Build an accessible document library

Design the library around tasks

Organize by the questions visitors ask: find a current report, complete a form, read a meeting packet, review a design standard, or watch a safety video. Use page headings and short summaries before the download list. For simple information, publish an HTML page first and offer a document for printing or record use. A PDF is not automatically a better format than HTML, and a scan should never be the only copy of essential text.

Give each item a stable title, content type, date or version, language, and short description. Use a filename that remains meaningful after download, such as 2026-design-standards.pdf, rather than a system-generated string. Mark a replacement or archive clearly so a visitor does not have to compare several files to find the current version. For operational forms, expose the form ID and revision in the page heading or summary, not only inside the file.

Write useful download links

Make the link text identify the document and format. Include size when it affects a person's decision to download. “2026 design standards, accessible PDF, 2.4 MB” gives more information than “Download” or “PDF.” Do not repeat the same generic link label ten times in a list. Put the file format in text, not only in a colored icon, and do not make an image the only link.

Keep the page heading, link label, file title, and document title consistent. If a file is a form, say whether it is fillable and whether an HTML or Word alternative is available. If a media item is hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or another portal, describe the media and link to its transcript or alternative near the player. For an external portal, add a short warning that the visitor is leaving the site only when that information helps the task.

Track form IDs, revisions, and status

For every reusable form or checklist, maintain a small record with the form ID, exact title, revision or effective date, owner, source file location, published URL, file type, language, and current status. If the file has a revision printed in its footer, make the landing page match it. If the owner cannot confirm the revision, mark the item for review instead of guessing that the newest upload is current.

1. Choose one primary landing-page link and identify the current edition in its label.
2. When replacing a file, update the title, revision, size, language, format, and accessibility-review date together.
3. Check the old direct URL, search result, saved bookmark, and any page that linked to the old file. If the URL changed, ask the website team to update links or arrange an appropriate redirect. Download the published copy while signed out to check that a cached older file is not being served.
4. Move superseded editions out of current-task lists. Label any public retained edition Archived - not for current submissions, and follow the responsible owner's retention process. Do not delete records as part of routine file replacement.

Do not silently overwrite a signed or record copy. Preserve the original and publish an accessible working copy only when the responsible owner has defined how the copies relate. Continue with the fillable PDF form guide when the item includes fields, required states, or submission instructions.

Inventory and maintain every item

1. Keep a content inventory with the public URL, file URL, owner, type, language, publication date, review date, source file, form or document ID, revision, current or archived status, and accessibility status.
2. Prioritize forms and deadline-driven documents, then reports, standards, meeting materials, project galleries, and media that receive frequent visits.
3. At each review, open the actual download, check that the title and language are present, run the applicable checker, and manually test the task.
4. When replacing a file, keep the landing page and link stable where possible, remove duplicate or obsolete links, and check that old bookmarks do not lead to a missing file.

Do not label an item “accessible” solely because Word, Excel, PowerPoint, YouTube, or Acrobat reported no automated errors. Record what was tested, by whom, with which tool and date, and what remains uncertain. Continue with the PDF guide or media guide for format-specific checks.

Hand off library gaps

Escalate a library item when its owner is unknown, the source is missing, a current form cannot be completed by keyboard, a scanned record needs OCR and structural repair, a media file lacks captions or description, or a third-party portal is the only route to a core task. Send the public URL, file, source if available, inventory metadata, user task, test evidence, and a proposed alternative. Keep the item visible only with an accurate note about its current format or limitation; do not promise compliance or a repair date until the responsible team confirms it.