Individualized Conventional Electronic Documents

Some new documents created for a specific person are not required to be digitally accessible. This guidance will help you determine if your document must be made digitally accessible or not.

Table of Contents

Definition

An individualized conventional electronic document is a digital file (like a Word document, PDF or spreadsheet) that was created for use by a specific person.

Am I required to make documents that were created for a specific person accessible?

If content meets all three of the following criteria, it is an “individualized conventional electronic document” and is not required to be digitally accessible.

A flowchart diagram about document accessibility requirements. The flowchart starts at the top asking 'Am I required to make documents that were created for a specific person accessible?' An arrow labeled 'If' points downward to boxes connected by 'And' arrows from left to right. The first box states 'It is a word processing, presentation, PDF, or spreadsheet file.' The second box states 'It is about a specific individual, their property, or their account.' The third box states 'It is password protected or otherwise secured.' From the third box, an arrow points down to the word 'Then' which leads to a final box at the bottom stating 'Your content is not required to be accessible.'

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Criteria

  1. If it is a word processing, presentation, PDF or spreadsheet file, and
  2. it is about a specific individual, their property or their account, and 
  3. it is password-protected or otherwise secure

Result

If all three conditions are true, then your content is not required to be accessible.

Note: You may still have to provide web content in an accessible format if an individual requests it. See the DOJ rule on digital accessibility, paragraph 34.

Examples

  • A PDF version of a student’s transcript on a password-protected website is not required to be accessible
  • A PDF version of an individual employee’s worker documents on Workday is not required to be accessible

Preexisting Electronic Documents Guidance

How to Make Electronic Documents Accessible