Making Documents and Forms Accessible

The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) found a major accessibility issue: their online human resources (HR) forms were inaccessible to customers with disabilities, particularly those who use screen readers. OFM hosts multiple state agencies' HR forms, including job applications, time-off requests, and performance reviews. This accessibility gap created an inequitable experience for applicants, managers, and employees with disabilities, while also violating important accessibility rules such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508.
Together with Anthro-Tech, OFM made their online HR form more accessible. We audited, remediated, tested, and improved Word documents, ensuring they worked with assistive technologies. Some HR forms were turned into accessible PDFs, while others became user-friendly online data tables. Testing with screen readers and usability studies ensured they were accessible, compliant, and usable. This helps everyone follow essential HR processes, regardless of ability.
Our partnership with OFM went beyond compliance. Today, people with disabilities can easily use their HR forms, promoting inclusivity within the agency. Our digital accessibility experts also taught OFM to become a more accessible organization.
Together, we aligned OFM with its core value of inclusion and turned its vision of, “working together for the equitable future of every Washingtonian” into real, meaningful action.
Project Toolkit
ACCESSIBILITY
• Review and manual testing using assistive technologies
• Analysis of Word and PDF forms
• Document remediation
• Design and content guidelines that follow WCAG
USER RESEARCH
• Usability study with participants using screen readers
Facts & Figures
• 350% increase in usability scores.
• 5/5 perfect usability score.