GAAD starts the conversation, but real progress happens through action. Watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to move beyond awareness, understand the realities of compliance in 2026, and take practical next steps towards a more accessible and inclusive digital experience.
Audience Questions
PDF accessibility is one of the biggest challenges we hear about, especially for organisations managing large volumes of documents. The good news is that technology to help speed up this process is already available.
With the Recite Me PDF Accessibility Checker and Remediation Tool, organisations can scan their website to identify PDFs, assess them against accessibility and WCAG requirements, and make improvements more efficiently. Rather than manually reviewing every document, it helps prioritise issues and streamline remediation, making the process faster and more manageable.
Lack of senior buy-in is a common challenge, and often it comes down to reframing the conversation. Rather than leading with compliance alone, focus on the wider business impact.
For example, accessibility can help reduce customer support enquiries, improve user experience, strengthen brand reputation, and widen audience reach. It can also reduce risk, particularly with legislation such as the European Accessibility Act and public sector accessibility requirements.
Sharing customer feedback, real examples of digital barriers, competitor activity, or audit findings can also help make accessibility feel more tangible. In many cases, small wins and internal champions are what build momentum and help secure longer-term support from leadership.
There is no fixed review schedule, but we have spoken to several public sector organisations that have been audited by Government Digital Service (GDS) in recent months, including colleges, councils, and emergency services.
In many cases, organisations were given around 12 weeks to make improvements before a follow-up review or retest. Timelines can vary depending on the issues identified and the organisation’s progress.
We have also seen situations where accessibility concerns escalated when organisations failed to respond. In one case, a college received communications from GDS outlining accessibility issues, but the messages were missed after going into spam. Without evidence of progress, the matter was escalated to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), highlighting the importance of monitoring communications and demonstrating action where concerns are raised.
Yes, we have a range of resources to help organisations improve PDF accessibility, whether you’re just getting started or looking to strengthen your current approach.
These include:
Check out our Accessible PDF Resources
PDF Accessibility compliance is essential for your business and its customers. Get started today with any of our free downloadable resources.
Free PDF Remediation Scan
Instantly uncover accessibility barriers hidden across your PDFs and understand what they mean for disabled users and legal compliance.
Accessible PDF Checklist
This practical checklist helps you understand what accessible PDFs actually require and what “good” looks like in real-world use.
PDF Accessibility Playbook
This playbook introduces a structured, strategic approach to effectively managing PDF accessibility at scale.
