{"id":1004,"date":"2026-04-14T02:52:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/digital-accessibility\/?page_id=1004"},"modified":"2026-04-17T12:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T16:04:09","slug":"pdf-curation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/digital-accessibility\/pdf-curation\/","title":{"rendered":"PDF Curation: The R.C.N.J. Framework"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><style>\r\n    .accessibility-container {\r\n        line-height: 1.6;\r\n        color: #333;\r\n        max-width: 900px;\r\n        margin: auto;\r\n    }\r\n    .framework-grid {\r\n        display: grid;\r\n        grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(150px, 1fr));\r\n        gap: 20px;\r\n        margin-top: 30px;\r\n    }\r\n    .framework-card {\r\n        padding: 20px;\r\n        border-top: 5px solid #861f41; \/* Ramapo Maroon *\/\r\n        background: #f9f9f9;\r\n        border-radius: 4px;\r\n        text-align: center;\r\n        box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);\r\n    }\r\n    .framework-card h3 {\r\n        margin-top: 0;\r\n        color: #861f41;\r\n        font-size: 1.2rem;\r\n    }\r\n    .decision-box {\r\n        background: #F3F3F1;\r\n        padding: 25px;\r\n        border-left: 5px solid #861f41;\r\n        margin: 40px 0;\r\n    }\r\n    .decision-step {\r\n        margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n        padding-bottom: 10px;\r\n        border-bottom: 1px dashed #ccc;\r\n    }\r\n    .decision-step:last-child { border-bottom: none; }\r\n    .tag {\r\n        display: inline-block;\r\n        padding: 2px 8px;\r\n        background: #861f41;\r\n        color: white;\r\n        border-radius: 3px;\r\n        font-size: 0.8rem;\r\n        margin-right: 5px;\r\n    }\r\n    .disclaimer-box {\r\n        background: #DAC094;\r\n        border: 1px solid #ffeeba;\r\n        padding: 15px;\r\n        border-radius: 5px;\r\n        font-style: regular;\r\n    }\r\n    .acronym {\r\n        font-size:3em;\r\n        color: #861f41;\r\n        font-weight: 800;\r\n    }\r\n    .acronymmeaning {\r\n        font-size:1.5em;\r\n        font-weight: 600;\r\n    }\r\n<\/style><\/p>\n<div class=\"accessibility-container\">\n<p>To manage digital content effectively and meet the updated ADA Title II rule on digital accessibility, Â鶹´«Ã½ follows the RCNJ framework (Remove, Conserve, New-format, Just Fix). This tool to help can help you decide what to keep and what to archive or remove. This framework is based on the industry-standard 4R Framework developed by Texas Tech University.<\/p>\n<div class=\"framework-grid\">\n<div class=\"framework-card\"><span class=\"acronym\">R<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"acronymmeaning\">Remove<\/span><br \/>\nDelete content that no longer serves a purpose.<strong>STEP 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"framework-card\"><span class=\"acronym\">C<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"acronymmeaning\">Conserve<\/span><br \/>\nArchive qualifying historical records in a compliant area.<strong>STEP 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"framework-card\"><span class=\"acronym\">N<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"acronymmeaning\">New-Format<\/span><br \/>\nRebuild with source file or convert to webpage.<strong>STEP 3<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"framework-card\"><span class=\"acronym\">J<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"acronymmeaning\">Just Fix<\/span><br \/>\nRemediate the PDF only when no other option is available.<strong>STEP 4<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"decision-box\">\n<h2>The PDF Decision Path<\/h2>\n<div class=\"decision-step\">\n<p><strong>1. Is the content current and necessary?<\/strong><br \/>\nDoes it serve a business or academic need today?<br \/>\n<em>\u2193 No: <a href=\"#remove\"><strong>Remove It<\/strong> <\/a>| \u2193 Yes: Go to Step 2<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"decision-step\">\n<p><strong>2. Does it qualify for archiving?<\/strong><br \/>\nCreated before April 2026, never changing, used only for research?<br \/>\n<em>\u2193 Yes: <a href=\"#conserve\"><strong>Conserve (Archive) It<\/strong><\/a> | \u2193 No: Go to Step 3<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"decision-step\">\n<p><strong>3. Can it be rebuilt in a better format?<\/strong><br \/>\nDo you have the Word file, or can it be a standard web page?<br \/>\n<em>\u2193 Yes: <a href=\"#newformat\"><strong>New-Format (Remake)<\/strong><\/a> | \u2193 No: Go to Step 4<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"decision-step\">\n<p><strong>4. Must it stay as a PDF?