Welcome to the 2026 GIS in Action Annual Conference hosted by the Oregon & SW Washington Chapter of the Geospatial Professional Network & Cascadia ASPRS.
Static PDF maps are a foundational communication tool at Metro, but they often present accessibility barriers if not intentionally designed for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. This session provides a practical, production-focused approach to creating accessible static maps that work for all users that we will be applying to our Counter Map products available through our front desk at the Data Resource Center.
We will cover key accessibility considerations including color contrast, typography, layout structure, alternative text, reading order, and PDF tagging. The presentation also highlights how accessibility settings and layout structure that can be configured in ArcGIS Pro prior to export along with quality assurance steps for reviewing final PDFs.
Attendees should leave with a clear, repeatable workflow and an example of a checklist that can be integrated into existing map production processes with the goal of helping shift accessibility from a final compliance step to a standard design practice.
