Best Practices for Creating Accessible PDF Documents
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Creating Accessible PDF Documents

Creating Accessible PDF Documents

Faculty Resources

Focus: Readable, searchable, and accessible PDF documents

Tips & Guidance:

  • Start with an accessible source document (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) before converting to PDF. This ensures heading structure, alt text, and tags carry over automatically.

  • Avoid scanned image-only PDFs created from a copier or flatbed scanner — these are not readable by screen readers or searchable by students.

  • Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in Adobe Acrobat to make scanned documents accessible:

    • Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

    • Go to Tools → Scan & OCR → Recognize Text → In This File.

    • Choose All Pages and ensure the correct language is selected.

    • Save the file once OCR completes; the text is now selectable, searchable, and readable.

  • Check document tagging:

    • In Acrobat, go to View → Show/Hide → Navigation Panes → Tags.

    • Make sure the PDF has a logical tag structure (Headings, Lists, Paragraphs).

    • If missing, use Autotag Document under Accessibility Tools.

  • Use the Accessibility Checker in Acrobat:

    • Open Tools → Accessibility → Full Check (Accessibility Check).

    • Review results for issues like missing alt text, reading order, or contrast.

  • Ensure correct reading order:

    • Use Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order to check and fix the order screen readers will follow.

  • Avoid landscape flips or sideways text:

    • Always save PDFs in portrait orientation unless necessary.

    • Rotate pages in Acrobat via Organize Pages → Rotate View → Apply to All Pages to ensure a consistent reading experience.

  • Maintain simple layout and structure:

    • Avoid multi-column text that can confuse screen readers.

    • Use headings, short paragraphs, and clear spacing.

    • Do not rely solely on visuals to convey key information.

  • Add document properties:

    • In Acrobat, go to File → Properties → Description Tab and add Title, Author, and Keywords.

    • These help users identify content quickly and improve search indexing.

  • Provide alternative formats:

    • Offer a Word or HTML version of complex PDFs so assistive technology can more easily navigate long or graphic-heavy materials.

Focus: Checking and repairing accessibility in existing PDFs

Tips & Guidance:

  • Use Adobe Acrobat Pro’s Accessibility Toolset:

    • Autotag Document for automatic heading and paragraph tagging.

    • Set Alternate Text for images and graphics.

    • Fix Reading Order using the Reading Order tool.

    • Run Accessibility Report and address flagged issues.

  • When fixing scanned PDFs, ensure OCR has correctly identified characters — check for common errors (e.g., “rn” misread as “m”).

  • Always test PDFs with screen readers or text-to-speech tools to verify real usability.  Natural Reader is a great online tool to check PDF.

  • Avoid layering text boxes or objects over scanned pages; instead, replace poor-quality scans with true digital text.

PDF Accessibility Support:

Tips & Guidance: