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Why Charities Should Make Their Annual Reports Accessible

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Pointers to keep in mind

  • An annual report is generally in PDF format and the first thing to remember is to design your annual report keeping accessibility in your mind right from the beginning. Think accessibility right from the beginning to avoid retrofitting costs.
  • PDF accessibility is much more than tagging and just because a document is available as a downloadable PDF does not mean that it is an accessible PDF. One of the biggest challenges faced by people with disabilities while accessing PDF is that the document scanned and published online is as an image PDF.
  • When creating a PDF, there are a few things you can do to ensure it is accessible to all users. Here are some tips:
    • Use a tool that can create tagged PDFs. This will ensure that the PDF can be read by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
    • Use simple, easy-to-read fonts.
    • Avoid using graphics or images wherever possible. If they are necessary, make sure to include alternative text descriptions.
    • Use clear and concise language throughout the PDF.
    • Ensure that the PDF has a logical structure and is easy to navigate.

Documents to make accessible

Along with your annual report, there are a variety of documents that charities should make accessible. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Whitepapers
  • Proxy Statements
  • eBooks & Viewbooks
  • Infographics
  • ESG & Sustainability Reports
  • Donor and Corporate communications
  • e-Brochures
  • Interactive PDFs
  • Brand Toolkits and other marketing collaterals.

Making these documents accessible to clients ensures that they are well informed about the work that you are doing on their behalf. It also helps to build trust and confidence in your charity.

By considering inclusion as part of your Annual Report, by making your PDF accessible and compliant you are baking inclusion into your publication. No one in our sector is actively looking to exclude our community but we must make ourselves aware what accessibility is really all about. Digital Accessible and digitally accessible annual reports are the same as a ramp into your building, you wouldn’t think of saying we don’t need a ramp for access, digital accessibility is the same thing.

Think digital accessibility as you are putting your annual reports together, if you need help and support please contact www.vially.io

Chris White

Group CEO

Vision Ireland

Vially