Can Automation Make My PDFs Accessible?

Ai concept showing automated PDF accessibility

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning and computer vision, the process of making PDFs accessible has evolved significantly. Traditional manual remediation methods are often time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially for organizations that deal with high volumes of documents. Automated PDF accessibility presents a promising solution, and tools like Equidox AI are at the forefront of this transformation.

The Advent of Automated PDF Accessibility

Equidox Software uses AI to simplify and speed up the remediation process. Tasks that typically require extensive manual labor, such as tagging lists and tables, are now automated by Equidox’s proprietary smart detection tools. The software is user-friendly, even for those with no prior accessibility experience. However, when organizations face the daunting task of making hundreds, thousands, or even millions of PDF pages accessible, a more robust solution is required.

This need led to the development of Equidox AI, a fully automated PDF accessibility solution designed for high-volume, templated documents. This solution emerged from the collaboration of Equidox data scientists, developers, and PDF accessibility experts. Equidox AI can handle the complexities of documents with repetitive structures, such as icons, tight columns, graphs, and tables, making the tagging process efficient and accurate.

Use Cases for Equidox AI

Equidox AI is particularly effective for documents that are produced in large quantities and follow similar templates. Here are some notable use cases:

  • Statements: Many organizations issue customer statements that are structurally similar but vary in content. Examples include invoices, financial statements, and billing reports.
  • Directories: Public-facing documents like physician directories and service provider lists often have repetitive headings, graphics, and structures that AI can efficiently tag.
  • Customer Communications: Documents such as policy updates, explanations of benefits, and tax documents are often formatted similarly across large batches, making them ideal for automated tagging.

The Regulatory Imperative

The importance of making PDFs accessible is underscored by legal requirements. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act mandate digital accessibility. Additionally, the Department of Justice has recently mandated that all federal agencies must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Many states, including Colorado and California, have their own specific regulations. Additionally, international standards such as the European Accessibility Act may apply. Non-compliance can lead to legal ramifications, making automated solutions not just a convenience but a necessity.

How Equidox AI Works

Many automated accessibility tools fall short, often failing to accurately tag complex document elements. Equidox AI distinguishes itself by not relying on static definitions. Instead, it uses model training tailored to the specific documents it processes. Sample documents are analyzed, and AI models are custom-programmed to tag each element correctly. Once trained, these models can accurately tag large batches of documents, ensuring a high degree of accuracy.

Is Equidox AI right for your documents?

When considering whether automated PDF accessibility is the best choice for your organization, it’s essential to evaluate your specific needs and resources. Here are five factors to consider:

  1. Quantity: Assess the volume of documents you need to remediate. If you have a few thousand varied documents, traditional software or services might suffice. For larger volumes of repetitive documents, an automated solution like Equidox AI is ideal.
  2. Staff: Determine the size and skill level of your team. Larger teams might benefit from remediation software, while smaller teams with high document volumes might prefer a combination of software and outsourced remediation services.
  3. Experience: Consider your team’s familiarity with accessibility. Equidox PDF Remediation Software is user-friendly and includes training, making it suitable for teams of all skill levels. Equidox AI is even easier, as it requires no manual intervention whatsoever once it is integrated into the workflow.
  4. Time: Evaluate your project timeline. Equidox AI saves significant remediation time over manual solutions and outsourcing, as batches can be run at any time and PDFs are tagged in a fraction of a second. 
  5. Document Variance: Analyze how similar your documents are to each other. Highly repetitive documents are perfect for Equidox AI, whereas varied documents might require Equidox Software.

The Benefits of Automation in PDF Accessibility

Beyond the regulatory compliance and efficiency gains, automated PDF accessibility tools like Equidox AI offer several key benefits:

  1. Consistency: Automated tools ensure that the tagging and structure of PDFs are consistent across large volumes of documents, which is crucial for accessibility.
  2. Scalability: As organizations grow and the number of documents increases, automated tools can scale to meet the demand without a proportional increase in manual labor.
  3. Cost-Effectiveness: By reducing the time and labor required for remediation, automation can lead to significant cost savings, especially for organizations dealing with large volumes of PDFs.
  4. Accuracy: AI-driven tools can achieve high levels of accuracy in tagging and structuring documents, minimizing errors that can occur with manual remediation.
  5. Speed: Automated tools can process and remediate documents much faster than manual methods, which is particularly important for organizations with tight deadlines or large backlogs of inaccessible PDFs.

Robust, Scalable Automated PDF Accessibility

Automation is revolutionizing PDF accessibility, making it faster, more efficient, and scalable. Equidox AI is a leading solution in this field, offering a robust tool for organizations with high-volume, templated PDFs. 

For organizations considering automated PDF accessibility solutions, the first step is to evaluate their current document landscape and accessibility needs. By understanding the volume, complexity, and frequency of their PDFs, organizations can determine whether an automated solution like Equidox AI is the right fit.

Equidox offers consultations to help organizations assess their needs and find the most effective solutions. Whether through AI-driven automation, traditional software, or a combination of both, Equidox aims to make PDF accessibility achievable and sustainable for all organizations.

 

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Tammy Albee

Tammy Albee | Director of Marketing | Equidox Tammy joined Equidox after four years of experience working at the National Federation of the Blind. She firmly maintains that accessibility is about reaching everyone, regardless of ability, and boosting your market share in the process. "Nobody should be barred from accessing information. It's what drives our modern society."