Creating Accessible PDFs

Accessible PDFs

Westfield State students, staff, and faculty have access to Adobe Acrobat through the University and do not need to sign up for a free trial.

When sharing information online, use an accessible webpage instead of a PDF whenever practical. Webpages are generally easier to navigate, maintain, and use across different devices and assistive technologies.

Internal content should be shared through myWestfield or SharePoint rather than on the public University website. The department or office responsible for creating and publishing a PDF is also responsible for ensuring that the document is accessible.

Sometimes, however, a PDF may be necessary. In these cases, the PDF should be created and checked for accessibility before it is published or shared so that people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification software, and other assistive technologies can access the information.

Learn more: Create Accessible PDFs — Section508.gov

Make Scanned PDFs Searchable with OCR

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is technology that recognizes text within scanned documents and images. A scanned PDF may contain only an image of the text rather than actual searchable text. OCR converts image-based text into text that can be selected, searched, and read by assistive technologies.

Important: Running OCR is only one step toward making a PDF accessible. After using OCR, the PDF should also be checked for other accessibility requirements, including document structure and tags, reading order, headings, alternative text for meaningful images, document language, tables, links, and form fields when applicable.

How to use OCR in Adobe Acrobat

  1. Open the scanned PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Select All tools > Scan & OCR.
  3. Under Recognize Text, select In this file.
  4. Select the appropriate pages and document language.
  5. Select Recognize Text.
  6. Review the recognized text for accuracy and correct any errors.
  7. Save the updated PDF.

OCR creates a searchable text layer in the PDF. Be sure to review the results, since OCR may not recognize every word correctly.

Learn more: Recognize Text in Scanned PDFs — Adobe Acrobat

Check Your PDF for Accessibility

After creating or editing a PDF, use Adobe Acrobat Pro's accessibility tools to identify and correct accessibility issues.

Run an accessibility check in Adobe Acrobat

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  2. Select All tools > View more > Prepare for accessibility.
  3. Select Check for accessibility.
  4. Choose the appropriate accessibility checking options and select Start Checking.
  5. Review the results and correct any issues identified.
  6. Pay particular attention to items marked Needs Manual Check, since some accessibility requirements cannot be evaluated automatically

When reviewing your PDF, check that:

  • Text is searchable and selectable.
  • The document has appropriate tags and structure.
  • Headings are identified correctly and follow a logical hierarchy.
  • Content follows a logical reading order.
  • Images have appropriate alternative text.
  • Decorative images are identified appropriately so they can be ignored by assistive technologies.
  • Tables have appropriate structure and headers.
  • Links have meaningful, descriptive text.
  • The document's language and title are identified.
  • Form fields, if present, have appropriate labels and a logical tab order.
  • The document can be navigated using a keyboard.

An automated accessibility checker is useful, but it cannot identify every possible accessibility issue. Some items must be reviewed manually.

Learn more: Create and Verify PDF Accessibility — Adobe Acrobat

What to Do When a PDF Is Not Accessible

Make the PDF Accessible

If the PDF needs to remain available, remediate the document so that it is accessible.

Depending on the document, this may include:

  • Applying OCR to scanned text.
  • Adding and correcting document tags.
  • Establishing a logical reading order.
  • Creating an appropriate heading structure.
  • Adding alternative text to meaningful images.
  • Properly identifying decorative images.
  • Correcting tables and lists.
  • Adding descriptive link text.
  • Identifying the document title and language.
  • Making forms and form fields accessible.
  • Running Adobe Acrobat Pro's accessibility checker.
  • Manually reviewing items that cannot be checked automatically.

Whenever possible, accessibility should be incorporated into the original document before it is converted to PDF. This can reduce the amount of remediation required afterward.

Learn more: Create and Verify PDF Accessibility — Adobe Acrobat

Provide an accessible alternative

If information cannot be made accessible in its existing format, provide the same information in an accessible format that gives users equivalent access to the content.

Do not rely solely on offering to email an inaccessible PDF upon request as a substitute for making online content accessible. Accessibility should be considered when content is created and published so that users with disabilities can access the same information without unnecessary barriers or delays.

Learn more: First Steps Toward Complying with the ADA Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule — ADA.gov

Looking for additional resources?

Explore additional resources for comprehensive insights into accessibility.