Moving Beyond the Limitations of PDF

For decades, the Portable Document Format (PDF) has been the de facto standard for sharing finalized documents, serving as a digital equivalent of a printed page. However, in today’s mobile-first and data-driven world, relying solely on PDFs creates significant barriers to accessibility, user experience, and operational efficiency. This document outlines the compelling reasons to adopt modern, web-native formats (like HTML) and collaborative platforms (like Microsoft Word 365) as our primary means of communication. This shift isn’t about eliminating PDFs entirely but about using the right tool for the job to better serve our audience and internal teams.

Key Advantages of Modern Formats (HTML & Word) > PDF

Accessibility & Legal Compliance

• The Challenge with PDF: PDFs are not inherently accessible. Making them compliant with standards like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 requires specialized, time-consuming, and expensive remediation. An inaccessible document can be a legal risk and excludes users with disabilities who rely on screen readers.
• The HTML/Word Advantage: HTML (the language of the web) is built with accessibility at its core. Content created in HTML is natively responsive and easily read by assistive technologies. Modern Word documents can also be easily designed for accessibility from the start.
  • Outcome: Reduces legal risk and ensures all members of our community can access information equally.

The Mobile-First User Experience

• The Challenge with PDF: PDFs have a fixed layout, forcing users on mobile devices (over 60% of web traffic) to constantly pinch, zoom, and scroll horizontally. This creates a frustrating and inefficient experience, often leading to users abandoning the content.
• The HTML/Word Advantage: HTML content is responsive, meaning it automatically adapts its layout for perfect viewing on any screen size—desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
  • Outcome: Drastically improved user engagement and satisfaction, ensuring our message is received clearly on any device.

Efficiency, Collaboration & Version Control

• The Challenge with PDF: The PDF is a final-state format. To make a simple update, one must find the original source file (e.g., a Word or InDesign file), make the edit, export a new PDF, and then redistribute it, creating version control chaos (PDFv1​,PDFv2​,PDFfinal​,PDFfinal_final​).
• The HTML/Word Advantage: Content on a webpage (HTML) or in a shared cloud document (Word 365) exists as a single source of truth. Updates are made in one place and are instantly available to everyone. Collaboration features like commenting and track changes streamline the review process.
  • Outcome: Significant time saved, reduced errors from outdated information, and a more agile workflow.

Searchability & Data Insights

• The Challenge with PDF: Content locked inside a PDF is often treated like an image by search engines, making it difficult for users to find critical information via internal or external search. Furthermore, you cannot track how users interact with a downloaded PDF.
• The HTML/Word Advantage: Content in HTML is highly indexable, improving Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and internal findability. We can use web analytics to understand what content is being read, for how long, and what users are most interested in.
  • Outcome: Our content becomes more discoverable, and we gain valuable data to make informed decisions.

When is a PDF Still the Right Choice?

A strategic approach recognizes that PDFs still excel in specific scenarios:

• Archival & Print: When a document must be preserved with a precise, print-ready layout.
• Legal & E-Signatures: For contracts and official forms where a static, unalterable copy is required for signature.
• Offline Distribution: When providing a self-contained document for offline access is the primary goal.

Advancing Accessibility Through a Digital-First Strategy

Benetech proposes initiating a “digital-first” content strategy. As a first step, we recommend an audit of our most frequently used documents (e.g., policies, public-facing reports, program guides) to identify candidates for conversion from PDF to more effective HTML or collaborative Word formats. This proactive shift will enhance our compliance, efficiency, and ability to adapt in the modern digital landscape.

To learn more about how the Benetech Accessibility Services for Education (BASE) initiative can support your organization in advancing digital accessibility and moving beyond the limitations of PDFs, please contact us. Our team is ready to partner with you to create more inclusive and equitable experiences.