RE: [EXTERNAL] Re: question regarding printed PDF documents

Thank you for your response.

I was wondering about option 1 – what you mean by a ‘sign it’ mechanism? We have the options of adding a signature field – I believe users have to set up a signature to use it. I found that process confusing, and Legal won’t accept it. The other option, which we use, is to leave the signature line blank (no form field) – we have added expansion text to the label “Signature” that reads as I noted below – to print, sign, and return the form. In this way, people can complete the form using their computer, but they are instructed to print and sign the documents. As noted elsewhere – this can be problematic for a number of reasons.  Also note, if they choose not to fill in the fillable fields with a computer, people can just print the form and manually fill in each field (account number, etc.).

As you mention, some people prefer printing a document. Assuming the person who chooses the printed form method, is there a signing mechanism that you’re thinking of? For our part, it’s not critical that a person sign on the line – they can sign anywhere on the page … we just need a signature that matches the one we have on file to confirm the requester. In this case, someone has already set up an account with us, and it is always our practice to confirm the signature for all members. It could be that people who have trouble signing may have set up their account using a different method – I don’t know, maybe they have a stamp they use, for example. That’s perfectly acceptable.

I’m just trying to learn about other mechanisms you’re familiar with that we might deploy for our PDF forms.

Thank you,
Deborah

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Deborah Dinzes
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From: Guy Hickling <guy.hickling@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 10:47 AM
To: WAI Interest Group discussion list <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: question regarding printed PDF documents

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Just some points to add to what everyone else has said. When you use a digital signing system (such as DocuSign or the Adobe Sign ones), as already pointed out, do not make it the ONLY way for your users to do it. In a complex process like this, no one method is accessible to everyone, and simply saying a particular signing product is “ADA compliant” or “WCAG compliant” does not make it usable for everyone. So:

1)    Allow the manual print document and sign it mechanism as well, for maximum accessibility to everyone.

2)    And after the printing method, allow users to choose whether to return the signed document by scanning it back into their PC and emailing it, or just put it into an envelope and post it (or even take it to their local branch of your offices if you have them). Not everyone has a printer with a scanner, and others may not know how to use the scan option if they do have one. (I currently have one of the latest Canon printer-scanners and its menu system goes back to the 1980’s! I’ll never buy Canon again, it’s a nightmare to use!)

3)    Also, when setting signing deadlines, bear in mind some people may take much longer to sort out a new digital signing system, if they have only rarely or never used one before. They might be using a computer with little space for new apps, or be a company employee who doesn’t have download permissions themselves. So allow for signing delays. Perhaps warn users, at the top of the form, what they will have to do about signing and the options you are giving them. And consider giving them the option to submit the completed form unsigned, just so they can get the necessary data in for the deadline, and allow them an extra day or two to sort out how to deal with the signing itself.

In other words, always allow the maximum choice of ways to do any complicated process. What seems accessible to one person may be very difficult or even impossible to another, depending on either of  disabilities, equipment, and/or physical circumstances. (In fact, we really ought to add a WCAG criteria to say something like that last sentence, if we could find a suitably watertight way to word it, but that’s another matter.)

Designers that decide to use a digital signing system all too often make the bland assumption that doing so solves all problems. (Well it’s on computer isn’t it? so it must be easy!) No it doesn’t, there are lots of people who are quite happy with printing forms off but who would be horrified by the digital methods. Always think about the little old lady down the street who only got to learn about computers after she retired! For instance, she has mastered how to print documents off, but might not be able to scan it back in, and she might not begin to understand what to do with DocuSign!

Digital signing systems can also be a bit tedious and difficult to get used to the first time round, especially if there are pages to read about it and terms and conditions, and this gives problems if the user is close to the signing deadline. There is an element of trust involved.

Finally, just for reference, the WCAG doesn’t cover printing, or signing methods. And the US ADA doesn’t reference the WCAG or have anything to do with it. It is only at the court case stage that all courts choose to set the WCAG as the standard to follow. But what the ADA does is to prohibit discrimination on grounds of disability. So US businesses need to make their signing methods as accessible and all inclusive as possible, or you could potentially get a legal challenge even though the WCAG does not cover that process! I suggest that offering multiple options is the best way to do that.

Regards,
Guy Hickling
Accessibility Consultant



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