Follow the GDS "HTML, Not PDF" Guidance: Turn Council, NHS, and University PDF Forms into Web Forms Built to Support WCAG 2.1 AA
UK public sector bodies are told to publish services in HTML rather than PDF, but many back-office teams still need the original form. ToWebForm gives residents, patients, and students an accessible web form and gives staff the exact PDF they process today.
Who this applies to: UK public sector bodies under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018, including councils, NHS trusts, and universities, plus service providers under the Equality Act 2010.
The problem: Fillable PDFs are one of the most common failures listed in public sector accessibility statements. Fixing each one in Acrobat is slow, and the result still cannot reflow on a phone.
or drag and drop any PDF here to detect fields automatically
No account required · Test your web form, switch languages, and download the filled PDF
01 / At a Glance
How ToWebForm Replaces PDF Form Remediation
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require UK public sector websites, including councils, NHS trusts, and universities, to meet WCAG Level AA and to publish an accessibility statement listing known issues. The Government Digital Service monitors compliance and has long advised publishing content in HTML rather than PDF, because PDFs are harder to use, maintain, and access on mobile devices. Private service providers also have duties to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
ToWebForm lets teams follow that advice without rebuilding each form. A PDF form is converted into a semantic HTML web form built to support WCAG 2.1 AA, with labelled inputs, keyboard support, error messages announced to screen readers, and single-column reflow at 320px. On submission, answers are stamped onto the exact coordinates of the original PDF, so casework, records, and NHS systems receive the familiar document.
GDS now monitors against WCAG 2.2, so include the 2.2 additions, such as target size and redundant entry, in your testing. Residents can choose from 18 supported languages (active languages depend on your plan), data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and Team plans can use Zero-Storage Fill and Download mode when personal data under UK GDPR should not be stored.
Key Facts
- PSBAR 2018 requires WCAG Level AA and a published accessibility statement
- GDS advises HTML rather than PDF for public sector content
- Applies to councils, NHS trusts, universities, and other public sector bodies
- Responsive web form with 320px reflow and labelled inputs
- Original PDF output for casework and records teams
- Respondents choose from 18 supported languages (active languages depend on your plan)
1. Upload the PDF you already use
Interactive AcroForms and flat or scanned PDFs both work. Fields, labels, and coordinates are detected automatically.
2. Respondents fill out a semantic web form
Single-column HTML built to support WCAG 2.1 AA, with labels, fieldset groups, keyboard focus order, and screen-reader status messages.
3. Your team receives the original PDF
Answers are stamped onto the exact coordinates of the original document, encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and ready for your existing process.
02 / Side-by-Side Comparison
Manual Acrobat Tagging vs. Remediation Agencies vs. ToWebForm
Three ways to handle an inaccessible PDF form, compared on cost, phone use, assistive technology, maintenance, language access, and data handling.
| Criterion | Manual Acrobat Pro Tagging | PDF Remediation Agencies ($25 to $75/page) | ToWebForm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearing PDF forms from your accessibility statement | Each form is fixed and re-tested one at a time, and still fails reflow on phones | Per-page cost for every form, repeated when a form changes | Replace the download link with a web form link. Staff still receive the original PDF |
| Cost model and turnaround | Staff time: often 1 to 3 hours per complex form to build and verify the tag tree, reading order, and field tooltips | Commonly quoted at $25 to $75 per page, with turnaround measured in days or weeks per batch | Flat monthly plan with unlimited standard submissions. Upload a PDF and get a working web form in seconds |
| Phone use (WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow) and touch targets | Still a fixed 8.5x11 page. Respondents pinch, zoom, and scroll sideways on a 320px screen | Same fixed page layout. Tags help screen readers but do not make the page reflow on phones | Single-column responsive HTML that reflows at 320px with 48x48px minimum touch targets |
| Screen reader and keyboard use (WCAG 1.3.1, 2.1.1, 4.1.3) | Depends on tag quality and the PDF reader. Mobile screen readers often read fields out of order | Usually tested in desktop Acrobat with JAWS or NVDA. Mobile reader behavior varies | Semantic labels, fieldset and legend groups, visible focus rings, linked error messages, and ARIA live status regions |
| When one line of the form changes | Re-exporting from Word or InDesign drops the tags, so the file must be re-tagged and re-checked | Send the file back and pay the per-page rate again | Edit the label, help text, or screen-reader hint in the builder. No re-remediation of the PDF |
| Multilingual and Title VI LEP access | Translate, re-typeset, and re-tag a separate PDF for every language | Each translated PDF is a new remediation job billed per page | One link where respondents choose from 18 supported languages (active languages depend on your plan), including right-to-left Arabic and Urdu. Bidirectional translation stamps English answers onto your original PDF on every plan, including Free |
| Back-office output and PII retention | Respondents email or upload the filled PDF, which then sits in inboxes | Same as manual tagging. The workflow after remediation does not change | Answers are stamped onto the exact coordinates of the original PDF and encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Team plans can enable Zero-Storage Fill and Download mode so no respondent PII is stored |
Agency rates reflect commonly quoted per-page pricing for form remediation and vary by vendor, document complexity, and turnaround.