<\/strong><br \/>\nRemediation is the last resort for essential documents that cannot be moved or rebuilt.<br \/>\n<em>\u2192 <strong><a href=\"#justremediate\">Just Fix<\/a>:<\/strong> Remediate, fix tags, alt-text, and reading order.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"remove\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"divider\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/rcnjrd\/images\/icons\/ramapo-arch-icom_rule.png\" alt=\"Ramapo\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>1. Remove<\/h2>\n<p>The most efficient way to manage accessibility is to remove content that no longer serves a purpose. If a document is outdated or irrelevant to current College business, it should be deleted.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"conserve\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"divider\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/rcnjrd\/images\/icons\/ramapo-arch-icom_rule.png\" alt=\"Ramapo\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>2. Conserve (Archive)<\/h2>\n<p>Under the DOJ Title II ruling, &#8220;archival content&#8221; is exempt from proactive remediation if it <strong>meets four specific criteria<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Timeline:<\/strong> Created\/posted before April 24, 2026.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Purpose:<\/strong> Maintained exclusively for reference or record keeping.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Stored in a dedicated section clearly identified as an &#8220;Archive.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Static:<\/strong> The file must not be altered or updated after archiving.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"disclaimer-box\">\n<h3>Implementing a Compliant Archive<\/h3>\n<p>To maintain compliance, you must separate historical records from active content.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a Dedicated Folder: Use a specific path like \/archive\/ or \/history\/.<\/li>\n<li>Relocate Files: Move relevant PDFs into the new folder.<\/li>\n<li>Build an Index Page: Create a landing page (e.g., &#8220;Minutes Archive 2018\u20132023&#8221;).<\/li>\n<li>Add Accessibility Disclaimer: Include a visible link on every archive page offering assistance for users who cannot access historical data. E.g., &#8220;These documents are preserved for historical reference. If you need an accessible version of any file listed here, please contact [Your Department Email] for assistance.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"newformat\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"divider\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/rcnjrd\/images\/icons\/ramapo-arch-icom_rule.png\" alt=\"Ramapo\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>3. New-Format (Remake)<\/h2>\n<p>Before fixing a PDF, ask if it needs to be a PDF at all. We recommend two paths:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use the Source File:<\/strong> Share the accessible Word document instead. Word files reflow better on mobile devices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Convert to Web Page:<\/strong> Move the content directly into a WordPress page (HTML). It is natively accessible and searchable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a name=\"justremediate\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"divider\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/rcnjrd\/images\/icons\/ramapo-arch-icom_rule.png\" alt=\"Ramapo\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>4. Just Fix<\/h2>\n<p>Remediation is the last resort. If a document must remain a PDF (e.g., a legal form), it must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Logical Tag Structure (Headings, Lists, Tables)<\/li>\n<li>Alternative Text for all meaningful images<\/li>\n<li>Logical Reading Order<\/li>\n<li>Set Document Title and Language in Properties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To manage digital content effectively and meet the updated ADA Title II rule on digital accessibility, Â鶹´«Ã½ follows the RCNJ framework (Remove, Conserve, New-format, Just Fix). This tool to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1011,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1004","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.5 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>PDF Curation: The R.C.N.J. Framework - Digital Accessibility at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PDF Curation: The R.C.N.J. Framework\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To manage digital content effectively and meet the updated ADA Title II rule on digital accessibility, Â鶹´«Ã½ follows the RCNJ framework (Remove, Conserve, New-format, Just Fix). 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