Document Accessibility Starts with InDesign

Accessibility is a design responsibility that starts the moment a document is created. For anyone working in InDesign, early decisions directly affect how usable that content will be for everyone who reads it.

In this session, Chad Chelius explains why accessible documents begin in InDesign—not in Acrobat, not in downstream fixes, and not after problems surface. You’ll gain a clear understanding of how structure, organization, and intent in your InDesign files form the foundation for accessibility. Chad emphasizes mindset as much as mechanics, framing accessibility as a core professional skill, not a niche specialty.

This session is for all InDesign users. Whether accessibility is new to you or already part of your workflow, you’ll leave with a clearer sense of why it matters, where it begins, and how better InDesign practices lead to better outcomes.

Key takeaways:

• Recognize how document structure and organization affect accessibility outcomes
• See accessibility as a core design responsibility, not a niche skill
• Identify early design decisions that have the biggest accessibility impact
• Build a stronger foundation for accessible PDFs and digital documents