AREC Unit Newsletters
As of April 2026, public-facing newsletters should not be distributed as PDFs unless you have ensured your PDF conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We understand this is time consuming and there is a learning curve for PDF accessibility.
What to use instead: We recommend Microsoft Sway as an alternative to PDF newsletters. Sway is the closest 1:1 replacement for a PDF you create and attach to your email.
What if I upload my PDF and send a link, send it as an image, etc? Does that mean it is "accessible"?
There is no loophole or shortcut that will make a non-accessible PDF an accessible format (besides doing manual PDF remediation). Turning your PDF into an image, putting the file on your website, uploading it to Google Drive, etc. does not make a non-accessible PDF accessible.
What if I create a separate accessible version?
An alternative accessible version of a PDF newsletter you send out along with the inaccessible PDF is not Title II compliant. For example, you can not distribute your inaccessible PDF alongside an accessible version of the document.
Getting started with Sway:
AREC Templates - Please follow instructions and duplicate the template before you begin:
- Alson H. Smith Jr. AREC
- The Stalk -Eastern Shore AREC
- Eastern Virginia AREC
- Hampton Roads AREC
- Middleburg AREC
- Reynolds Homestead AREC
- Shenandoah Valley AREC
- Southern Piedmont AREC
- Southwest Virginia AREC
- Tidewater AREC
- Virginia Seafood AREC
Once you've distributed your Sway newsletter link via e-mail, create a QR code and use it in one of the Canva printable flyer templates (below) for printed promotion of your newsletter to share in your unit's lobby area or to hand out at events. You do not have to have a Canva Pro account to use these templates.
- Flyer template for lobby 8.5 X 11 - Newsletter Promo
- Handouts for events 2-UP 8.5 X 11 - Newsletter Promo
Still have questions about Sway? Contact: Suzanne Pruitt, AREC Marketing & Communications - suzannemp@vt.edu