The Hidden Cost of PDFs

While PDFs are sometimes necessary, they often create significantly more accessibility work than other formats.

Accessible PDFs must meet two accessibility standards simultaneously:

  • WCAG 2.1 Level AA

  • PDF/UA (ISO 14289)

Because of these dual requirements, PDFs typically require substantially more remediation effort than Word or HTML content.

Why PDFs Take Longer to Remediate

Unlike Word or HTML documents, PDFs do not naturally contain clear structural information.

Accessibility specialists often must manually repair elements such as:

  • Document tags

  • Reading order

  • Heading structure

  • Lists

  • Tables

  • Figures and alternative text

  • Artifacts and decorative elements

  • Form field labels

These repairs are typically performed after the document is created, rather than during creation.

Typical Remediation Time Comparison

While actual times vary depending on document complexity, accessibility teams commonly report the following general estimates:

Document Type Typical Remediation Effort
Word document Low
HTML page Low
Tagged PDF Moderate
Untagged or poorly tagged PDF High
Scanned PDF Very High

 

In many cases, a PDF can take 5–10 times longer to remediate than the same content created properly in Word or HTML.

Why Format Choice Matters

Choosing the correct format at the start can prevent unnecessary remediation work.

For example:

Instead of:

  • Posting a PDF with instructions on a website

Use:

  • An HTML web page

This approach:

  • Improves accessibility

  • Reduces remediation workload

  • Simplifies updates

  • Improves mobile usability

Accessibility Best Practice

Use PDFs only when the format itself is essential, such as for:

  • Print-ready documents

  • Finalized official publications

  • Documents requiring fixed layout

For most other content:

  • Use HTML for web content

  • Use Word for documents that require editing or collaboration

This approach helps organizations maintain accessibility while reducing long-term remediation costs and effort.

Selecting the appropriate format before creating a document is one of the most effective ways to reduce accessibility remediation workload while improving access for all users.

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