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The post The State of PDF Accessibility—Why Measurement Matters  first appeared on Allyant.

Request the PDF Accessibility Index

Whitepaper: PDF Index

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The post New Industry Report Finds 95% of Public-Facing PDFs Are Inaccessible, Highlighting Urgent Need for Change  first appeared on Allyant.

Beyond Benchmarks

The PDF Accessibility Index uncovers industry-specific patterns, cross-sector trends, and clear benchmarks organizations can use to measure progress, prioritize remediation, and strengthen long-term accessibility programs.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• What the data really tells us: We’ll go beyond topline stats to understand the systemic problems driving PDF inaccessibility across industries.
• How your industry compares: We’ll explore why healthcare leads, why education and government are struggling, and what these differences reveal about workflows, governance and compliance pressure.
• How to turn benchmark data into a process roadmap: We’ll discuss how to use Index data to champion change, creating sustainable accessibility programs.

The post The State of PDF Accessibility: Insights, Analysis, and Action Items first appeared on Allyant.

Scramble Mode to Sustainable Strategy

With one month to go to meet ADA Title II compliance requirements, what can you do to make meaningful progress, and what are practical best practices from the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology?

In this session, we’ll cover:

• How to quickly identify your highest-risk digital assets, including third-party software and tools, to make meaningful progress quickly.
• What a “good-faith effort” to comply with legal mandates looks like in practice.
• How to move from scramble mode to sustainable strategy.

The post Title II Countdown: Last-Minute Moves Before Key Compliance Deadlines first appeared on Allyant.

PDFs are one of the most widely used formats in the digital world—yet one of the most overlooked barriers to accessibility. To establish a true market baseline on the state of public-facing PDF accessibility, Allyant analyzed more than 15 million pages, tested against WCAG 2.2 standards. And the results reveal a systemic problem—nearly 95% of PDFs are inaccessible.  

The results are captured in our first-ever PDF Accessibility Index. 

Request our report to access the full findings from our research, including industry breakouts, actionable insights, and practical steps to close the PDF accessibility gap. 

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Navigate, Evaluate, and Integrate Accessible Technology.

Public-sector organizations are required to meet strict accessibility standards under mandates like Section 508, ADA Title II, HHS and others. But integrating inaccessible tech can compromise user access for any organization—whether public or private.

Ensure your third-party technology is accessible, supporting your compliance commitment.

In this webinar, you’ll:

• Learn the latest legal compliance requirements and key deadlines. 
• Understand how to accurately interpret a vendor’s VPAT.
• Explore accessible technology procurement best practices. 
• Receive our six-step framework to strengthen internal procurement processes. 
• Leverage Disability:IN’s Procure Access tips and toolkit.

The post The Perfect Match: Accessibility and Third-Party Product Procurement first appeared on Allyant.

What is ACA Compliance? 

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is Canada’s federal accessibility law, designed to create a Canada without barriers by 2040. The ACA became law in 2019 and has long required covered organizations to take a programmatic approach to accessibility—through planning, feedback, and progress reporting.  

However, in 2025 Canada introduced new Digital Accessibility requirements. These new requirements build on the original foundation by adding more specific expectations for web pages, training, and recordkeeping, and (for some organizations) mobile apps, digital documents, procurement checks, and accessibility statements—with compliance milestones beginning in December 2027 and December 2028. 

Learn more about the ACA, including who must comply, standards and documentation requirements, and how Allyant supports ACA compliance.  

Background of the ACA 

The ACA takes a proactive approach. Instead of waiting for complaints, organizations are expected to build accessibility into how they design services, deliver communications, and purchase technology. 

Canada’s regulations under the ACA already require organizations to plan and report on accessibility. Newer updates add more explicit requirements for digital technologies (often described as the first major “digital accessibility” phase). 

Who Must Comply with the ACA and its Digital Accessibility Rules? 

The ACA applies to the federal public sector and to federally regulated organizations in Canada. That coverage is narrower than “all Canadian organizations,” so confirming whether your organization is federally regulated is a key first step. 

In this context, federally regulated generally means your organization operates in an industry or activity under federal jurisdiction (rather than provincial or territorial regulation). Many federally regulated organizations fall under the same jurisdictional umbrella used for federally regulated workplaces. 

