Uncovering the Hidden Importance of Accessibility in Corporate PDFs: Why Your Company Can’t Afford to Ignore WCAG and Section 508 Compliance #3

Accessibility in PDFs is an often overlooked aspect of corporate communication, but it is crucial for ensuring that all users, regardless of ability or disability, are able to access important information. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of accessibility in PDFs, as well as the standards that ensure that these documents are accessible to everyone.

First, let’s define what we mean by “accessibility” in the context of PDFs. Essentially, an accessible PDF is one that can be easily read and understood by users with disabilities, such as those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or have mobility impairments. This can be achieved through the use of features such as alternative text for images, properly formatted headings and lists, and the use of clear and concise language.

But why is accessibility in PDFs important, especially for enterprise investor relations executives of publicly traded companies? There are several reasons:

Why is accessibility in PDFs important

  1. Legal requirements: In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public-facing websites and documents be accessible to users with disabilities. This includes PDFs that are hosted on or linked from these websites. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in costly legal action.
  2. Improved user experience: By making your PDFs accessible, you ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can access and understand the information contained within. This leads to a better user experience for everyone, and can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  3. Increased reach and engagement: By making your PDFs accessible, you open them up to a wider audience, including users with disabilities. This can lead to increased reach and engagement with your content, as well as a positive impact on your brand reputation.

source: https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3280432/Remediated-2021-Year-End-Report-FINAL.pdf

How do you ensure that your PDFs are accessible?

So, how do you ensure that your PDFs are accessible? There are two main standards that you should be aware of: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 compliance.

WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is the most current version, and it outlines four principles for accessibility: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These principles cover a wide range of accessibility issues, including the use of alternative text for images, proper formatting for headings and lists, and the use of clear and concise language.

Section 508 is a specific set of guidelines that apply to electronic and information technology (EIT) used by the federal government. These guidelines ensure that EIT is accessible to users with disabilities, and they are based on the WCAG 2.0 guidelines.

While both WCAG and Section 508 compliance are important for ensuring the accessibility of web content, they are often overlooked when it comes to corporate PDFs. This is likely due to a lack of awareness of the importance of accessibility, as well as a lack of understanding of the standards and how to implement them.

However, it is crucial that enterprise investor relations executives of publicly traded companies ensure that their PDFs are accessible. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is also a legal requirement and can lead to improved user experience, increased reach and engagement, and a positive impact on your brand reputation.

You are probably curious what an audit looks like? there are two main tools we use

Taking a random IR document from a publicly traded client website we can quicky process it to see these results:

From Adobe:

adobe accessibility report

from PAC

and PAC WCAG

In conclusion, accessibility in PDFs is an important but often overlooked aspect of corporate communication. By ensuring that your PDFs are compliant with WCAG and Section 508 guidelines, you can ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can access and understand the information contained within. This is important for legal compliance, as well as for improving user experience, increasing reach and engagement, and protecting your brand reputation.

The good news is that we can help. If you would like to learn more about accessibility in PDFs and how to ensure that your documents are compliant with WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 standards, just let us know. We recommend starting with an audit of your most recent communications to assess the current state and then set a plan for roping in our team to figure publishing workflows. Send us a couple of your PDFs and we will deliver a free analysis of what we have discovered.

Send a PDF test for us to review

Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 3 files.
Please upload up to 3 files for us to review. If they are larger than allowed here, shoot us an email and we can make other arrangements.
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Multi-Tenancy: What it is and Why it Matters for SaaS Businesses

As more and more businesses move to the cloud, the concept of multi-tenancy has become increasingly important in the world of software-as-a-service (SaaS). Multi-tenancy is a software architecture model where a single instance of an application serves multiple customers, or tenants, simultaneously. This approach can offer significant benefits for both SaaS providers and their customers, but it can also introduce some complexities. In this article, we’ll explore the concept of multi-tenancy in SaaS, including what it means to be a tenant, why multi-tenancy is important, and the benefits it can offer for SaaS companies. We’ll also compare multi-tenancy with single-tenancy models, and discuss the advantages and trade-offs of each. By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of multi-tenancy and how it can benefit your SaaS business.

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Key Decisions and Features for Adding Ecommerce to Your SaaS System

As the demand for online services continues to grow, more SaaS companies are adding ecommerce functionality to their platforms. By allowing users to purchase and manage subscriptions online, SaaS companies can increase revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline billing and payment processes. However, adding ecommerce to a SaaS system is not a simple task. In this article, we’ll go through some of the key decisions and features that SaaS companies should consider when adding ecommerce to their platforms.

