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"Accessible" version of documents

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From: Cindy Jouper
Date: Nov 16, 2019 8:21AM

I need opinions! I have seen a number of instances lately of people creating two versions of documents - one that is attractive, and the other labeled "accessible" and stripped of all formatting - basically a text-only version. I know this is a bad idea on many levels - it marks people with disabilities as second-class citizens, depends on the creators maintaining two separate versions, and most of all seems to me to reflect laziness since creating an accessible document in Word or InDesign is not rocket science. I know there is a tiny bit of wiggle room in the standards allowing for creation of alternate versions (from HHS Word Document 508 Checklist, "1.14 Has a separate accessible version of the document been provided when there is no other way to make the content accessible?") but it is my contention that it is rare that a document cannot be designed to be accessible.
I've been asked to write an article about this practice, to discourage people from creating the "accessible" version of documents. I've been looking for resources to quote, but I'm having a hard time finding them. I would love to hear from others in the accessibility field to put some weight behind my words...and if you have links to information on the web, that would be helpful too. I'd like to make a serious argument without calling people lazy. :)
Thanks!
Cindy Jouper, CPWA<https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/cpwacertification>
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