PDFs are one of the most common file formats to be used globally. Whether for business documents, academic research, or digital publications, they are preferred for their uniformity and ease of use. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Equidox, respondents reported interacting with PDFs anywhere from 5 to 20 times a day, and between 15 and 100 times a week.
Despite their popularity, many organizations fail to realize just how important it is to make PDFs accessible to everyone. In fact, 67% of people surveyed said the PDFs they came across were either partially or completely unreadable. Moreover, 72% of respondents, in the same survey, pointed out that these inaccessible PDFs directly impacted their ability to do their jobs or finish their schoolwork.
In this article, you will understand what PDF accessibility is, why it is important, and how to make a PDF accessible.
What is PDF Accessibility?
An accessible PDF is one in which each page element in a PDF document is tagged appropriately with PDF tags (similar to HTML tags) that help identify the content type and format and establish a logical reading order for assistive technologies to follow.
With the increasing number of users with visual impairment and individuals with other disabilities around the world, there is a responsibility to make all digital content accessible.
With regards to PDF accessibility, meeting comprehensive standards such as WCAG 2.2, PDF/UA, and Section 508 allows for the creation of accessible PDF documents to be read by screen readers like JAWS or NVDA, text-to-speech tools, screen magnification, and other assistive technologies.
A fully accessible PDF makes it easy for people with disabilities to access and navigate the document interpreting and understanding the content with the aid of assistive technology.
Importance of PDF Accessibility
Creating accessible PDF documents is essential for various reasons, from legal compliance to making an ethical move. Here are other reasons why PDF accessibility should take center stage when creating important business-related documents:
Empowers Everyone: Accessible PDFs ensure people with disabilities can easily read and interact with your content.
Complies with Legal Standards: With PDF accessibility at the core of your organization, you stay compliant with laws like Section 508, ADA, and WCAG 2.2.
Enhances Usability: Creating accessible PDF documents isn’t just beneficial for individuals with disabilities. Everyone who wants easy readability can benefit from it.
Reaches a Wider Audience: Accessible PDFs open your content to more people, including assistive tech users and even people who are not digitally advanced.
Boosts Brand Reputation: Imagine being called the socially and ethically responsible brand that cares about its audience regardless of their abilities. With PDF accessibility at the core, you can show commitment to inclusion and stand out as a socially responsible organization.
3 Main Parts of an Accessible PDF
When considering PDF accessibility, you need to focus on three main components:
Visual
What you see on the screen is the visual layer of a PDF. One of the biggest perks of using a PDF is that it preserves the exact look and layout of the original document, often called the "source document." Whether you're viewing it on different devices with varying screen sizes or printing it out, the appearance stays consistent, making it incredibly reliable.
Content
The PDF accessibility comes with a second layer of content that handles the essential formatting of text, such as colors, fonts, and the arrangement of text into lists or tables. If you choose to “reflow” a document, say, to make it easier to read on a smaller screen, this layer takes over, displaying the content in a simplified format instead of sticking to the original visual layout.
Tags
The tags layer is where a document's structure lives. It organizes elements like links, headings, tables, and lists. This layer plays a crucial role in supporting assistive technologies, such as screen readers, by giving them access to this structured information. For instance, a screen reader can help users jump straight to headings, making navigation faster and more efficient.
How to Make a PDF Accessible
Creating accessible PDF documents requires you to follow certain steps for a smoother flow of process. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make a PDF accessible:
Create a Logical Reading Order
The way your tags are arranged in the tags tree plays a big role in how screen readers interpret your document. To make sure the content flows smoothly for users, the tags need to follow a logical sequence. Similarly, the reflow order of your PDF should feel intuitive. You can manage this by making sure the containers in your content pane are stacked in the right order.
Add PDF Tags
Adding PDF tags is a crucial element of the PDF accessibility process. The structure tags in an accessible PDF define the reading order and identify page elements like sections, paragraphs, headings, and tables. With the help of tag structure in an accessible PDF document, the documents can be reflowed and resized for convenient viewing on mobile as well as larger devices.
Here are some tags to consider for creating accessible PDF documents:
Heading Tags: They provide structure to your document and organize the content inside. The first heading should be in H1 and then followed in a hierarchical structure up to H6. The levels should not be skipped.
Link Tags: The links inside an accessible PDF should have descriptive link tags.
Paragraph Tags: PDF accessibility is incomplete without adding a paragraph tag which can be indicated with a
to show regular paragraph text.
