Digital accessibility isn't a requirement. It's good tenancy.

Since the European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect on June 28, 2025, digital accessibility is no longer just a goal, but a legal requirement. Websites, tenant portals, and the documents published by housing authorities must be accessible in accordance with the WCAG guidelines. In practice, this means that PDF documents must comply with the PDF/UA standard. The standard ensures that documents are usable with assistive technologies such as screen readers and Braille displays.

A visually appealing PDF is not necessarily an accessible PDF. Many organizations evaluate a document based on what they themselves see.

• Does the letter look neat?
• Is the corporate identity correct?
• Is the layout neat?

But a screen reader doesn't pay any attention to the visual layout at all. It reads the underlying structure.

• Does a headline actually consist of a headline?
• Are tables recognized as tables?
• Is the text being read aloud in the correct order?
• Does an image have a description?
• Is the document language set correctly?

When this information is missing, the result is a document that is virtually unusable for thousands of people, even though it looks perfectly fine to the average user. Digital accessibility, therefore, does not begin with the design, but with the structure of a document.

Many organizations try to make PDFs accessible after the fact. This is labor-intensive, error-prone, and costly.

We believe that accessibility should not be a final check, but rather an integral part of the document creation process. That is why we have developed a solution for housing agencies that allows employees to create personalized communications using a simple web interface. The necessary data is automatically retrieved from the ERP or CRM system. Employees simply select the appropriate letter or mailing, after which the document is automatically generated.

The result can be submitted immediately via:

• email
• print
• the tenant portal
• other digital communication channels

After being sent, the document is automatically saved under the correct tenant or residential complex within the OneXillium Document Management System. This creates a single, fully digital file without the need for any additional manual steps.

However, our solution goes beyond document automation. The generated documents comply with the international PDF/UA standard. Among other things, this means that the documents feature:

• a logical document structure
• correct heading levels
• a natural reading order
• alternative text for images
• correct language settings
• fully embedded fonts
• semantic tags that help screen readers understand the document

These elements may seem technical, but they ultimately determine whether a tenant can read a document on their own.

One aspect that is often underestimated is what is known as the “reading order.” When text boxes or elements on a page are not arranged logically, a screen reader, for example, will first read the right-hand column, then the footer, and only then the first paragraph. To a sighted user, the document appears perfectly structured. To someone who relies on a screen reader, however, the document becomes incomprehensible.

That is why our solution takes into account not only the visual layout, but also the logical order in which information is presented. That is precisely what makes a document truly accessible.

The way text is aligned also plays an important role. Text that fills the entire page often appears neatly formatted, but can result in large and irregular white spaces. This makes documents harder to read for people with dyslexia or cognitive disabilities. Good accessibility, therefore, also means prioritizing readability. A document should not only look good, but also be easy to read for everyone.

Another important principle is that employees shouldn’t have to think about accessibility. When each employee creates their own documents, inconsistencies arise in structure, headings, and formatting. That’s why we use centralized templates that already have accessibility built in. Every new letter, mailing, or notice automatically complies with the same accessibility guidelines.

Employees focus on the content. Technology ensures accessibility.

Technology is never the goal. The real value comes when every tenant can independently read important information.
Whether someone uses a screen reader, a Braille display, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technology, everyone should have equal access to information.

That’s not just a legal requirement. It’s also exactly what good service from a housing authority is all about.

With our solution, housing authorities have a single integrated platform for document creation, omnichannel communication, and document management. Personal data is automatically retrieved from the ERP or CRM system. Documents are created using central templates, published through the appropriate communication channel, stored in the DMS, and immediately generated as accessible PDF/UA documents.

This makes digital communication not only more efficient, but also more inclusive, future-proof, and fully prepared to meet the requirements of the European Accessibility Act. After all, a document is only truly successful when every tenant can read it independently. Source: CorporatieGids