Web Services is beginning a long-term project to significantly reduce the number of documents (PDFs, powerpoints, word documents, spreadsheets, etc.) on the university website. The main website (www.fit.edu) alone contains nearly 2,000 PDFs. Documents often contain issues with accessibility, outdated information, file size, etc. and in many cases are not the most user-friendly approach to presenting information on the website. Web Services will be contacting content management teams to review all documents currently on their sections of the website and make decisions about how to best handle their content. Related processes are also being updated to better manage documents on the website moving forward.
Issues With Documents On The Website
Accessibility
As with any other website content, documents must meet current accessibility standards. Documents must be structured correctly and incorporate other important features in order to be interpreted properly by assistive technology and accessible to all users. Adding accessibility features to existing documents can be a challenging and time-consuming task, but resources are available to aid in that process. There are also many vendors who offer document remediation services.
Making content accessible is not long the kindest and most inclusive way to present information, it is also a federal legal requirement.
User Experience, File Sizes And Formats
Accessibility issues aside, in most cases, users do not visit a website with the intention of downloading a document to find the information they’re looking for, they expect content on a webpage. Documents can have large file sizes which can be difficult to load for users with slower connections, older devices, or limited data. Large pages and layouts intended for print can be difficult to navigate. Content for folded brochures, for example, usually does not appear in the intended order in PDF format.
Content on a webpage typically loads faster, is easier to navigate and understand, and avoids the need to switch between website pages and documents. This all adds up to a better experience for all users.
Outdated Information
The website is an authoritative source of information about the university, it is critical that the information we make available is accurate and up to date. In some cases, documents are added to a website and forgotten about, or old documents are retained and shared unnecessarily. This can lead to cluttered document folders and sharing outdated information which could result in people being misled.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Content on a webpage is generally better for SEO than content inside of a separate document. The experience for users coming from a search engine is generally better when the user lands on a webpage instead of being led straight to a document. When the user lands on a webpage they see the site's navigation and are able to more easily visit other parts of the site as well.
What Can You Do To Help?
The Web Services team will be reaching out to content managers to discuss how to address the documents currently on their websites, but you can also take steps on your own.
Remove Unnecessary Documents
Review your documents and simply remove any that are no longer needed. In addition to removing links on your pages, also delete the files from the media library to ensure these documents won’t be found through search engines.
Convert Your Content
Add Content To A Webpage
Add content to an existing webpage or submit a service request to have a new page created to replace your document. Web Services can select appropriate content types and make other recommendations to effectively convey the information from your document on a webpage.
If you submit a request please remember to include content to get the page started, we do not create blank pages.
Set Up A Webform
Web Services can set up webforms in TerminalFour - submit a service request to get started. You can also consider working with IT to set up forms and workflows in DocuSign. Please note that if you are publicly sharing a document using DocuSign, the document still must follow accessibility guidelines. DocuSign's tools are accessible but it does not make the content of your document accessible.
Move Your Documents
Are any of your documents only for internal audiences (Faculty, Staff & Students)? Whenever possible, share documents for internal audiences through systems specifically for those audiences. Consider options such as Canvas, SharePoint or Teams for sharing these documents.
Please Contact IT for help getting started with these systems.
Canvas
Canvas is the university's primary Learning Management System and should be used to communicate about and share online course materials.
SharePoint
SharePoint provides secure file storage and web pages that are accessible through a browser. Site owners can set permissions to allow access to content for specified faculty, staff and students. SharePoint sites can can be as simple as documents in a folder that or a full-fledged internal website with a variety of pages and features.
Teams
Microsoft Teams also includes tools for communicating with a broader audience. Teams and Channels provide space for shared information, documents and communication.
Microsoft Teams: Teams and Channels Overview
Make Your Documents Accessible
We understand that there will be cases where your document genuinely needs to remain on the site. In these cases, your document, like any other website content, we must meet current accessibility standards. Creating an accessible document from the start is generally best but when you have an existing document that you need to keep, there are steps you can take to make it accessible. The process of making an existing document accessible is generally referred to as document remediation. It is possible to remediate documents yourself or you can work with a vendor, but ultimately documents on the public website must meet current standards.
Get Help From A Vendor
Getting professional help with document remediation is often the safest and least time-consuming remediation option, though it does come with a cost. For smaller documents and simple content, the cost is usually modest, but larger documents, forms and other complex content can increase the cost considerably. Whenever possible it is best to avoid sharing documents on the public website altogether.
There are many companies that offer remediation services but a recommended vendor, Allyant, has been evaluated by Web Services and registered in Workday to make the process as easy as possible. Allyant can remediate most common document formats including PDF, Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Simply email the Allyant remediation team with the documents you need remediated and you will receive a quote, typically within 24 hours. Allyant accepts payments using credit cards or purchase orders.
Do It Yourself
Most common authoring software (Adobe, Word, etc.) includes tools to help you evaluate your documents and make them accessible. Other automated tools such as PAC 2024 can also help identify common accessibility errors in PDFs. Automated checkers are helpful tools but they have limitations and may not reveal every issue, documents that pass automated checks may still contain accessibility issues. Seeking help from a vendor that can guarantee results is often the best option.
More information and resources about making your documents accessible can be found in the section below and on our MarComm Toolbox page about Document Accessibility.
What To Expect
Review With Web Services
Web Services will be reaching out to content management teams individually to discuss the documents currently on your webpages. When necessary we will schedule a meeting to review your documents together and determine the best way to handle them. Web Services will help get existing documents converted to more website-friendly formats, connect you with resources in IT, or direct you to other resources for help with remediation.
Updated Process For Website Documents
Currently, documents are housed in different media library folders for each section of the website. As we go through this review process, Web Services will move any documents that must remain on the website to a centralized media library folder. Files and folders in the T4 media library that are no longer needed will be removed.
New documents must be added to the new centralized folder by Web Services, editors should no longer be adding any documents to the website themselves. To update or add a new document on your site you can submit a service request including your accessible document, along with details on where it belongs and how it should be presented, and we will work with you to complete the request. We will review the document for accessibility and to ensure the content should be shared as a document and add it to the website for you.
Please note: Web Services does not create or remediate documents. It is the responsibility of the document owner to ensure the accessibility of their documents.
Standards Enforcement
All documents must follow current accessibility standards.
Web Services monitors documents that are shared on the website. To ensure compliance, documents will be evaluated using a combination of automated testing tools (such as PAC 2024), authoring software tools, and manual review.
New documents must be evaluated and approved by web services before being added to the website. New documents that are added to the website without approval will be removed and content managers will be contacted to determine the best way to handle their content.