List Tags: Lists are a great way to keep content organized. To structure them properly, use to wrap the entire list,
for individual items, and to define the content within each list item.
Table Tags: For creating accessible PDF documents, data tables should include clear headers for both columns and rows, with a scope designated to link header cells to their data. Complex tables should be simplified, but if used, cell IDs must ensure proper association. Layout tables should not be tagged as data tables, and a table of contents should be structured appropriately, with navigational links for easy access.
Image Tags: When adding images for PDF accessibility, wrap them in a tag and make sure to include meaningful alt text that accurately describes the image.
Add Alt Text
Alternate text is a brief description added to images, allowing screen readers to convey their purpose to users with visual impairment. It’s crucial for PDF accessibility as it ensures equal access to information for everyone.
In the Accessibility Panel, click on "Set Alternate Text." A popup will appear, walking you through each image in your document. Here, you can add or edit alt text as needed or mark images as "Decorative" if they don’t carry any important information.
Check Color Contrast
Ensure your PDF text and elements have clear color contrast, with a ratio of at least 4.5:1 for standard text. Adobe’s Accessibility Checker will prompt you to review this, or you can use tools like Color Contrast Analyser. If issues arise, fix them in the original source document for better results and a smoother process.
Tag Interactive Elements
When creating accessible PDF documents, correctly tagging the interactive elements like form fields is essential to make them navigable with just the keyboard. Every form field should have a clear, easy-to-understand label and, if needed, a helpful tooltip to guide users. Set up a logical and intuitive tab order to make navigation a breeze. When adding hyperlinks, use descriptive link text that tells users exactly what to expect. Do not use vague terms like “click here.”
Contain Necessary Metadata
Set the document language to help screen readers with accurate pronunciation and smoother navigation. Give your PDF a clear and meaningful title, and make sure it’s set to display in the window options for better accessibility and usability.
How to Check PDF Accessibility
To create accessible PDF documents, you need to thoroughly test their accessibility with a mix of different methods. Here are some ways in which you can check PDF accessibility:
Automated PDF Checking Tools
With the help of automated PDF-checking tools and software, you can identify accessibility issues quickly and conveniently. These include untagged content, missing alternate data, missing metadata, and other issues.
While there are automated solutions for checking PDF accessibility, manual testing is also required. With manual testing, you can ensure that all the documents are readable and easily navigational and that the tagging and hyperlinking are accurate for screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Assistive Technology
Creating accessible PDF documents is incomplete without running through the document content in assistive technology like screen readers. When you run it through these, you can pinpoint any inaccuracies.
How to Convert a Standard PDF into an Accessible PDF
A standard PDF needs to be tagged to provide a structured representation of the content for screen readers to interpret. Tagging a PDF document has always been a time-consuming and cumbersome task.
There are many PDF document remediators in the market that offer licensed software for PDF remediation that traditionally come with a high learning curve requiring extensive knowledge of the various standards making the tagging process arduous, time-consuming, and comes with a hefty price tag.
PDF remediation is the process of accurately tagging an inaccessible PDF by identifying and tagging the document structure with appropriate tags for page elements like headings, paragraphs, image alt text, nested lists, and tables making it accessible.
In the case of scanned PDFs, the documents need to be processed through optical character recognition (OCR). OCR takes a scanned image of a page and converts it into a text layer and then after that, the document is tagged.
Achieve Seamless PDF Accessibility with PREP - One of the leading PDF Remediation Software
PREP is a PDF and document remediation platform that is intuitive, affordable, and scalable. It has the framework to deliver a high volume of accurately tagged accessible PDFs in a short period.
AI-Driven Automation: PREP revolutionizes document remediation with AI-driven automation that takes care of 90% of the process, freeing up your time and energy.
Scalability and Affordability: Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, PREP offers a scalable and budget-friendly solution that grows with your needs.
Cloud-Based Access: Accessing PREP is a breeze thanks to its cloud-based platform, which means you can work on documents from anywhere, anytime.
Collaborative Features: Collaboration is made simple with PREP, allowing teams to easily work together on document remediation projects.
Legal Compliance: Stay compliant effortlessly, as PREP ensures your documents meet ADA/508/EAA standards and adhere to WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines.
Beginner-Friendly: Even if you’re new to document remediation, PREP is intuitive and user-friendly, so you can get started without a steep learning curve.
Support for Scanned Documents: PREP also supports the remediation of scanned files, making it a versatile tool for all your document needs.
