DocAccess FAQs

DocAccess is specifically designed for messy and complex PDF documents. It uses OCR, advanced image process, and proprietary AI models to interpret content, and complex pages get additional human review by accessibility specialists at no extra cost. There is no extra charge for complex PDFs, and the goal is to make seemingly unfixable documents accessible and WCAG 2.1 AA-aligned.

Yes, DocAccess works well on scanned PDFs. It uses OCR, advanced image processing, and AI models to turn scanned pages (including handwriting, maps, diagrams, budgets, and complex layouts) into searchable, screen-reader-friendly HTML transcripts. There’s no extra charge for complex or "ugly” scans, those are explicitly supported and even welcomed as use cases.

Yes, DocAccess does not rely on your existing heading or tag structure. Instead it:

• Runs OCR/AI over the PDF.

• Rebuilds the structure automatically into clean, semantic HTML (for example: headings, lists, tables, reading order).

• Ensures the transcript meets WCAG 2.1 AA for structure and reading order, even if the original PDF has no tags or has incorrect ones.

DocAccess uses AI and OCR to analyze PDFs, detect text and layout, and rebuild the content as clean, semantic HTML. It reconstructs headings, reading order, tables, and generates alt text for images. Complex documents may receive human review. AI also powers translation and document Q&A features. All processing is secure and hosted in U.S based AWS infrastructure.

Since DocAccess creates a fully compliant, accessible HTML transcript of your PDFs, this qualifies as an alternative format under ADA guidelines. Therefore, your original PDFs don’t require separate remediation.

PDFs are the only supported file type.

Yes. The accessible HTML version produced by DocAccess is designed to be equivalent in content to the original document, and that equivalence is central to its ADA/Title II and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Here’s how equivalence is maintained:

• Same information different format

  • All text, headings, lists, tables, and key visual information are preserved.

  • Charts complex visuals are converted into data tables or detailed descriptions. So, the information is still there, just in a more accessible form.

• Meets effective communication under ADA 35.160

  • The DOJ standard is that people with disabilities must get information that is as effective as what others receive.

  • DocAccess’s HTML transcript is built to satisfy that: same content, same time, same URL, no separate special site.

• WCAG 2.1 AA alignment

  • Structure, reading order, alt text, contrast, and keyboard navigation are all handled so that assistive technology users can access all the same content programmatically.

• PDF becomes the alternate, not the primary

  • DocAccess treats the HTML transcript as primary accessible format, with the original PDF available for printing/archival.

  • Even under a more strict view (HTML as an alternative format), it still qualifies because it provides equal or better access than the PDF, especially on mobile and in multiple languages.

• Human review for complex content

  • Complex documents (maps, diagrams, budgets, handwriting) can receive additional human accessibility review to ensure the HTML truly captures the original’s meaning.

Yes, a screen reader will announce the presence of an accessible version and the hotkeys available to navigate through the DocAccess viewer through specific keyboard shortcuts. The accessible version can be toggled directly with CTRL + Shift + V along with other shortcuts that are available through the hotkeys.

DocAccess is built to comply with all major modern accessibility standards, including:

• WCAG 2.1 AA

• ADA Title II and Title III (including DOJ latest 28 CFR Part 35 Ruling)

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (36 DFR 1194.22)

• EN 301 549 (EU accessibility requirements)

• State-level laws such as California AB 434, the Unruh Act, and Colorado HB 21-1110

It’s designed so the HTML transcript it generates is fully WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant, even if the original PDF is not remediated. As standards and regulations evolve, DocAccess is actively maintained and updated to remain compliant. The platform:

• Is regularly audited by independent accessibility experts and user testers

• Automatically keeps documents accessible as they change (no re-remediation needed)

• Will incorporate new requirements (for example, WCAG 2.2/3.0, updated DOJ rules) into the service as they are adopted.

DocAccess has gone through extensive, ongoing testing to validate accessibility and reliability. From the information we have testing includes:

• Automated accessibility testing

  • Axe-core

  • WAVE

  • Lighthouse

  • Pa11y

• Manual code review

  • Front-end and semantic HTML review to ensure proper structure, headings, landmarks, and ARIA where needed.

