TAC Blog

PDFs are everywhere on county websites. Meeting agendas, budgets, public notices, forms, reports and other important documents are often posted as PDFs because they’re easy to create, download and share.

But simply posting a PDF online doesn’t mean everyone can access the information inside it.

For people who have low vision and rely on screen readers, an inaccessible PDF can be difficult — or sometimes impossible — to navigate. PDF remediation helps solve that problem by making these files accessible to people with disabilities. 

It’s also required under the Department of Justice’s final rule for web accessibility. The compliance deadlines are approaching:

• April 26, 2027 for counties with populations at or over 50,000
• April 26, 2028 for counties with populations below 50,000

What is PDF remediation?

PDF remediation is the process of modifying a PDF so assistive technologies, such as screen readers, can properly interpret its content. That includes adding digital “tags” that identify elements such as headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, links and images and establish how those elements relate to one another.

Think of those tags as directions for a screen reader. A person looking at a document can visually recognize a heading, understand information organized in a table, and know which paragraph follows another. Screen readers need that same information provided digitally.

How PDF remediation software modifies PDFs:

• Establishes a logical reading order, so a screen reader doesn’t jump between columns, read a footer in the middle of a paragraph, or present information in an order that changes its meaning
• Adds alternative text to images, so people using assistive technology can understand the photos in a document
• Properly structure tables and lists, so screen readers can share information in a logical way
• Make links understandable and ensure form fields can be used with assistive technology

The result is a document that provides people with disabilities more equitable access to county information and services.

How can counties remediate PDFs?

Counties can remediate PDFs using specialized accessibility software such as Equidox.

This platform helps users identify and tag content, establish heading structures, add alternative text, structure tables and lists, and set the correct reading order. Users can also preview their work to help determine whether the document's structure makes sense for someone using assistive technology.

TAC County Information Resources Agency (TAC CIRA), which supports the websites of 171 counties in Texas, offers three options to help counties remediate PDFs. By partnering with TAC CIRA, counties can save money on this PDF remediation software and get hands-on training that caters to the needs of Texas government entities. 

The following options are available to all Texas counties, no matter which website platform they use:

1. Self Service – This options grants unlimited access to the Equidox platform, so county website editors can make PDFs accessible and post them online. 
2. CIRA Assist – A TAC CIRA staff member will use the Equidox platform to make the PDF accessible. CIRA staff will send the PDF back to the county so they can post it to their website. 

TAC CIRA website members can also opt for this full-service option:

3. CIRA Complete – TAC CIRA will make PDFs accessible and post them on the county’s website. TAC CIRA will also handle other posting requests, such as updating calendars, images and text.

Learn more about TAC CIRA's PDF Remediation

Don't wait until your county's ADA compliance deadline to address PDF accessibility. Remediating files is easier than you may think, and TAC CIRA is here to offer training and guidance. 

Have questions? Send the TAC CIRA team an email.