Understanding ADA and Online Accessibility for Meeting Materials

If you’re responsible for preparing and publishing board or public meeting materials, you’ve likely heard the term “ADA compliance.” But what does that really mean in practice? And how does it apply to the documents you share online? 

This overview is designed to help you understand the basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it relates specifically to online meeting materials. 

What Is ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law enacted in 1990 to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to public services, programs, and activities. 

While the ADA originally focused on physical spaces — such as buildings, sidewalks, and transportation — its principles also apply to digital content. Today, that includes websites, online documents, and publicly shared meeting materials. 

Why Is ADA Important?

At its core, ADA is about access and usability. 

For public entities like school districts, municipalities, and libraries, this means ensuring that all members of the community — regardless of ability — can access important information. Meeting agendas, board packets, and supporting documents often contain critical details about decisions, policies, and public business. 

Making these materials accessible helps: 

• Ensure transparency and equal access to information 
• Support community awareness and participation 
• Reduce barriers for individuals who use assistive technologies (such as screen readers) 

In short, accessibility isn’t just a requirement — it’s a best practice for serving your entire community. 

How Does ADA Apply to Online Public Meeting Materials?

When meeting materials are shared online, they should be accessible to individuals with disabilities in a way that is comparable to how others access them. 

This includes ensuring that: 

• Documents can be read by screen readers 
• Content is structured logically (with headings, lists, and readable text) 
• Images and graphics include descriptive text alternatives 
• Files are navigable without requiring a mouse 

For many organizations, this means taking a closer look at how documents — especially PDFs, Word files, and presentations — are created and published. 

How Does BoardBook® Help Support Accessibility?

BoardBook is designed with accessibility in mind, helping organizations present meeting materials in a structured and consistent format. 

Some ways BoardBook supports accessibility include: 

• Organizing agendas and documents in a clear, hierarchical structure 
• Providing a consistent interface that is easier for users and assistive technologies to navigate 
• Allowing documents to be uploaded and managed in a centralized location 
• Supporting web-based access to materials, reducing reliance on static file sharing 

For detailed information about how BoardBook supports ADA accessibility, please contact support@boardbook.org for the latest copy of our Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). 

While BoardBook provides a strong foundation, accessibility ultimately depends on the content that is uploaded. That’s why following accessibility best practices when creating documents is so important. 

ADA Best Practices for Online Meeting Materials

Creating accessible materials doesn’t have to be complicated. A few key practices can make a significant difference. 

1. Use clear structure and formatting 

• Apply headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) instead of just bold text 
• Use lists and tables appropriately 
• Keep layouts simple and consistent 

2. Add alternative text to images 

• Provide brief descriptions for images, charts, or graphics so screen readers can convey their meaning 

3. Ensure readable text 

• Use sufficient color contrast 
• Avoid very small font sizes 
• Choose standard, easy-to-read fonts 

4. Make documents navigable 

• Use proper reading order 
• Include bookmarks in longer documents when possible 

5. Understand PDFs and accessibility 

• There’s a common misconception that PDFs are inherently not ADA compliant. In reality, a PDF can be fully accessible — or completely inaccessible — depending on how it is created. 

Accessible PDFs typically:

• Are generated from properly formatted source documents (like Word files) 
• Include tags that define headings, paragraphs, and lists 
• Have selectable (not scanned) text 
• Include alternative text for images 

Best practices for creating accessible PDFs:

• Start with an accessible source document: Use built-in heading styles, lists, and table formatting in Word or other programs before converting to PDF.  
• Use “Save as PDF” instead of scanning: Export documents directly to PDF rather than scanning printed pages. Scanned PDFs are essentially images and cannot be read by screen readers. 
• Add tags to the PDF: Tags provide structure (headings, paragraphs, lists) that assistive technologies rely on. Many programs include an option like “Document structure tags for accessibility” when saving as a PDF. 
• Check reading order: Make sure the content flows in a logical order when read from top to bottom. This is especially important for multi-column layouts, tables, or documents with text boxes. 
• Include alternative text for images: Ensure that any images, charts, or graphics have descriptive text, so their meaning is conveyed. 
• Use searchable text (OCR if needed): If you must use a scanned document, apply optical character recognition (OCR), so the text becomes selectable and readable by assistive tools. 
• Run an accessibility checker: Tools like Adobe Acrobat include built-in accessibility checkers that can identify common issues and guide you through fixes. 

The key takeaway: Accessibility is not about the file type — it’s about how the file is built. 

Legal Considerations

This article is intended to provide a general overview of ADA and accessibility as it relates to online meeting materials. It is not intended to serve as legal advice or a legal interpretation of ADA requirements. 

Because accessibility obligations can vary based on specific situations, organizations should consult their own legal counsel for guidance on policies, procedures, and compliance questions. 

Final Thoughts

ADA compliance in the digital space is ultimately about making sure people can access the same information, regardless of ability. 

For organizations that regularly publish meeting materials, small improvements in how documents are created and shared can have a meaningful impact. By combining accessible document practices with tools like BoardBook, you can help ensure your materials are clear, usable, and available to your entire community.