Document Remediation

In the context of document remediation for accessibility (making documents compliant with standards like WCAG 2.1, PDF/UA, or Section 508), these action items help categorize the status or necessary workflow for each document or element.

Here are the definitions for each action item:

1. Passed

Definition: The document or specific element fully meets all applicable accessibility technical standards and compliance criteria without errors. No further remediation action is required.

  • Context: This status is assigned after an automated check (like the Acrobat Accessibility Checker) or a manual validation confirms that elements such as reading order, alternative text, tags, color contrast, and heading structure are correct.

  • Implication: The file is ready for publication or distribution to users with disabilities.

2. Review

Definition: The document or element has been flagged for potential issues that require human judgment to verify compliance, or it contains known errors that must be fixed manually.

  • Context: Automated checkers often flag items like "Logical Reading Order" or "Color Contrast" as "Needs Manual Check." This status indicates a remediator must visually inspect the tags panel, check the content order, or verify that the text description accurately conveys the meaning of an image.

  • Implication: The document is not yet compliant; a specialist must intervene to fix tag structures, adjust reading order, or validate subjective elements.

3. Delete

Definition: The instruction to permanently remove specific non-content tags (artifacts) or redundant pages/files that do not provide value or interfere with the assistive technology user experience.

  • Context: Inside a specific document, this often refers to "artifacting" decorative images or deleting empty tags (like empty <P> or <Span> tags) that create noise for screen readers. At a file management level, it refers to removing duplicate or obsolete documents from the remediation queue entirely.

  • Implication: The item is removed from the accessibility tree (if an element) or the repository (if a file) to streamline navigation and reduce clutter.

4. Archive

Definition: The process of moving a document to a separate storage location because it is outdated or rarely accessed, rather than fully remediating it.

  • Context: Organizations often have legacy documents that are historically significant but not in active use. Instead of spending resources remediating these, they are "archived" with a notice that an accessible version can be provided upon request (an "accommodation" approach).

  • Implication: The document remains available for record-keeping but is removed from the active public-facing site or marked clearly as a legacy file, often bypassing the immediate need for full 508/WCAG compliance unless specifically requested.