Note: The Accessibility Checker and Accessibility Repair feature require access to Adobe Acrobat Pro. Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Acrobat Standard do not have the complete set of tools needed to create and validate PDF documents for accessibility. If you do not have Acrobat Pro, consult with your campus IT department.
Note: Optimally, document accessibility should begin in the native document format. For example, many documents are created using a word processing or desktop publishing application, and then exported as PDF documents. Many things can be done in native document applications to support accessibility, such as adding alternative text for images, defining structural headings, lists, and data tables, providing document language, and setting document properties such as titles. Making the native document accessible allows for less work when changes are made to the native document and the PDF document is regenerated.
Creating and verifying PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
The Prepare for Accessibility tool helps you evaluate and enhance PDF accessibility. When used, it will highlight accessibility concerns that need fixing, like absent document descriptions or titles. This feature scans for elements that typically require accessibility modifications, such as scanned content, forms, tables, and graphics. The tool works with most PDF documents, though it's incompatible with dynamic XFA forms or portfolios.
Characteristics of an accessible PDF file
- Searchable text: Scanned PDFs must be converted to searchable text by using Adobe Acrobat to enable optical character recognition (OCR). This will allow the text to be read by a screen reader.
- Document language and title indication: Specifying the document language allows screen readers to use appropriate language and pronunciations; a document title will assist in locating and identifying the document.
- Document tags and proper reading order: Document structure tags provide screen readers a way to present the text in a way that makes sense; tag structure also allows for the document to be resized and reflowed for viewing at larger sizes and on mobile devices.
- Alternative Text Descriptions for Non-Text Elements: Screen reader users cannot understand document elements like images and interactive form fields without adding alternative text. While link text is accessible to screen reader users, more descriptive replacement (actual) text can be added. Multimedia content, such as audio and video elements, also requires equivalent text alternatives to be accessible.
- Contrasting colors:: Learn how to use color accessibly with the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker.
Ways to share information instead of using a PDF
- Canvas Pages can be used for assignments, discussion instructions, prompts, or instructional materials.
- Word and PowerPoint files can be provided in the original format.
- Instead of creating PDFs of web-based articles to share, share links directly to those articles. Use gift links for paywalled articles, or work with the university librarian to provide access. If you are concerned about the link breaking, save the PDF as a backup and follow the steps below to ensure it is accessible.
- Use UDOIT to convert scanned PDFs to Canvas pages.