Federally regulated organizations

Federally regulated organizations commonly include: 

• Banks and authorized foreign banks. 
• Telecommunications and broadcasting. 
• Transportation that crosses provincial or international borders (air, rail, marine, interprovincial trucking/busing), plus related infrastructure. 
• Postal and courier services. 
• Many federal Crown corporations. 
• The federal public sector (including federal departments and agencies). 
• Businesses that are vital, essential, or integral to one of the earlier mentioned federally regulated activities. 

What about retail / commerce? 

Retail and general commerce are usually not federally regulated simply because they sell to the public. Most retailers are regulated at the provincial/territorial level. 

However, parts of a commerce ecosystem can be federally regulated when they operate as federal-jurisdiction industries—examples include banking/financial services, telecom, and interprovincial shipping/courier. 

What about healthcare services? 

Most healthcare service delivery (hospitals, clinics, providers) is typically regulated by provinces and territories, not the federal government—so it is often not federally regulated for ACA purposes. 

Healthcare may fall under ACA coverage when it is delivered by the federal public sector or by a federally regulated entity. 

A practical note for retail and healthcare organizations 

Even when ACA does not apply, retail and healthcare organizations may still have provincial accessibility obligations (and contractual or customer-driven requirements). Two common examples: 

• Ontario: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). 

• Manitoba: Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA). 

If your organization operates across Canada, it’s common to have both federal and provincial accessibility considerations. 

Employee-count thresholds in the digital rules 

The government’s digital rules group federally regulated private-sector organizations by size: 

• Large businesses: 500+ employees. 

• Medium-sized businesses: 100–499 employees. 

• Small businesses: 99 or fewer employees. 

Medium-sized businesses have fewer requirements than large businesses. Medium-sized businesses must: 

• Ensure their new web pages conform to the ICT Standard.

• Provide training to staff involved in developing, maintaining, or purchasing digital technologies. 

• Meet the record retention requirements. 

However, medium-sized businesses are not subject to the digital rules for mobile applications, digital documents, procurement, or accessibility statements. 

Standards for ACA Digital Accessibility Compliance 

The ACA’s digital technology requirements reference CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 as the technical benchmark for accessible ICT. 

How CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 relates to EN 301 549 in Europe 

If your teams are already familiar with European Union (EU) accessibility frameworks, this should feel familiar: the Canadian standard is closely aligned with the EN 301 549 approach used across the EU ecosystem. 

How CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 relates to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

WCAG is a major part of the foundation, but ACA digital compliance is not “WCAG-only”: 

• WCAG work covers a large portion of what EN 301 549 expects for web content. 
• EN 301 549 is broader than WCAG and is designed to apply across ICT products and service, including expectations that show up in documents, software, and procurement.

In other words: WCAG conformance is often necessary, but ACA compliance usually requires a wider governance and procurement lens. 

ACA Reporting and Documentation Requirements

ACA compliance is more than fixing issues—it’s also about demonstrating a repeatable program. 

Most covered organizations must: 

• Publish an accessibility plan (what barriers you will address and how). 

• Publish a feedback process (how people can submit accessibility feedback). 

• Publish progress reports (what you’ve completed and what’s next). 

• Notify the Accessibility Commissioner after publishing required materials. 

• Ensure required publications are accessible and readable (including plain language expectations). 

• Keep required records and be prepared to provide them during an inspection. 

Deadlines for ACA Digital Accessibility Compliance 

The digital technology requirements roll out in phases, with key milestones in December 2027 and December 2028, depending on organization type and size. Where medium-sized organizations are excluded (mobile, documents, procurement, statements), that’s intentional—those requirements apply to the federal public sector and/or large businesses. 

Web pages (public-facing and employee-facing): 

Requirements for new and updated web pages start: 

• December 5, 2027 (federal public sector organizations). 

• December 5, 2028 (large businesses).

• December 5, 2028 (medium-sized businesses — web pages are the primary “digital content” requirement for medium-sized organizations). 

Mobile applications: 

Mobile app requirements begin December 5, 2028 for: 

• Federal public sector organizations. 

• Large businesses. 

Medium-sized businesses are not subject to the mobile application requirements. 

Digital documents: 

Digital document requirements begin December 5, 2028 for: 

• Federal public sector organizations. 

• Large businesses. 

Medium-sized businesses are not subject to the digital document requirements. 

Accessibility statements: 

Accessibility statement requirements begin: 

• December 5, 2027 (federal public sector organizations — initially for websites, then expanding) 

• December 5, 2028 (large businesses) 

Statements must be updated annually. 

