Create an Accessible PDF
Creating an accessible PDF consists of five steps: Review Document Properties, Run the Accessibility Checker, Review Tags, and Review Reading Order. You will need Adobe Acrobat Pro to complete this process.
- Step 1: Review Document Properties
- Step 2: Run the Accessibility Checker
- Step 3: Review Tags
- Step 4: Review Reading Order
- Step 5: Re-Run the Accessibility Checker
- Additional Accessible PDF Resources
Step 1: Review Document Properties
The first step is to review the properties of the PDF document to ensure a title and author are listed.
The title is different from the file name. This is an opportunity to be more descriptive without the file naming convention elements like dashes, dates, versions, etc. It also improves the overall searchability and accessibility of the document properties.
It is essential to update the author to you and/or your team's other member(s). This detail is helpful if a reader needs to connect with the person responsible for the content.
- Menu
Select ‘Menu’ at the top of the screen.
- Document Properties
Select 'Document Properties' .
- Title
Add or update the 'Title'.
- Don’t include 'final' or 'draft' in the title.
- A best practice is to use the title supplied on your document's first page.
- Author
Add or update the document author.
- Ok
Select 'Ok'.
Step 2: Run the Accessibility Checker
The second step is to run the Accessibility Checker. This checks for issues with the Document (properties and color contrast), Page Content (tab order), Form (fields and descriptions), Alternate Text, Tables, Lists, and Headings. Even if the Accessibility Checker was run in the file from which the PDF was created, elements often need to be corrected in the PDF.
- Prepare for Accessibility
Select the 'All tools' menu, 'Prepare for accessibility', and 'Check for accessibility'.
- Accessibility Checker Options
On the 'Accessibility Checker Options' window, choose 'Select All' to ensure all options are checked.
- Start Checking
Select 'Start Checking'.
- Accessibility Checker
A new 'Accessibility Checker' panel opens with details of any accessibility issues within your PDF file.
- Correct Accessibility Issues
Correct each of the accessibility issues that have been flagged.
Step 3: Review Tags
The third step is to Review Tags. When a PDF is created, every piece of content within the document is assigned a tag. There are tags for all different types of content. For example, headings, paragraphs, figures, tables, etc. It is essential to confirm all content is assigned the correct tag. Screen readers can navigate a document by tags. Confirming content is tagged correctly organizes the document for people using assistive technology such as a screen reader.
- Accessibility Tags Panel
Select 'Menu' , 'View', 'Show/Hide', 'Side panels', and 'Accessibility tags'. This will open the 'Accessibility tags' panel on the right of your screen.
- Select Each Tag
On the 'Accessibility tags' panel, starting from the top, select each tag to confirm that each piece of content is tagged correctly. When a tag is selected, a box appears around the content to indicate what it is applied to. Expanding the dropdown on each tag is important to ensure every element has been checked.
- Edit Tag Properties
If a piece of content has been tagged incorrectly, it is important to fix it. Select the incorrect tag. Select the 'Options' at the top of the 'Accessibility tags' panel (ellipsis). Select 'Properties' to open the 'Object Properties' window.
- Type
Select the 'Type' dropdown, and select the correct tag type from the list.
- Close
Select 'Close' to return to the document.
Step 4: Review Reading Order
The fourth step is to Review Reading Order. Reviewing the order of every piece of content will ensure that it is read aloud in the correct order by users reviewing the document with assistive technology, such as a screen reader. For example, if you have an image at the top of a page, does it make sense to read the alt text or caption for that element first, or should heading 1 be read first?
- Order Panel
Select 'Menu' , 'View', 'Show/Hide', 'Side panels', and 'Order'. This will open the 'Order' panel on the right of your screen.
- Display Like Elements in a Single Box
Select the 'Options' at the top of the 'Order' panel (ellipsis). Select the 'Display like elements in a single box' option to identify content more granularly.
- Review Each Page
Expand the dropdown for each page. Select each element on each page, from top to bottom, to review the order in which they would be read aloud. Drag and drop the elements to adjust the reading order.
Step 5: Re-Run the Accessibility Checker
Once you have completed steps 1-4 above, it is essential to Check for Accessibility one final time. This will confirm that any edits you made improved the document's accessibility and corrected flagged errors. When your document is fully accessible, no errors will appear in the Accessibility Checker panel.
- Prepare for Accessibility
Select the 'All tools' menu, 'Prepare for accessibility', and 'Check for accessibility'.
- Accessibility Checker Options
On the 'Accessibility Checker Options' window, choose 'Select All' to ensure all options are checked.
- Start Checking
Select 'Start Checking'.
- Accessibility Checker
A new 'Accessibility Checker' panel opens with details of any accessibility issues within your PDF file.
- Correct Accessibility Issues
Correct each of the accessibility issues that have been flagged.
Additional Accessible PDF Resources
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Accessibility for PDFs
Review the Accessibility Community of Practice January 2025 presentation to learn more about Accessibility for PDFs. Note: This presentation is available on the Agency of Human Services Inclusion & Accessibility SharePoint site, which is available to State of Vermont Employees. Employees may be prompted to request access.
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Create and Verify PDF Accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
Visit Adobe to learn how to create and verify PDF accessibility in Acrobat Pro.