Document and PDF Remediation Services

Document Accessibility

We remediate digital documents:

  • PDF documents
  • Editable source documents

We can address:

  • Technical Document Remediation
  • Accessible Document Design

From a single complex report to a large document collection, send us a sample file and your deadline for a clear scope and quotation.

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Accessible Documents Without the Internal Workload

Producing accessible documents can require specialist software, technical knowledge and detailed manual review. It can also become time-consuming when your organisation is working towards a publication deadline or responding to issues identified during an accessibility audit.

PDF document

Accessible Document Remediation

  • PDF remediation
  • Source-document remediation
  • Accessible document design
  • Document testing

Atomic Web Strategy can manage the remediation process for you.

We review the supplied files, define the required work, coordinate the technical and design remediation, test the completed documents and clearly identify any issues that cannot be corrected within the available files or agreed scope.

Our document remediation services are suitable for government organisations, councils, universities, not-for-profit organisations, disability service providers, professional associations and larger businesses that need reliable accessibility support without adding another complex task to their internal team.

Working to a deadline? Send us a sample document, approximate page count and required completion date so we can assess the project.

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Our Document Remediation Services

Document accessibility involves more than running an automated checker or adding a few tags to a PDF.

A document may need technical remediation within the PDF, changes to its original content and design, or a combination of both. The most appropriate approach will depend on the files available and the accessibility issues identified.

PDF Accessibility Remediation

If you only have the final PDF, we can address many of the technical and structural barriers that affect people using screen readers, keyboards and other assistive technologies.

PDF remediation services may include:

  • document tagging and semantic structure;
  • heading hierarchy;
  • paragraphs and lists;
  • logical reading order;
  • accessible table structure;
  • alternative text for meaningful images;
  • identification of decorative images;
  • links and bookmarks;
  • document title, language and metadata;
  • form field labels and navigation;
  • tab order;
  • removal or correction of inaccessible elements;
  • review using accessibility testing tools and manual checks.

Where an issue originates within the original visual design, we will advise whether access to an editable source document is required.

Accessible Source Document and Design Remediation

When the original Word, PowerPoint or other editable source file is available, we can provide a more comprehensive remediation service.

This allows us to address accessibility issues within the document’s design and content before producing and remediating the final PDF.

Design remediation may include:

  • insufficient colour contrast;
  • text placed over graphical backgrounds;
  • information communicated through colour alone;
  • inaccessible typography or text sizing;
  • heading styles and visual hierarchy;
  • complex layouts;
  • charts and diagrams;
  • tables that require structural or visual changes;
  • text embedded within graphics;
  • graphical elements that interfere with readability;
  • source-document styles and formatting;
  • generation of a more accessible final PDF.

Providing the editable source file will generally give us more options and help produce a better long-term outcome, particularly if the document will be updated or republished in the future.

Document Accessibility Testing and Remediation

We can also review existing documents to identify accessibility barriers before remediation begins.

Document testing and remediation can be useful when:

  • an audit has identified inaccessible documents;
  • you are unsure how much work is required;
  • a report is approaching publication;
  • your organisation has inherited a collection of legacy PDFs;
  • you need to prioritise a large document library;
  • an internal team has attempted remediation but requires specialist review;
  • you need to understand whether the source documents must also be changed.

Following the initial review, we can provide a defined remediation scope and quotation.

Need Documents Remediated Quickly?

Document accessibility projects are often driven by a deadline.

You may be preparing an annual report, publishing a new policy, responding to an accessibility complaint or audit, updating a government website, or trying to remediate a large number of documents before they are republished.

To assess an urgent project, we will usually need:

  • a representative document;
  • the approximate number of documents;
  • the total or approximate page count;
  • the editable source files, where available;
  • details of any forms, tables, charts or complex graphics;
  • your required completion date;
  • any accessibility requirements already specified for the project.

Once we have reviewed the documents, we can advise what can realistically be completed within the available timeframe.

Urgent work is assessed according to document complexity, source-file availability and current remediation capacity.

Documents We Can Remediate

We can assist with individual documents, recurring publications and larger document collections.

Examples include:

  • annual reports;
  • corporate plans;
  • strategic plans;
  • accessibility action plans;
  • policies and procedures;
  • government publications;
  • council documents;
  • consultation papers;
  • research reports;
  • educational materials;
  • training documents;
  • application forms;
  • fillable PDF forms;
  • brochures and information guides;
  • newsletters;
  • presentations;
  • manuals;
  • public notices;
  • Word documents;
  • PowerPoint presentations;
  • PDF documents.

Have a different document format or a particularly complex file? Send us a sample so we can determine the most appropriate remediation approach.

