{"id":109,"date":"2026-06-19T09:37:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T13:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.web.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/?page_id=109"},"modified":"2026-07-06T20:39:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:39:54","slug":"myths-and-paths-forward","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/myths-and-paths-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Myths and Paths Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover fb-cover-text-box wp-duotone-black-and-white\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;min-height:100%;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-content\/themes\/flintblock\/assets\/images\/sidewalk-art.jpg\" style=\"object-position:50% 95%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 95%\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-90 has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient has-blue-gradient-gradient-background\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-15d3db16 wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-brand-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-xx-large-font-size wp-elements-b15ff4ae7881fda8872fa05d72b014df\">Myths and Paths Forward<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-0e47273b wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><nav class=\"is-responsive is-vertical is-style-sidebar is-style-sidebar--1 wp-block-navigation is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-bd946717 wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Sidebar Navigation\" \n\t\t data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-context='{\"overlayOpenedBy\":{\"click\":false,\"hover\":false,\"focus\":false},\"type\":\"overlay\",\"roleAttribute\":\"\",\"ariaLabel\":\"Menu\"}'><button aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Open menu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-open\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.openMenuOnClick\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\"\n\t\t\t><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 7.5h16v1.5H4z\"><\/path><path d=\"M4 15h16v1.5H4z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container\"  id=\"modal-2\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--has-modal-open=\"state.isMenuOpen\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--is-menu-open=\"state.isMenuOpen\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\"\n\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"-1\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-close\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-dialog\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-modal=\"state.ariaModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.ariaLabel\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--role=\"state.roleAttribute\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button aria-label=\"Close menu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-close\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.closeMenuOnClick\"\n\t\t\t><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"m13.06 12 6.47-6.47-1.06-1.06L12 10.94 5.53 4.47 4.47 5.53 10.94 12l-6.47 6.47 1.06 1.06L12 13.06l6.47 6.47 1.06-1.06L13.06 12Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-content\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-watch=\"callbacks.focusFirstElement\"\n\t\t\t id=\"modal-2-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-navigation__container is-responsive is-vertical is-style-sidebar is-style-sidebar--1 wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Home<\/span><\/a><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/resources\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Campus Resources<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Campus Resources submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/resources\/grackle\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Grackle<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/resources\/panorama\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Panorama<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/resources\/syllabus-template\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Syllabus Template<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/meeting-minutes-templates\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Meeting Minutes Templates<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Best Practices Guides<\/span><\/a><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Rethinking PDFs<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Rethinking PDFs submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/shortcomings-and-frustrations-of-pdfs\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Shortcomings and Frustrations of PDFs<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/myths-and-paths-forward\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Myths and Paths Forward<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/sharing-read-only-files\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Sharing Read-Only Files<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/converting-a-pdf-to-word\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Converting a PDF to Word<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/pdf-alternatives\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">PDF Alternatives<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/email-archive\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Email Communications<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/spg.umich.edu\/policy\/601.20\" target=\"_blank\"  ><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG)<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-x-large-font-size\">The Myth of \u201cUnchangeable\u201d PDFs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many instructors turn to PDFs because they feel \u201clocked down.\u201d That used to be true, when PDFs were little more than pictures of words. But today, PDFs can be easily opened, altered, and even exported back into editable documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the University of Michigan licenses&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/its.umich.edu\/computing\/computers-software\/adobe-creative-cloud\">Adobe Creative Cloud<\/a>&nbsp;for all faculty, staff, and students, anyone can open a PDF in Adobe Acrobat and make changes. That means PDFs aren\u2019t the secure, unalterable files many imagine. Students with access to these tools can edit text, change images, or even re-export the document, all without leaving the PDF format. In fact, PDFs can also be exported directly back into Word documents, where content can be edited and republished just as easily. Even without Adobe, Microsoft Word itself can&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/edit-a-pdf-b2d1d729-6b79-499a-bcdb-233379c2f63a\">open and edit PDF files<\/a>, making alterations straightforward for anyone with access to Word. Similarly, password protected PDFs can be edited by opening the PDF in any browser and using the \u201cPrint to PDF\u201d function to save a copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So while PDFs may look permanent, they\u2019re actually editable with tools we\u2019ve already put into the hands of the entire campus community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-x-large-font-size\">A Better Way Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the goal is to share materials in a format that\u2019s easy to read but not easy to alter, cloud-based options are a stronger choice. Both&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/its.umich.edu\/communication\/collaboration\/google\">Google Workspace<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/its.umich.edu\/communication\/collaboration\/microsoft-office-365\">Office 365<\/a>&nbsp;let you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Share files as read-only, preventing edits while keeping the content accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Retain full control over access. Instructors can decide whether others can view, comment, or edit, and they can revoke access at any time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep content current without version confusion. Instead of re-uploading new files, you simply update the document and the same link always delivers the latest version.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When appropriate in your academic courses, post content directly as a Canvas page. This removes the need for students to open or download separate files and makes the material easier to navigate with built-in accessibility tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With cloud-based documents, instructors get the peace of mind that their content can\u2019t be quietly altered, while students get materials that are flexible, accessible, and always up to date. It\u2019s a win on both sides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Myth of \u201cUnchangeable\u201d PDFs Many instructors turn to PDFs because they feel \u201clocked down.\u201d That used to be true, when PDFs were little more than pictures of words. But today, PDFs can be easily opened, altered, and even exported back into editable documents. Because the University of Michigan licenses&nbsp;Adobe Creative Cloud&nbsp;for all faculty, staff, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"parent":26,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-109","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":980,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/109\/revisions\/980"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}