ADA PDF vs. Webpage

Choosing the correct format for content, PDF or webpage, is both an accessibility decision and a resource management decision. General Rule of Thumb: If the information can live as a webpage, it should live as a webpage. 

 Webpages are the best choice for accessibility because: 

• Built-in Accessibility: Screen readers and accessibility tools navigate webpages easily when headings, lists, tables, and links are properly structured. 
• Mobile-Friendly and Responsive: Students often access content on phones. HTML adjusts automatically, while PDFs often require zooming, panning, and scrolling. 
• Easy to Update: Changing dates, adding deadlines, or updating policies is simple on a webpage—no re-exporting, no re-uploading, no re-remediation. If the content changes frequently or is read more than printed, a webpage wins every time. 
• Better for SEO and discovery: Web content is searchable and indexable (PDFs often are not unless properly tagged). 

Use PDFs only when absolutely necessary, such as for documents that must be printed, signed, or preserved in a fixed layout.