UW faculty and staff now have access to a new resource to support digital accessibility: the Little Forest PDF Remediation Tool. Designed with extensive input from UWIT’s Accessible Technologies Services (ATS) team, Little Forest helps improve the accessibility of high-priority PDFs by adding document structure tags and alternative text (alt text).
Before You Start
In last year’s blog post, Think Before You Create a PDF, we noted that PDFs can create barriers for people with disabilities. They often require extra work to make accessible, are harder to navigate on mobile devices, and aren’t easy to update. It’s worth your time to take a step back to consider whether a PDF is the best format for your content.
Important Note About UW Data
Please note that Protected Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and FERPA-related data should not be uploaded to Little Forest, as it is not HIPPA- or FERPA-compliant. Visit the Little Forest page on the ATS website for more guidance on sensitive and protected data and information.
When and Why to Use Little Forest
The initial rollout of Little Forest focused on course-related PDFs, and now it is available for broader use at the University. Making these documents accessible supports a more equitable and inclusive experience for students with disabilities who rely on screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Little Forest is recommended for PDFs that are still actively in use. UW departments, units, and faculty are encouraged to archive or remove outdated documents rather than invest time in remediation. The tool can automatically add tags for headings, lists, and tables, and it generates suggested alt text for images that users review and edit for accuracy. Because automated remediation is imperfect, some documents may still require you to do manual follow-up work, or you can submit a request for additional remediation directly within the tool.
Learn More
For guidance on getting started, recommended use, and known limitations, and additional information, visit the Little Forest PDF Remediation Tool webpage.