Why PDFs are challenging
PDF (Portable Document Format) was designed for print, not digital accessibility. While PDFs can be made accessible, they present significant challenges:
- Scanned PDFs are images — No selectable text, completely inaccessible
- Complex remediation — Requires specialized software and expertise
- Often unnecessary — HTML or Word formats are usually better alternatives
- Inconsistent support — Screen reader behavior varies across PDF readers
Consider alternatives first
Before creating or remediating a PDF, ask:
- Could this be a web page (HTML)?
- Could users access a Word document instead?
- Is the PDF necessary for legal/archival purposes?
Web pages and Word documents are almost always more accessible than PDFs.
Types of PDFs
| Type | How created | Accessibility status | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scanned/image PDF | Scanner, photo | ❌ Inaccessible | OCR + full remediation needed |
| Untagged digital PDF | Export without accessibility settings | ⚠️ Partially accessible | Add tags and structure |
| Tagged PDF | Proper export from Word/InDesign | ✓ Potentially accessible | Verify and fix issues |
| PDF/UA compliant | Professional remediation | ✓✓ Fully accessible | Verify periodically |
Checking if a PDF is accessible
Quick tests
- Select text: Try to highlight text. If you can't, it's a scanned image.
- Check for tags: In Acrobat, go to File → Properties → check if "Tagged PDF: Yes"
- Read with screen reader: Does it make sense when read aloud?
Using Adobe Acrobat Pro accessibility checker
- Open PDF in Acrobat Pro
- Go to All tools → Prepare for accessibility
- Click Check for accessibility
- Run Full Check
- Review results in the Accessibility Checker panel
Free checking tools
Creating accessible PDFs
The best approach is to create accessible source documents and export properly.
From Microsoft Word
- Create accessible Word document (see Word guide)
- Run Accessibility Checker in Word first
- Go to File → Export → Create PDF/XPS
- Click Options
- Check "Document structure tags for accessibility"
- Check "PDF/A compliance" if needed for archival
- Click OK, then Publish
From Adobe InDesign
- Build accessibility into the InDesign document:
- Use paragraph styles for headings
- Set reading order in Articles panel
- Add alt text to images (Object → Object Export Options)
- Export: File → Export → Adobe PDF (Interactive)
- Check "Create Tagged PDF"
- Set language in Advanced options
From Google Docs
Google Docs PDF export has limited accessibility support:
- Exports some structure but often incomplete
- Better option: Download as Word, then export from Word
- Or: Publish as web page (File → Share → Publish to web)
Remediating existing PDFs
If you must remediate an existing PDF, here's the process:
Tools needed
- Adobe Acrobat Pro — Required for full remediation (UA site license available)
- ABBYY FineReader — For OCR of scanned documents
- CommonLook PDF — Professional remediation tool
Basic remediation steps (Acrobat Pro)
- OCR if needed: All tools → Scan & OCR → Recognize Text
- Add tags: All tools → Prepare for accessibility → Auto-tag document
- Set language: File → Properties → Advanced → Reading Options → Language
- Set title: File → Properties → Description → Title
- Fix reading order: All tools → Prepare for accessibility → Set reading order
- Add alt text: Right-click images → Edit Alt Text
- Fix tables: Use Table Editor to set headers
- Create bookmarks: For long documents, add navigational bookmarks
- Run checker: Full accessibility check, fix remaining issues
Scanned document remediation
- Run OCR: Converts image text to selectable text
- Review OCR accuracy: Check for recognition errors, especially in tables
- Add structure: Follow basic remediation steps above
- Consider alternatives: Often easier to recreate than remediate
When to remediate vs. recreate
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Simple text document | Recreate in Word or as web page |
| Scanned form | Recreate as fillable web form or Word |
| Complex report with source files | Fix source, re-export with accessibility |
| Historical document (no source) | Remediate if important; provide text alternative |
| Legal/archival document | Remediate; may need PDF/UA compliance |
| Frequently updated document | Convert to web page for easier maintenance |
Accessible PDF forms
PDF forms have additional accessibility requirements:
- All form fields must have labels
- Tab order must be logical
- Required fields must be indicated
- Error messages must be accessible
- Submit buttons must be keyboard accessible
Better alternative: Web forms
Consider using web-based forms instead of PDF forms:
- Microsoft Forms — Accessible and UA-supported
- Qualtrics — For surveys and complex forms
- HTML forms — Most flexible and accessible option
PDF accessibility checklist
- ☐ Document is tagged (not a scanned image)
- ☐ Document title is set in properties
- ☐ Document language is specified
- ☐ Reading order is logical
- ☐ Headings are properly tagged (H1, H2, etc.)
- ☐ Images have alt text
- ☐ Tables have header cells identified
- ☐ Links have meaningful text
- ☐ Color contrast is sufficient
- ☐ Bookmarks exist for long documents
- ☐ Acrobat Accessibility Checker passes
- ☐ Tested with screen reader
Getting help
PDF remediation can be time-consuming. Get help:
- High-volume remediation: Contact accessibility@arizona.edu for vendor options
- Training: Request Acrobat accessibility training through training calendar
- Consultation: Request a consultation for guidance on complex documents