• Assistive technology user testing with:

  • JAWS 2024

  • NVDA 2024.2

  • VoiceOver (macOS/iOS)

  • TalkBack (Android)

  • and more

• Independent wuarterly usability audits by certified accessibility consultants, including:

  • Shawn Jordison (The Accessibility Guy)

  • Level Access, Inc. (formal periodic platform review)

  • Carter Temm (Screen-reader expert)

On top of that, DocAccess runs quarterly functional releases, weekly patches and feature updates, and maintains real-time feedback loops (including Aira session recordings, with user permission) to capture and fix real-world friction points.

No additional remediation work is required. Continue posting PDFs as usual. DocAccess automatically processes new or updated documents and refreshes the accessible version. Optional edits and tuning are available but not required.

DocAccess is designed so it should not noticeably slow down your site. Key points:

• Asynchronous loading:

  • The helper script is loaded with: <script async src=”https://docaccess.com/docbox.js”></script> Because its async, it loads after your main page content and doesn’t block page rendering.

• Runs after the page is ready:

  • The script inventories links and enables documents in the background once your site has finished loading.

• Optimized document performance:

  • The new interface loads documents up to 10x faster, even on slower connections or with unoptimized PDFs. There’s also a Safe Mode option that uses compressed images for faster loading of large documents.

• If you ever see slowness:

  • Check for conflicts with other JavaScript or browser plugins.

  • You can temporarily disable DocAccess on a specific page with: <div id=“docaccess-disable-this-page”></div>

  • Or contact support and they can help diagnose and optimize performance.

DocAccess supports fillable PDFs by providing an accessible HTML version for reading, navigation, translation, and understanding the form content. Users can still download or open the original PDF to complete and submit the form in their PDF viewer. This ensures the form content is accessible, while preserving existing submission workflows. For more information, view the example PDF form.

DocAccess only works with publicly accessible document links.

• It can process:

  • PDFs and other documents that are public on the web (anyone can access the URL).

  • Publicly linked documents on your own site or external sites you link to.

• It cannot currently process:

  • Documents on intranets, behind logins, or otherwise not publicly accessible.

  • “Unpublished” documents that are not reachable through a public URL

The team is working on expanding to intranet/private environments, but the capability is not available yet.

No. DocAccess does not bypass intranet restrictions or expose private content.

• DocAccess can only activate on publicly accessible document links.

• If a PDF is on an intranet, behind a login, VPN, or any access control, DocAccess cannot retrieve or process it.

• It does not circumvent authentication, firewalls, or permissions in any way.

So if a document is restricted to your intranet, it will remain restricted; DocAccess will not make it publicly available or accessible from outside your environment.

Yes. DocAccess supports SSO

• Supported identity providers: Azure AD/ Microsoft Entra ID and other standards-based IdP

• Support protocols: SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC)

• Test page for IT to validate setup and permissions

• DocAccess uses AI in a few focused places to turn PDFs into an accessible, interactive experience, without requiring manual remediation for most documents:

  • PDF - Accessible HTML transcript generation

• AI helps interpret layout/structure (headings, lists, reading order), extract text (including from scanned PDFs through OCR), and produce WCAG 2.1 AA friendly HTML output.

  • Image Understanding + Alt text

• For figures, charts, maps, and other visuals, AI generates descriptive alternative text for the transcript view (and can incorporate any existing PDF alt text where available).

  • Complexity detection + routing

• AI flags pages that are likely high complexity (dense tables, diagrams, low-quality scans, handwriting) so they can recive additional review/handling. Often including human accessibility specialist review at no extra cost.

  • Ask questions

• AI powers the feature that lets end users ask natural-language questions about a document and get answers grounded in that documents content. Its designed to work even with typos and in multiple languages.

  • Translation workflow

• AI supports on-the-fly translation of the accessible transcript into over 150 languages using Google Translate, with prioritization based on languages commonly spoken in the service area.

  • Change detection + reprocessing triggers

• When a PDF changes at the same URL, the system detects the change and automatically initiates reprocessing so the transcript stays current.