For and against PDFs 

A decision tree for PDFs

PDFs and accessibility in the SEND Local Offer

In the past we’ve used PDFs for strategy documents, forms, and all sorts. But when it comes to web accessibility, PDFs often fall short. Let's look at why PDFs struggle with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) conformance, and when they may still be the right choice.

The POUR Principles and PDFs

WCAG is based on four principles, known as POUR.

Perceivable 

Can everyone see or hear the content?

Operable

Can everyone navigate and interact with the content?

Understandable

Is the content clear and easy to understand?

Robust

Can the content be accessed by different technologies?

PDFs often have trouble with these principles.

Perceivable

PDFs may not work well with screen readers.

  • They may lack proper headings or structure.

  • Images often don't have alternative text.

  • Images that are decorative might be given alternative text, which is not useful. 

Operable

  • Navigating PDFs with a keyboard can be tricky.

  • Interactive elements like forms may not be usable without a mouse.

Understandable

Robust

  • PDFs may not adapt well to different devices or assistive technologies.

When PDFs might be useful

Despite these issues, PDFs can sometimes be useful for printable documents, and we may be able to argue for some legal documents, and offline access.

Sharing printable documents

Do the graphics explain something with text embedded? 

Sometimes content can be explained better to some people when graphics and images come together.

For example, the EHC assessment process might be illustrated as a journey, with milestones along the way.

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/salford/fsd/files/ehc_needs_assessment_visual.pdf

https://directory.salford.gov.uk/kb5/salford/directory/site.page?id=BmGGmEJMKUY

I would argue that you don’t need to worry about accessibility with these kinds of documents. They are for printing, and the information will be accessible online.

Duplicate content 

I know some Local Offer people who have been told they can't have a pdf and the same info on a webpage as this is duplicate content. Duplicate content may affect SEO (search engine optimisation) but honestly, if we're labelling the PDFs as “poster to download” or “Easy read version” then Google should take that into account. I have no idea if they do, but it's not duplicating if it's designed for an offline experience, in my opinion.

Legal and official documents

One of the principles of the SEND Local Offer is Up to date.

HTML pages can be updated very easily in a content management system (CMS), but PDFs are more difficult to alter.

But for date specific documents that people may need to consult in the future, a PDF might be useful.

For example, tax advisors like PDFs so that they know the date that the content was written. If they have to support a client with tax from a couple of years ago, but the only available rules are the current HTML pages, what are they supposed to do?

Read the comments from Why GOV.UK content should be published in HTML and not PDF – Government Digital Service to see how people think about this issue.

Personally, I’m not sure this is going to be a strong argument for the SEND Local Offer to provide Transport policies, for example, as PDF.

Collaboration in the co-production of content for SEND is part of the Code of Practice 2015. But it’s not a “once and done” activity. Content should be reviewed annually, with young people, parent carers, and professionals. As council and health policies change, the content needs to change too.

Offline access

It is possible for people to download and view PDFs later without an internet connection. However, trying to read a PDF on a mobile phone can be very hard, with lots of zooming and scrolling. 

While digital poverty is real, we should be working on giving people access to up-to-date information, for example, through access in libraries and family hubs.

Or how about just making sure everyone has digital access to free, secure internet?

Printing

Web pages should also be coded so that the information on the page can be printed without all the menus and extras that distract from the message of the page. Using CTRL P (right click > print) will give you the option to print or save the page as a PDF for offline storage.

Making PDFs More Accessible

If someone compels you to use PDFs for “normal content”, try these tips to improve accessibility

  • Use proper headings and document structure

  • Add alternative text to images, if they add meaning to the information

  • Ensure proper reading order

  • Make form fields keyboard-accessible

  • Include bookmarks for navigation in longer documents

Conclusion

While PDFs have their place, they're often not the most accessible format for web content. When possible, consider using HTML for better WCAG conformance. 

Remember, the goal is to make information available to everyone, regardless of how they access it. Usually that means HTML web pages, but sometimes using a PDF is OK. 

Examples of illogical reading order in PDFs

  • Multi-column layouts: A screen reader might read across columns instead of down each column.

  • Sidebars or text boxes: These might be read in the middle of the main content, interrupting the flow.

  • Tables: Complex tables might be read in an order that doesn't make sense.

  • Forms: Fields might be read in an order that doesn't match the visual layout.

This side bar is clearly marked up in HTML as an < aside>. This means that anyone reading this page with a screen reader will know that this is not the main text of the page. It has an < h4> heading, which comes after the < h3> Understandable heading. Someone who is using a screen reader will be able to follow the flow of the document easily.