Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - Frequently Asked Questions

C.7.i. - Must Portable Document Format (PDF) files that are displayed on a Federal website meet the Access Board's standards?

Yes. Section 1194.22(m) requires the web page containing a PDF file to include a link to a plug-in that complies with the software requirements of 1194.21(a) through (l). In addition, Section 1194.22(a) requires provision of a text equivalent for every non-text element.

A PDF file is a file format created using Adobe Acrobat. Many agencies use PDF files to post documents to their web site because they create an exact representation of the original document. In order to view a PDF file, a user must use a browser "plug-in." Thus, the agency has two options when addressing PDF content and the Access Board's standards. First, it can ensure that its PDF file is accessible and include a link to a PDF reader that conforms to the software requirements of Section 1194.21. Alternatively, if such a plug-in is unavailable, Section 1194.22(k) permits the agency to provide a link to a duplicate file that contains the same information in an accessible format.