Why Accessibility Matters

(and What the Standards Mean for You)

Accessibility standards aren’t just rules—they’re the foundation for making sure everyone, including people with disabilities, can use and benefit from your digital documents. Whether you’re a business owner, educator, or compliance specialist, understanding these standards is the first step to creating content that’s open to all and avoids costly legal risks

With April 2026/27 ADA Title II deadlines approaching, organizations should assess their PDFs against WCAG 2.2 AA and PDF/UA criteria to reduce potential legal exposure (with cases averaging $100,000+) while making content more accessible to everyone.

The 3 Accessibility Standards You Need to Know

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Think of this as the “rulebook” for digital accessibility worldwide. It covers everything from readable text to making sure images have descriptions for screen readers. If your documents meet WCAG 2.1 AA, you’re on the right track—most countries use this as their baseline.

PDF/UA (ISO 14289)

Like a “universal translator” for PDFs. It ensures that any PDF you create can be read by assistive technologies (like screen readers) anywhere in the world. If your PDFs are PDF/UA compliant, they’re accessible by design.

Section 508 & Intl. Laws

Section 508 is the U.S. law that requires digital content to be accessible. But it’s not alone—Europe (EN 301 549), Canada (AODA), Australia (DDA), and many others have similar laws. The good news? They all point back to WCAG and PDF/UA.

AoD™ & Global PDF Accessibility Standards

By remediating to WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA, AoD™ helps you meet or exceed the technical requirements referenced by major accessibility laws worldwide.*

European union

EN 301 549

canada

aoda

australia

dda

United kingdom

p.b.s.a.r.

france

rgaa

germany

bitv 2.0

international

wcag & pdf/ua

*Local requirements and enforcement may vary. Our compliance engine is mapped to the globally recognized technical standards referenced by these laws.