Choosing a Payment Processor

One of the first decisions that SaaS companies need to make when adding ecommerce is which payment processor to use. There are several options available, but one of the most popular and reliable is Stripe. Stripe is a payment processor that is specifically designed for online businesses. It is easy to set up, has competitive rates, and offers a wide range of features and integrations.

Stripe’s features include support for multiple currencies, automated billing and invoicing, and fraud prevention. Stripe also offers a user-friendly dashboard that allows SaaS companies to manage subscriptions, view revenue, and monitor customer behavior.

Billing Modes and Dunning

Another important decision that SaaS companies need to make is which billing mode to use. There are several billing modes available, including usage-based, seat-based, and server-based. Each billing mode has its own pros and cons, and SaaS companies need to carefully consider which one is right for their platform.

Another important consideration is dunning, which is the process of recovering failed payments. When a customer’s credit card is declined, the dunning process kicks in to try and recover the payment. SaaS companies need to be careful with their dunning process to avoid annoying their customers or accidentally violating regulations.

Upgrading and Downgrading

SaaS companies also need to have a clear and easy-to-use upgrading and downgrading process. This is important because users may want to change their subscription plans at any time. SaaS companies need to make sure that the upgrading and downgrading process is clear, easy to understand, and automated as much as possible.

Invoicing and Billing Tiers

Another important decision is whether to provide users with invoices and whether to use Stripe’s invoicing system. Stripe’s invoicing system is user-friendly and has an API for easy integration. SaaS companies also need to consider whether different customers will have different billing tiers, depending on the features they need or the number of users they have.

Offline Payments and Proration

SaaS companies also need to decide whether to allow offline payments, such as payments via purchase order. They also need to consider how to handle upgrades and downgrades in terms of proration or other billing adjustments.

Taxes and Notifications

SaaS companies need to consider tax rules based on customer location when configuring Stripe. They also need to decide whether to email users when they are billed or before and after they are billed.

Conclusion

Adding ecommerce functionality to a SaaS system is a complex process that requires careful consideration of several key decisions and features. At CURTIS Digital, we have extensive experience in developing ecommerce solutions for SaaS companies. Our team of experts can help you navigate the complex decisions involved in adding ecommerce to your SaaS system, from choosing a payment processor to handling upgrades and downgrades.

With our help, you can ensure that your ecommerce functionality is integrated seamlessly into your SaaS platform, providing your customers with a convenient and user-friendly experience. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you add ecommerce to your SaaS system and take your business to the next level.

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Unleashing Your Superhero Powers: A Fun and Interactive Guide to Agile User Story Workshops

A user story workshop is a dynamic and engaging activity that brings together people from different backgrounds and expertise to collaborate and create a product that meets the needs of its users. Here’s how I would explain it to a non-technical stakeholder in a more fun and interactive way:

Imagine you’re part of a team of superheroes who have been tasked with creating a product that will make the world a better place! Your mission is to understand the needs of the people who will use the product and come up with features that will make their lives easier and happier.

To achieve this mission, you’ll be joining forces with other superheroes, including the product owner, development team members, and other stakeholders who share your passion for making the world a better place. Together, you’ll unleash your creativity and imagination to brainstorm user stories that capture the needs of the users.

You’ll start by putting on your superhero capes and gathering in a room with a big whiteboard or a virtual collaboration platform. You’ll be led by the product owner, who will explain the product vision and the goals of the project.

Then, you’ll dive into an exciting and interactive brainstorming session where you’ll put yourselves in the shoes of the users and think about their needs and desires. You’ll use colorful post-it notes, stickers, or digital tools to write down your ideas and share them with the team.

As you work together, you’ll learn from each other’s expertise and perspectives, and you’ll come up with innovative and creative solutions that will make the product stand out. You’ll laugh, you’ll share stories, and you’ll have fun!

Once you’ve created a long list of user stories, you’ll use your superhero powers of prioritization to identify the most critical needs and rank them based on their importance to the users and the business.

Finally, you’ll create a product backlog, which is like a to-do list for the development team. This backlog will help you keep track of all the features that need to be developed for the product, and you’ll get to watch as your superhero colleagues bring those features to life.

By the end of the user story workshop, you’ll feel empowered and energized, knowing that you’ve contributed to making the world a better place through your superhero collaboration and innovation!

If you are looking for a good source of training for Agile User Story Workshops please visit – https://www.betteruserstories.com/ 

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Uncovering the Hidden Importance of Accessibility in Corporate PDFs: Why Your Company Can’t Afford to Ignore WCAG and Section 508 Compliance

Accessibility in PDFs is an often overlooked aspect of corporate communication, but it is crucial for ensuring that all users, regardless of ability or disability, are able to access important information. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of accessibility in PDFs, as well as the standards that ensure that these documents are accessible to everyone.

