Information Guidelines

Many documents and other PDF files posted to the website are unnecessary or duplicate information. If that information is included as text on a web page, search engines will find it more easily, the content is more readable on mobile devices and web visitors can save any page on the UMass Lowell website as a PDF by simply printing the page and choosing PDF as the destination (rather than a physical printer).

Given the time involved in making documents accessible, Web Services has established the following guidelines:

• PDFs of print brochures or posters will not be posted on the website; do not assume that print materials produced by University Relations are compliant
• Only the four most recent electronic newsletters will be posted
• Degree pathways should be made into a webpage in the university Catalog
• Department or program handbooks should be converted into webpages
• Link to documents required by government agencies (such as I-9s)
• Tutorials or job aids will be converted to webpages
• Most printable forms (.doc, .docx, PDF) can be converted to web forms

Web Services Remediation

If for usability or legality purposes a document must be posted to the website and it has not been created accessibly, the Web Services team can help remediate the issue. 

• When possible, provide the native (original) file in the program in which it was created.
• Provide alt-tags (descriptions) for all visual elements within the document.
• Confirm all hyperlinks embedded within the document are correct by clicking on them.