Are Signed Documents Accessible?

How do I approach signed documents?

Digital forms are the best way to approach documents that will need to be signed. Qualtrics and Docusign are two options that the university provides. Instructional Development can determine which of these solutions are the best for your individual needs.

If a document is required to be signed and posted, however, this creates additional accessibility challenges. Scanning document is never accessible, and should not be posted this way - this creates a flat image, similar to a jpeg, and cannot be read by assistive technologies. Please adhere to the following guidelines when in this situation:

Address the document

The best option is to create a document in an accessible format, using proper headings and tags.  Signatures can typically be added later using a digital tool such as Adobe Acrobat Sign.

If the document was scanned, use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and tags. OCR converts the body of the text within the scan into readable copy. The image of the signature will need to be addressed next.

Address the signature

Once the text in the document has been converted into a readable format, the signature must be ensured it complies with WCAG 2.1 guidelines. A handwritten or visual signature is treated as non-text content (eg. an image); they must be tagged properly and given alt text. 

Run a final accessibility check

Use the accessibility tools provided by the university to help determine if the final product is accessible.