Documents can have the most accessibility challenges, and one of the most fixable. 

PDFs, Word files, PowerPoint presentations, and spreadsheets are everywhere at UCLA: on departmental websites, in Bruin Learn, attached to emails, linked from forms. And as of April 24, 2026, any document you create or post must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. The good news: you have tools available right now, most of them free.

What makes a document inaccessible?

The most common problems in documents are:

• No tags or improper tag structure: screen readers rely on tags to interpret a document's structure. An untagged PDF is essentially unreadable to assistive technology.
• Missing alt text on images: charts, photos, logos, and diagrams need descriptive alt text.
• Poor reading order: the order content appears visually may not match the order a screen reader encounters it, especially in multi-column layouts or complex PDFs.
• Missing or incorrect headings: headings created by making text bigger or bold (rather than using actual heading styles) don't register as headings to assistive technology.
• Inaccessible forms: form fields without proper labels can't be navigated or completed by screen reader users.
• Insufficient color contrast: text that doesn't meet minimum contrast ratios is difficult or impossible to read for users with low vision.
• No document language: screen readers need to know what language a document is in to read it correctly.

The best approach: create accessibly from the start

Retrofitting an inaccessible document is significantly harder than building accessibility in from the beginning. If you're creating documents in Word or PowerPoint:

• Use built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.), not just bold or larger text
• Add alt text to all images, charts, and diagrams
• Use descriptive link text, not "click here"
• Run the Microsoft Accessibility Checker before you export
• Export to PDF from the source file, not by printing to PDF

A well-structured Word or PowerPoint document produces a far more accessible PDF than one that has to be remediated after the fact.

• Document Accessibility Resources (DCP)Accessibility Guideline PDFs in Box

Prioritizing your documents 

Prioritize first:

• Documents people are actively required to use to access UCLA services, programs, or activities, regardless of when they were posted
• High-traffic documents on public-facing websites
• Forms that people need to complete
• Policies, handbooks, and guides in active use

Course documents in Bruin Learn

If your documents live in Bruin Learn, UDOIT, a Canvas-integrated accessibility tool currently being procured for campus, will help instructors identify and fix accessibility issues across entire courses, including uploaded files. More information will be available once the tool is live.

In the meantime, Ally in Bruin Learn provides per-file accessibility scores and guidance for common document types.

Training

DCP offers free workshops on document accessibility and PDF remediation, open to all UCLA faculty and staff.