The great PDF debate: Accessible or impossible?

Abstract

One of the most basic products of the academic library, the electronic text document, has been the object of recent discussion among accessibility champions-specifically, the ideal accessible format in which text documents should be published online. Such text documents may serve a wide range of purposes, including instructional (e.g., worksheets), informational (e.g., staff directory), or promotional (e.g., annual report). Text documents may be published in a range of formats, but in the academic library context are usually published and made available as Microsoft Word documents, PDF documents, or HTML webpages. While the PDF has long been the preferred publication format, recent publications have questioned this, suggesting that PDF may be less accessible than alternatives like the Word document. 1 We must consider when and where PDFs make sense as a useful format that can be made accessible, and where we can engage in an effort to set standards for accessibility compliance.