State of Minnesota Expectations for Accessible Documents

Updated May 2024

Downloadable PDF version

The State of Minnesota is committed to providing accessible documents to the public and staff. Vendors need to provide all final documents to the State in an accessible format that meets Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 level A and AA. To clarify what an accessible format is, the State created the following guide outlining the minimum accessibility requirements for Word, PDF, and Excel documents.

Word documents

  • Styles properly used, with the title as a Heading 1 and subsequent headings in order so they create a document hierarchy.
  • Lists are formatted using the appropriate list style (unordered or ordered).
  • Images/Objects
    • Informative images have descriptive, concise alternative text.
    • Uninformative images marked as decorative.
    • Alt text is not auto generated.
  • Text boxes are not used.
  • Paragraph spacing options are used to create spacing instead of extra carriage returns.
  • Hyperlinks are embedded in meaningful text describing the destination, function or purpose of the link instead of using the full URL or “click here”. (If document is to be printed, you may include the full URL.)
  • Tables
    • Tables are not images, but readable text.
    • Header row/column headers identified.
    • Tables are not used for design/layout purposes only.
    • Under table properties, “Allow the row to break across pages” is unchecked.
    • “Repeat Header Rows” is selected in the table Layout tab.
    • Avoid merged and split cells.
  • Color contrast between text and background color meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Large text – at least 18 point or 14 point and bold – has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
  • Graphics with informative content have a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1. This includes graphs, charts, SmartArt, and icons. Logos, screenshots and decorative elements are exempt.
  • Color is not the only method used to convey meaning.
  • Document properties filled out. Enter title, subject, and author. Author = state agency or company name.
  • Passes the Word accessibility checker.

PDF documents

  • Headings properly tagged, with the title as a Heading 1 and subsequent headings in order so they create a document hierarchy.
  • Lists are formatted using list tags (L, LI, Lbl, Lbody).
    • Note: some lists may not have Lbl tags. All lists must be consistently tagged either with or without Lbl tags.
  • Tables
    • Header row/column headers identified.
    • Tables are not images, but readable text.
  • Reading order displayed in the tags panel matches the logical reading order of the document.
  • Hyperlinks are embedded in meaningful text describing the destination, function or purpose of the link instead of using the full URL or "click here". (If document is to be printed, you may include the full URL.)
  • Alt text verified. Informative images have descriptive, concise alternative text. Uninformative images are marked as background/artifact.
  • Color contrast between text and background color meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Large text - at least 18 point or 14 point and bold - has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
  • Graphics with informative content has a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1. This includes graphs, charts, and icons. Logos, screenshots and decorative elements are exempt.
  • Document properties filled out. Enter title, subject, author. Author = state agency or company name. Passes the built-in Adobe Acrobat Pro accessibility checker tool titled "Full Check."

Excel documents

  • All worksheets have unique names.
  • All column and row headers have unique names.
  • Blank worksheets deleted.
  • Blank rows/columns not used for spacing. Manage your layout by resizing rows, columns and cells. Use the alignment tools to move content (top, bottom, left, right) as needed.
  • Descriptive, concise alt text added to visuals like graphs, charts and pictures.
  • Color contrast between text and background color meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Large text - at least 18 point or 14 point and bold - has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
  • Graphics with informative content has a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1. This includes graphs, charts, and icons. Logos, screenshots and decorative elements are exempt.
  • Color is not the only method used to convey meaning.
  • Hyperlinks are embedded in meaningful text describing the destination, function or purpose of the link instead of using the full URL or "click here".
  • Document properties filled out. Enter title, subject, author. Author = state agency or company name.
  • Passes the Excel accessibility checker.