Digital documents

Support for Large Document Collections

Organisations do not always need help with only one document.

You may have dozens or hundreds of PDFs published across a website, document library or internal system. In these situations, attempting to remediate everything at once may not be practical or necessary.

Atomic Web Strategy can help you develop a structured approach based on factors such as:

  • how frequently each document is accessed;
  • whether the document is current or historical;
  • whether it is required for an essential service;
  • whether an accessible alternative already exists;
  • document complexity;
  • source-file availability;
  • publication deadlines;
  • legal, policy or contractual requirements;
  • available budget and internal resources.

The work can then be prioritised and delivered in manageable stages.

We can also discuss ongoing remediation support for organisations that regularly publish reports, policies, forms or other public documents.

Document Remediation Made Easy

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Our Document Remediation Process

Provide a sample PDF and the original editable source file, where available.

For larger projects, include the approximate number of documents, total page count and required completion date.

We assess the document structure, design, complexity and likely remediation requirements.

Documents containing complex tables, forms, charts, diagrams, unusual layouts or significant design barriers will generally require more work than a simple text-based document.

We provide a quotation based on the supplied files, agreed requirements, document complexity and timeframe.

We do not publish fixed prices because the work required can vary considerably between documents.

Our document remediation specialists addresses the technical, content and design accessibility issues included within the agreed scope.

Where source documents are available, we can correct issues at the source before producing and remediating the final PDF.

The remediated documents are reviewed using appropriate accessibility tools and manual checks. For large document collections, we may only review and test a sample from the collection.

This may include evaluating structure, reading order, alternative text, tables, navigation, document properties and other relevant accessibility features.

You receive the completed documents together with advice about any known limitations, client-controlled elements or issues that could not be corrected within the supplied files or agreed scope.

What Does Document Remediation Include?

The exact remediation work will depend on the document, but it can generally be divided into two areas.

Technical Document Remediation

Technical remediation focuses on the structure and properties used by assistive technologies.

This can include:

  • tags and semantic structure;
  • headings and heading hierarchy;
  • paragraphs and lists;
  • logical reading order;
  • accessible tables;
  • alternative text;
  • decorative images;
  • links and bookmarks;
  • document language;
  • document title and metadata;
  • accessible form fields;
  • tab and keyboard order;
  • removal of empty or incorrect tags.

Accessible Document Design

Design remediation focuses on barriers within the document’s visual presentation or original source file.

This can include:

  • colour contrast;
  • information conveyed using colour alone;
  • text over images or coloured backgrounds;
  • text embedded within graphics;
  • typography and readability;
  • visual heading hierarchy;
  • charts and diagrams;
  • complex page layouts;
  • table presentation;
  • graphical elements that create accessibility barriers.

Correcting design-related issues will usually require access to the original editable document.

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document layout

Document Testing and Validation

Every remediation project is assessed against an agreed accessibility target.

For technical PDF remediation, this will generally include validation against PDF/UA-1, the international standard for accessible PDF structure. Where editable source documents are available and design accessibility is included within the scope, we can also address applicable WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA requirements.

Completed PDFs are tested using specialist accessibility validation software and supported by manual review. A validation certificate or report can be provided for each remediated document, showing the standard against which it was tested.

Because automated tools can assess only machine-verifiable requirements, the validation result should not be interpreted as independent legal certification or an unconditional guarantee that every possible accessibility barrier has been eliminated. Any known limitations will be reported clearly.

Why Choose Atomic Web Strategy?

You do not need to coordinate multiple technical suppliers. Atomic manages the review, scope, remediation, testing and delivery process.

We can remediate existing PDFs and, where editable source files are available, address accessibility barriers within the original content and design.

Document remediation is provided as part of Atomic Web Strategy’s broader digital accessibility services.

We understand that accessibility involves more than passing an automated test. The document must communicate its information clearly to people using different technologies and methods of access.

We explain what can be corrected, what files are required and whether any limitations remain.

You receive a defined scope rather than an unclear promise of complete compliance regardless of the document supplied.

We can assess a single complex document, an urgent publication or a larger collection requiring a staged remediation program.

Document remediation can be managed remotely for clients throughout Australia.

Confidential or unpublished documents can be handled under agreed file-transfer, access and confidentiality arrangements.

Please advise us of any specific security requirements before sending sensitive documents.

Your Trusted Partner in Accessibility

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What Is Document Remediation?

Document remediation is the process of identifying and correcting accessibility barriers within digital documents.

The objective is to make the document easier for people with disability to perceive, navigate, understand and use, including people who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification or other assistive technologies.

