Accessible Annual Reports

Why Annual Report Accessibility Is Now a Business Requirement

Annual reports are increasingly subject to accessibility regulations across Europe. Under the European Accessibility Act, financial services companies must ensure all customer-facing documents—including annual reports distributed to shareholders—meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards by June 28, 2025.

Beyond regulatory compliance, accessible annual reports demonstrate corporate commitment to inclusion. Investors, analysts, and stakeholders with disabilities deserve equal access to financial information. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting increasingly includes accessibility as a social responsibility metric.

Who Needs Accessible Annual Reports? Publicly traded companies distributing reports to shareholders, financial institutions subject to EAA requirements, public sector organizations under Web Accessibility Directive obligations, and any organization publishing annual reports on their website. If your report is available as a PDF download, accessibility requirements apply.

The Challenge Annual reports are among the most complex documents to make accessible. They combine narrative text, financial tables, data visualizations, infographics, and designed layouts—each presenting distinct accessibility challenges. Standard PDF export from InDesign, Word, or other tools rarely produces accessible output.

Technical Challenges in Annual Report Accessibility

Annual reports present unique technical challenges that require specialized remediation expertise.

Complex Tables and Financial Data Financial statements, balance sheets, and data tables are the backbone of annual reports. Each table requires proper header cell markup (TH tags), scope attributes defining row/column relationships, and consideration of spanning cells. Multi-level headers common in financial reporting need explicit associations between header and data cells. Without proper structure, screen readers announce table content as disconnected values without context.

Charts, Graphs, and Data Visualizations Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, and trend visualizations need alternative text that conveys the same information as the visual. This isn't just 'sales chart'—it's a description of the data trends, key figures, and conclusions the visualization presents. Complex visualizations may need supplementary data tables providing the raw data in accessible format.

Infographics and Designed Content Infographics combining text, icons, and visuals are particularly challenging. Each visual element needs alternative text, but the overall narrative flow must also be preserved. Reading order through designed spreads must make logical sense when linearized for screen readers.

Multi-Column and Magazine-Style Layouts Annual reports often use magazine-style multi-column layouts with sidebars, pull quotes, and text wrapping around images. Without careful remediation, reading order becomes scrambled—users might read sidebar content mid-paragraph, or columns in the wrong sequence.

How We Remediate Annual Reports

Annual report remediation requires a systematic approach combining automated tools and manual expertise.

Step 1: Document Analysis We analyze your annual report's structure, identifying all tables, charts, infographics, and complex layouts. We assess the PDF's current accessibility status using PAC and identify the full scope of required remediation. This analysis informs accurate pricing and timeline estimates.

Step 2: Structure and Tagging We add proper PDF tags throughout the document—headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures. We establish the document's logical structure tree and ensure heading hierarchy is correct (H1 for the main title, H2 for chapter titles, etc.).

Step 3: Table Remediation Financial tables receive particular attention. We add proper TH and TD tags, define header scope, handle spanning cells, and ensure complex multi-level headers are correctly associated with their data cells. We test each table with screen readers to verify data relationships are announced correctly.

Step 4: Alternative Text for Visuals Every chart, graph, infographic, and meaningful image receives carefully written alternative text. For complex visualizations, we work with your team to ensure alt text accurately represents the data story. Decorative images are marked as artifacts.

Step 5: Reading Order and Navigation We correct reading order throughout the document so linearized content makes logical sense. We add bookmarks reflecting the document structure, enabling efficient navigation. Long documents receive comprehensive bookmark trees.

Step 6: Validation and Testing After remediation, we validate against PDF/UA using PAC and test with multiple screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) to ensure real-world usability. We provide a compliance certificate documenting the standards met.

Best Practices for Accessible Annual Report Design

While remediation can fix most accessibility issues, designing with accessibility in mind reduces remediation effort and produces better results.

Table Design Design tables with clear header rows and columns. Avoid merged cells where possible—they complicate accessibility markup. If complex tables are necessary, keep data relationships explicit. Consider whether large tables could be broken into smaller, simpler tables.

Chart and Graph Design Use high-contrast colors and don't rely on color alone to convey information. Include data labels on charts where practical. Consider including the underlying data as a table in addition to the visualization. Avoid 3D effects that add visual complexity without informational value.

Layout Considerations Use clear visual hierarchy with consistent heading styles. Ensure reading order follows logical flow—don't force readers to jump between columns or sections. Keep sidebars and callouts positioned so they don't interrupt primary content flow.

Export Settings When exporting from InDesign or other layout software, use proper style mapping for headings and use the 'Tagged PDF' export option. While this won't produce fully accessible output, it provides a better foundation for remediation.

Planning for Accessibility If you publish annual reports regularly, consider engaging EqualXS early in your design cycle. We can advise on accessible design approaches that reduce remediation effort year over year.