03 / Language Access and Privacy
Beyond Accessibility: Language Access and Zero-PII Options
Bidirectional Answer Translation
Title VI language access · 18 supported languagesRespondents choose from 18 supported languages (active languages depend on your plan), including right-to-left Arabic and Urdu. They answer in their own language, and open-text answers are translated back into your PDF language before stamping, with both versions kept in a Bilingual Verification Log. Included on every plan, including Free.
Zero-Storage Fill and Download Mode
No respondent PII retained · TeamFor court, records, and resident forms where you should not hold the data. Respondents complete the web form, and the official stamped PDF is generated in memory and streamed straight to their browser. No answers are written to the database.
Accessibility Overrides Workbench
Per-field controlAdjust ARIA labels, screen-reader hints, helper text, error messages, autocomplete tokens, and high-contrast colors on any field without touching the source PDF.
See every success criterion mapped to its implementation in the WCAG 2.1 AA technical conformance matrix.
For agencies and consultants
Remediating PDF forms for clients? Convert the whole library instead of tagging it page by page
Web, digital, and accessibility agencies use the ToWebForm Team plan to turn a client's PDF form library into web forms built to support WCAG 2.1 AA in an afternoon, then keep those forms current without re-billing per page. Your client still receives the original PDF for every submission.
A workspace per client
Keep each client’s forms, submissions, and team access separate in Multiple Workspaces.
Their domain, their brand
Publish on a custom subdomain such as forms.yourclient.com with White-Label Branding and no ToWebForm badge.
5 seats included
Give your team and the client’s staff role-based access as Owner, Admin, or Member, and add seats as you grow.
Zero-Storage when required
Turn on Zero-Storage Fill and Download mode for clients whose respondents’ answers must not be stored.
03 / PRICING & PLANS
Simple, transparent pricing
Start free with unlimited submissions. Upgrade when you need more forms, languages or signers; your forms carry over.
04 / FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers on cost, deadlines, workflow changes, privacy, and what ToWebForm does and does not guarantee.
Do the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations cover PDF forms?
What does GDS say about PDFs?
Which WCAG version do UK public sector bodies need to meet?
Can NHS trusts use ToWebForm for patient forms?
Does using ToWebForm make our website PSBAR compliant?
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EU: EAA and EN 301 549
Turn PDF forms into multilingual web forms built to support EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA for the European Accessibility Act, in 18 supported languages.
Accessibility Overview
Federal deadlines, the full WCAG 2.1 AA conformance matrix, and Title VI language access.
Try it on one of your own PDFs
Upload a form in the live demo above, or compare plans on the homepage.
ToWebForm's web form renderers are built to support WCAG 2.1 Level AA technical standards and engineered to help organizations meet DOJ ADA Title II, Section 508, HHS Section 504, and ADA Title III web accessibility requirements. Because end-user accessibility is a shared responsibility that depends on how forms are authored, labeled, configured in the Accessibility Overrides Workbench, and embedded within external websites, Foresight Technologies LLC does not warrant or guarantee that any specific customer form achieves full regulatory compliance. Regulatory dates and agency pricing on this page are provided for general information and are not legal advice. Review our full Accessibility & Shared Responsibility clause in our Terms of Service.