A document may look organised and readable on screen but still contain significant accessibility problems.

For example:

  • headings may only be visually styled rather than correctly identified;
  • a screen reader may announce content in the wrong order;
  • a table may not contain meaningful row and column relationships;
  • images may have no alternative text;
  • links may be unclear when read outside their surrounding sentence;
  • text may have insufficient contrast against its background;
  • charts may communicate important information using colour alone;
  • form fields may not contain accessible names or instructions.

Accessible document remediation addresses these barriers within the technical structure, content and design.

The term may also be described as document accessibility remediation, accessible document remediation or document testing and remediation.

What Is PDF Remediation?

PDF remediation is the process of correcting accessibility barriers within a PDF document.

This commonly involves adding or correcting the underlying tags and structure used by screen readers and other assistive technologies.

PDF document remediation may include:

  • identifying headings, paragraphs and lists;
  • correcting the reading order;
  • structuring tables;
  • adding alternative text;
  • identifying decorative images;
  • labelling form fields;
  • improving links and bookmarks;
  • setting the document title and language;
  • correcting inaccessible tags;
  • reviewing keyboard navigation.

Automated PDF accessibility checkers can identify some technical issues, but they cannot determine whether every accessibility decision is correct.

For example, software may detect that an image has alternative text, but it cannot always determine whether that alternative text communicates the image’s purpose accurately. It may also be unable to judge the correct reading order of a complex page or whether a table has been structured meaningfully.

For this reason, effective PDF remediation generally requires specialist review rather than relying entirely on automated testing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

PDF remediation primarily addresses the technical structure and accessibility properties within the final PDF.

Design remediation addresses barriers within the document’s original visual design, such as colour contrast, typography, charts, layouts or text embedded within graphics.

Technical PDF remediation may be possible without the original source file. Design remediation will generally require the editable Word, PowerPoint or other source document.

Not always.

We can often remediate many technical accessibility issues within the final PDF. However, access to the original editable document gives us more options and may be necessary to correct design-related barriers properly.

Where possible, we recommend supplying both the PDF and the source file.

Yes. Where the original Word document is available, we can review and remediate its content, structure and design before producing the final PDF.

Please send us a representative file so we can confirm the scope.

PowerPoint and other presentation files can be assessed where the editable source file is available.

The required work will depend on the presentation’s structure, reading order, charts, graphics, colour use and overall complexity.

Scanned documents may require additional processing before accessibility remediation can begin.

The quality of the scan and availability of the original source file will affect what can be achieved. Send us a sample document so we can assess it.

Yes, subject to the form’s complexity and the files available.

PDF form remediation may involve field labels, instructions, tab order, keyboard operation, required-field information, error handling and other accessibility considerations.

We remediate documents against the accessibility requirements agreed for the project and identify any known issues that cannot be corrected within the supplied files or scope.

Because accessibility may be affected by unavailable source files, third-party content, client-controlled assets or elements we are not authorised to change, we do not provide a blanket WCAG compliance guarantee or independent certification.

Technical PDF remediation can often be completed with little or no visible change.

Where the original design contains accessibility barriers, visual changes may be required. These could include adjustments to colours, typography, layouts, charts or graphical elements.

Any significant design changes will be discussed as part of the project scope.

The cost depends on factors such as:

  • document length;
  • file format;
  • complexity;
  • tables and forms;
  • charts and graphics;
  • quality of the existing document;
  • availability of source files;
  • required design changes;
  • number of documents;
  • turnaround requirements.

Send us a representative file and project details so we can provide a clear quotation.

Turnaround will depend on the number of documents, page count, complexity, source-file availability and current capacity.

For urgent projects, provide the required completion date when submitting your enquiry. We will advise what can realistically be completed within the available timeframe.

Yes. We can review a document collection and recommend a staged remediation approach based on priority, complexity, document use and available source files.

Yes. Where design changes are required, we can work with your internal communications team, designer or external agency.

We can either make agreed changes within the supplied source files or identify the changes your design team needs to implement before the final PDF is remediated.

Yes, we can provide this if required. Each completed PDF is tested against the accessibility standard agreed for the project, and a validation certificate or report can be supplied with the remediated document.

Depending on the project scope and the files available, the document may be validated against:

  • PDF/UA-1;
  • WCAG 2.2 .

Technical PDF remediation will generally target PDF/UA-1. Where editable source files are available and design remediation is included, we can also address visual accessibility requirements such as colour contrast, typography, layouts and graphical content.

Automated validation is supported by manual checks because some accessibility requirements—including meaningful alternative text, logical reading order and correct document semantics—cannot be conclusively assessed by software alone.

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