Instructors can use the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC built-in Make Accessible Wizard and Full Check accessibility checker to help make PDFs accessible. Step-by-step instructions can be found on the Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro).