About Accessible PDFs

Accessible PDFs make course materials, forms, policies, and research usable for everyone, including people who rely on screen readers and other assistive technologies. Accessibility also supports legal compliance under Section 508 and the ADA, and it improves overall usability for all readers. It is the responsibility of the document creator to ensure that PDFs are accessible before they are shared or published. Creating accessible documents at the source not only supports compliance with accessibility standards but also ensures that all members of the university community can access and benefit from the information provided. Using the information below will help creators ensure their documents meet standards and address issues regarding the inclusion of tags that enhance the use of screen readers.

Before you begin

• Ensure you have Adobe Acrobat Pro.  To learn how to download this software, visit the IIT Adobe software webpage. 

• Create your document accessibility in the authoring tool first. Use built-in heading styles, real lists and tables, descriptive link text, and alternative text for images. Export to PDF as a tagged PDF when possible.

• If a PDF is a scan, plan to run OCR in Acrobat so the text becomes selectable and readable.

Acrobat Pro quick start

Adobe has introduced a streamlined accessibility workflow called Prepare for accessibility. In the new experience, tools appear on the left. If your interface looks different, you can still find the same tools via All tools.

Step-by-step: Prepare a PDF for accessibility in Acrobat Pro

1) Open the Prepare for accessibility tool and run a check

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro.

2. Select All tools, then View more, then Prepare for accessibility.

3. In the left panel, choose Check for accessibility. In the Accessibility Checker Options dialog, select the checks you need, then Start checking. A panel on the right lists results that are Passed, Needs manual check, or Failed. You can also open a full accessibility report from the left panel.

4. Right-click each element to select the action you would like to take.  The "Fix" option is available when Aucrobat can assist to help update the issue.

Tip: From each issue’s options menu, you can choose Fix, Skip rule, Explain, or Check again. Use Check again after you make changes.

2) Fix common issues using Acrobat’s guided actions

Work through the items flagged by the checker. The items below map to what you will often see.

• Tags missing or incorrect reading order
  Choose Prepare for accessibility, then Automatically tag PDF to add a tags tree. For fine-tuning order and structure, choose Fix reading order to adjust headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables.

• Image-only PDF or scanned text
  Go to All tools, then Scan & OCR, then Recognize text, then In this file. Choose the pages and language, then Recognize text. This converts images of text into real text for assistive technologies.

• Set the document language
  In the Accessibility Checker results, select Primary language, then Fix, and pick the correct language in the Set reading language dialog.

• Missing alternative text for figures
  In the checker, select Figures alternate text, then Fix. Enter concise, meaningful descriptions in the Set alternate text dialog. You can also add or edit alt text in the Tags panel. For decorative images, mark them as decorative.

• Document title not set
  In the checker, select Title, then Fix and enter the title. You can also set it in File, Document properties, Description.

• Bookmarks required
  Documents with 21 pages or more should have bookmarks that mirror the document structure. In the checker, select Bookmarks, then Fix to generate bookmarks from structural elements.

• Untagged content or artifacts
  Ensure all content appears in the Tags tree or is marked as an artifact. Use the "Content Panel" to create an artifact for decorative items, or use Fix reading order to apply appropriate tags.

• Tab order does not follow the structure
  In the checker, use Fix for Tab order when available. For manual control of tab order for links, fields, comments, and annotations, use the Page thumbnails panel and adjust as needed.

3) Rerun the accessibility check

After each round of fixes, choose Check again in the Accessibility Checker panel. Confirm that items now pass or have been verified as manually checked.

4) Save the accessibility report

From the left panel, select Open accessibility report. Save this report as a PDF for your records or quality assurance review.

5) Limitations and special cases

Prepare for accessibility, as it cannot run on dynamic XFA forms or PDF portfolios. These require alternate remediation steps.

Quality checklist for campus PDFs

Use this short list while you work:

• The PDF is tagged, and the reading order is logical.

• Document language is set correctly.

• Images and figures have appropriate alternative text. Decorative images are marked decorative.

• Tables use true table structure with header cells identified in the tags tree.

• Links are descriptive. Avoid “click here.”

• Forms use the Prepare form tool and each field has a clear name and tooltip.

• Long documents include bookmarks aligned to the heading structure.

• Scans have been OCR’d and checked for recognition errors.

Troubleshooting

• If autotagging produces poor structure, fix the reading order and tags manually using the Fix reading order tool and the Tags panel.

• If color contrast is flagged, verify content against WCAG 1.4.3 contrast guidance or adjust your source document, then regenerate the PDF.

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