Medium-sized businesses are not subject to the accessibility statement requirements under the new digital rules. 

Procurement checks: 

Procurement checks begin December 5, 2028 for: 

• Federal public sector organizations. 

• Large businesses. 

Medium-sized businesses are not subject to the digital procurement requirements. 

Training: 

Digital accessibility training requirements must be met by December 5, 2027 for: 

• Federal public sector organizations. 

• Large businesses. 

• Medium-sized businesses. 

Training must be refreshed on a recurring basis (at least every three years). 

Record keeping and retention: 

Record retention requirements apply to: 

• Federal public sector organizations. 

• Large businesses. 

• Medium-sized businesses. 

Retention expectations include keeping digital copies of required items (for example, training records and other required artifacts) for the specified retention period. 

Enforcement and Penalties 

ACA compliance is monitored and enforced through tools such as inspections, orders, and notices of violation. Penalties vary based on the type and severity of non-compliance and can be significant—up to $250,000 per violation in some circumstances. 

How Allyant Supports ACA-compliant Digital Communications 

Allyant provides targeted services that map directly to what organizations must operationalize under the ACA—especially in three areas that must be implemented, documented, and sustained over time. 

Comprehensive digital audits for websites and mobile apps: 

We perform in-depth accessibility audits of websites, web applications, and mobile apps against the ACA’s digital standard, combining automated and manual testing (including assistive technology). 

Deliverables typically include: 

• Findings mapped to the relevant requirements. 

• Clear remediation guidance prioritized by user impact and risk. 

• Support for defensible documentation and repeatable validation workflows. 

Electronic document remediation services and tools: 

ACA digital rules explicitly bring digital documents into scope for covered organizations. Allyant helps you: 

• Inventory and assess document libraries to identify what must be remediated. 

• Remediate PDFs and other electronic documents for accessibility. 

• Establish sustainable processes so new and updated documents don’t create recurring compliance debt. 

Procurement accessibility services, including VPAT testing services and third-party software assessments: 

The ACA digital rules introduce procurement checks for certain digital purchases. Allyant supports organizations by: 

• Assessing third-party platforms and software for accessibility risk. 

• Validating VPATs and separating “claims” from real user experience. 

• Providing procurement language and evaluation processes that make accessibility measurable and enforceable. 

To better understand the ACA’s compliance requirements, including whether they apply to your organization, engage our team today.  

The post ACA Compliance | The Accessible Canada Act first appeared on Allyant.

ADA Title II compliance deadlines are fast approaching. Whether you’re a state or local government agency, public school, special district, or vendor, ensuring your websites, conventional electronic documents—like PDFs—mobile apps, and alternative format communications are accessible is a legal requirement.

This practical resource takes you through these Title II requirements, giving you the six steps to get started, deadlines to meet compliance requirements, and how Allyant’s solutions support compliance every step of the way.

Download the Guide.

Guide: ADA Title II Readiness

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Webinar

Rewind. Rethink. Reset.

Understanding Accessibility Through the Lens of a Blind Screen Reader User

Who, How, and Why of Accessibility

Accessibility isn’t about checking a compliance box. It’s about creating experiences that are usable for everyone. Why is that so important? What’s it like to navigate an inaccessible experience? And how does that impact a user’s everyday life?

In this webinar, you’ll:

• Experience the difference between inaccessible and accessible digital content in real time.
• Understand the human impact of common accessibility barriers in both web and PDF formats.
• Recognize how accessibility fixes transform usability for people with disabilities.
• Leave with practical insights to guide organizational accessibility and compliance efforts.

Speakers

The post Rewind. Rethink. Reset first appeared on Allyant.

For e-commerce brands in today’s digital-first environment, accessible websites are a must. Lawsuits targeting inaccessible sites are on the rise as consumers have come to expect inclusive digital experiences.  

Vaan Group, a Shopify Platinum certified web development and design agency, has made accessibility a business promise. When prospects inquire about an accessible build, Vaan Group leans on its accessibility partner Allyant for testing and auditing. If any critical or serious accessibility issues are identified post launch, Vaan Group’s warranty covers the work, remediating at no additional cost, an agency differentiator and an accessibility assurance written into client contracts.  

The result of this level of commitment?  

Streamlined negotiations, client retention, trust, and a shared commitment to creating accessible e-commerce experiences for all.

