PDF Remediation Guide

Learn when to remediate PDFs, step-by-step workflows in Adobe Acrobat, and how to test for accessibility.

Reading time: 12 minutes

Remediate, Recreate, or Provide Alternative?

Before spending hours fixing a PDF, decide the best approach:

Approach When to Use Time Estimate
Remediate existing PDF Source file unavailable; document is final; simple structure 30 min – 4 hours
Recreate from source Word/InDesign file available; complex tables; major issues Often faster than remediation
Provide HTML alternative Content should be on web anyway; frequently updated Varies; best long-term
Provide text transcript PDF is scanned image; extremely complex (diagrams) Depends on length

Pro Tip

If you have the source Word document, it's almost always faster to fix accessibility there and re-export than to remediate the PDF directly.

PDF Accessibility Requirements

Accessible PDFs must have:

Adobe Acrobat Pro Workflow

Step 1: Run the Accessibility Check

  1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
  2. Go toTools Accessibility
  3. ClickFull Check
  4. In the dialog, ensure all options are checked
  5. ClickStart Checking
  6. Review the report—it shows pass/fail/manual check for each item

Step 2: Set Document Properties

  1. Go toFile Properties
  2. In theDescriptiontab:
    • Add aTitle(required—this is what screen readers announce)
    • AddAuthorandSubject(optional but helpful)
  3. In theInitial Viewtab:
    • SetShow: Document Title(not filename)
  4. In theAdvancedtab:
    • SetLanguageto English (or appropriate language)

Step 3: Add or Fix Tags

Tags define the document structure (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables).

  1. If no tags exist:Tools Accessibility Add Tags to Document
  2. Open the Tags panel:View Show/Hide Navigation Panes Tags
  3. Review auto-generated tags—they're often wrong
  4. Right-click tags to change type (e.g., change <P> to <H1>)

Step 4: Fix Reading Order

  1. Go toTools Accessibility Reading Order
  2. ClickShow Order Panel
  3. Numbers show the reading sequence
  4. Drag items to reorder if needed
  5. Select content and click buttons to tag as Figure, Table, Heading, etc.

Step 5: Add Alt Text to Images

  1. In the Tags panel, find<Figure>tags
  2. Right-clickProperties
  3. In theTagtab, addAlternate Text
  4. For decorative images, checkDecorative Figure(or change tag to Artifact)

Writing Good Alt Text

  • Describe what the imageconveys, not just what it shows
  • Keep it concise (usually under 125 characters)
  • Don't start with "Image of" or "Picture of"
  • For charts/graphs, summarize the key data or trend

Step 6: Fix Tables

  1. In the Tags panel, find the<Table>tag
  2. Right-clickTable Editor
  3. Click on header cells and mark them asHeader Cell (TH)
  4. Set theScope(Column or Row) for each header
  5. Ensure data cells are marked asData Cell (TD)

Step 7: Fix Forms

  1. Go toTools Prepare Form
  2. For each field, double-click to open properties
  3. Add aName(label for screen readers)
  4. Add aTooltipfor additional context
  5. SetTab Order: Right-click form Order Panels by Row/Column

Step 8: Final Accessibility Check

  1. RunFull Checkagain
  2. Address any remaining issues
  3. Test with a screen reader if possible

Creating Accessible PDFs from Word

Start with an accessible Word document, then export correctly.

Before Exporting

Export Settings

  1. Go toFile Save As(or Export)
  2. ChoosePDFformat
  3. ClickOptions(or More Options)
  4. Check:"Create bookmarks using: Headings"
  5. Check:"Document structure tags for accessibility"
  6. Save the PDF

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue Fix
Document has no tags Run "Add Tags to Document" in Accessibility tools
Images missing alt text Add via Tags panel Figure Properties
Wrong reading order Use Reading Order tool to renumber content
Table without headers Use Table Editor to mark header cells
No document title File Properties Description Title
Language not set File Properties Advanced Language
Scanned/image-only PDF Run OCR first: Tools Scan & OCR Recognize Text
Form fields unlabeled Prepare Form Add Name and Tooltip to each field

Testing PDF Accessibility

Automated Tools

Manual Testing

When to Outsource

Consider professional remediation services for:

Contact theAccessibility Officefor vendor recommendations.

PDF Accessibility Checklist