First, let’s define what we mean by “accessibility” in the context of PDFs. Essentially, an accessible PDF is one that can be easily read and understood by users with disabilities, such as those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or have mobility impairments. This can be achieved through the use of features such as alternative text for images, properly formatted headings and lists, and the use of clear and concise language.

But why is accessibility in PDFs important, especially for enterprise investor relations executives of publicly traded companies? There are several reasons:

Why is accessibility in PDFs important

  1. Legal requirements: In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public-facing websites and documents be accessible to users with disabilities. This includes PDFs that are hosted on or linked from these websites. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in costly legal action.
  2. Improved user experience: By making your PDFs accessible, you ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can access and understand the information contained within. This leads to a better user experience for everyone, and can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  3. Increased reach and engagement: By making your PDFs accessible, you open them up to a wider audience, including users with disabilities. This can lead to increased reach and engagement with your content, as well as a positive impact on your brand reputation.

source: https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3280432/Remediated-2021-Year-End-Report-FINAL.pdf

How do you ensure that your PDFs are accessible?

So, how do you ensure that your PDFs are accessible? There are two main standards that you should be aware of: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 compliance.

WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is the most current version, and it outlines four principles for accessibility: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These principles cover a wide range of accessibility issues, including the use of alternative text for images, proper formatting for headings and lists, and the use of clear and concise language.

Section 508 is a specific set of guidelines that apply to electronic and information technology (EIT) used by the federal government. These guidelines ensure that EIT is accessible to users with disabilities, and they are based on the WCAG 2.0 guidelines.

While both WCAG and Section 508 compliance are important for ensuring the accessibility of web content, they are often overlooked when it comes to corporate PDFs. This is likely due to a lack of awareness of the importance of accessibility, as well as a lack of understanding of the standards and how to implement them.

However, it is crucial that enterprise investor relations executives of publicly traded companies ensure that their PDFs are accessible. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is also a legal requirement and can lead to improved user experience, increased reach and engagement, and a positive impact on your brand reputation.

You are probably curious what an audit looks like? there are two main tools we use

Taking a random IR document from a publicly traded client website we can quicky process it to see these results:

From Adobe:

adobe accessibility report

from PAC

and PAC WCAG

In conclusion, accessibility in PDFs is an important but often overlooked aspect of corporate communication. By ensuring that your PDFs are compliant with WCAG and Section 508 guidelines, you can ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can access and understand the information contained within. This is important for legal compliance, as well as for improving user experience, increasing reach and engagement, and protecting your brand reputation.

The good news is that we can help. If you would like to learn more about accessibility in PDFs and how to ensure that your documents are compliant with WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 standards, just let us know. We recommend starting with an audit of your most recent communications to assess the current state and then set a plan for roping in our team to figure publishing workflows. Send us a couple of your PDFs and we will deliver a free analysis of what we have discovered.

Send a PDF test for us to review

Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 3 files.
Please upload up to 3 files for us to review. If they are larger than allowed here, shoot us an email and we can make other arrangements.
Read More

Clutch Recognizes CURTIS Digital, Inc. as a Top Java Development Company in Texas 2021

At CURTIS Digital, Inc., we build tailored software solutions that fit our client’s business needs. With over 20 years of experience, we already established a great reputation in delivering and executing the best ideas for problem solving. We aim to make a difference in the lives of everyone we work with. Above all, we value significance over accomplishments.

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How to Win the War Between Agile development and UX (Spoiler: Don’t Fight It)

We’ve all seen it: UX designers think like end users, and developers think like… well, developers. Instead of working together as a team, designers and developers wage war with each other, and nothing gets done. Here are a few tips UXers can use to make great user experiences, not war.

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Headless CMS: What It Is and the Most popular options

Despite its rise in popularity, the headless CMS concept is often accompanied by misleading information, not enough information, or information that is only understood by true techies. But when properly explained and dissected, the technical lingo behind this concept makes sense and better illustrates why there is so much hype around headless CMS.

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Top 9 Digital Marketing Trends to Boost Engagement for Business in 2019

While last year saw some pretty amazing trends that helped launch businesses in a great direction, this years digital marketing trends are sure to create better avenues for consumers to discover future products, bigger brands, and the overall evolution of business to consumer relations.

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What is the mental state of “Flow” and How Do You Find It?

We’ve all experienced the work wormhole before. That feeling when you’re sitting at your desk, lost in your work, and oblivious to the minutes – maybe hours – that are flying by. Perhaps you’ve had that same feeling while working with your colleagues or team on an important project. This “wormhole” feeling can make you and your team feel invincible and on top of your work.

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