Highlights  

• Accessibility Assurance: Vaan Group, unlike most agencies, commits to resolving critical and serious accessibility issues post launch at no additional charge, eliminating unexpected accessibility upcharges. 
• Market Differentiation: A commitment to lasting accessibility, avoiding ineffective accessibility solutions, fast-tracks new client negotiation, building long-term client trust and retention. 
• Third-party Credibility: Accessibility partner Allyant’s independent testing and auditing provides unbiased credibility, with training that sharpens Vaan Group’s internal expertise. 
• Long-Term Client Support: Clients are encouraged to continue working with Allyant to maintain accessibility as their content changes and site evolves. 

Performance isn’t just about speed and conversion, it’s also about access. Allyant has helped us embed accessibility into our brand conversion philosophy ensuring every site we build is beautiful, functional, and inclusive.”

Jayne Young, Director of Growth, Vaan Group

Objective

When it comes to accessibility, the e-commerce industry is under increased pressure. The prevalence of website accessibility-related lawsuits is escalating, and consumers increasingly expect brands to deliver fully accessible digital experiences. Clients often ask their digital agency, “Can you build me a legally compliant and fully accessible website?”  

When it comes to accessible e-commerce, Vaan Group identified an opportunity to differentiate itself from other digital agencies that committed to accessibility but failed to deliver. Accessibility became a professional priority driven by a personal passion at the organization’s highest level.   

“My son has unique mobility needs,” says Vaan Group’s Chief Technology Officer Illarion Koperski. “We were challenged to find a bicycle that ultimately supported his unique needs. I witnessed first-hand how access can change a life in the physical world. I was determined to deliver the same level of access in the digital world.”  

It was then that Vaan Group began their search for a trusted accessibility solution partner.  

Solution

Vaan Group partnered with Allyant to embed accessibility into its client engagement model. From a process perspective, when a client prioritizes accessibility, Allyant’s experts perform a thorough audit, whether it’s at the design stage or on a completed site. Uniquely, if an audit uncovers any critical or serious accessibility issues, Vaan Group makes a bold promise to resolve those issues at no additional cost, a remediation process made easier thanks to Allyant. Actionable audit results prioritize accessibility issues based on severity, and the Allyant Platform provides help center articles and code-level guidance to correct any issue identified.    

Vaan Group’s commitment to resolving any serious and critical accessibility issues at no additional charge is explicitly written into its client contracts, transforming what is often a point of friction between agencies and clients, into a unique value proposition. 

“Instead of offering so-called quick fix solutions that often create more risk, Vaan Group has committed to doing the work, identifying and fixing issues without cutting corners,” adds Ryan Wieland, Vice President of Digital Accessibility Sales at Allyant. “This level of accountability is rare in the industry and it sets a new standard for the quality of work agencies can—and should—deliver.” 

Results

Vaan Group’s commitment to accessible e-commerce has reshaped its internal operations and strengthened trust with clients, proving that when accessibility is treated as a promise rather than a pitch, it creates measurable business value.  

For Clients:

• Compliance Confidence: Peace of mind knowing Vaan Group will deliver an accessible and legally compliant website.  
• Agency Trust: A contractual commitment to fix critical or serious accessibility issues inclusive in warranty with no short-cut solutions or surprise up-charges.  
• Ongoing Support: A pathway to an ongoing partnership with Allyant, ensuring accessibility keeps pace with an evolving site. 

For Vaan Group:

• Efficiency Gains: By embedding accessibility early in the creative process, Vaan Group is reducing rework and expediting site delivery to the client. 
• Cultural Transformation: Adoption of accessibility at the highest level has created an organizational sense of purpose that inspires their teams, reinforcing accessibility as a core part of the agency’s identity. 

Jayne Young, Director of Growth at Vaan Group adds, “For Vaan Group, accessibility is personal, it’s professional, and it’s non-negotiable. We’ve transformed our values into action, positively benefiting our business and our client relationships, ultimately contributing to more inclusive e-commerce experiences for all.” 

Most agencies talk about accessibility, but with Allyant’s partnership and expertise, Vaan Group backs it up with a promise and the confidence to deliver.”

Geo George, Director of Strategy, Vaan Group

The post Accessibility as a Promise, not a Pitch: Inside Vaan Group’s Contractual Commitment to Accessibility  first appeared on Allyant.