Creating and Improving Accessible PDFs

PDF files are widely used throughout Maine.gov agency sites, but they have rarely been made fully accessible. I'm going to outline some of the pitfalls of PDF accessibility, as well as how to make more accessible PDFs.

The process below depends upon access to Adobe Acrobat Pro.

About accessible PDFs

Accessible PDFs have the following characteristics.

  • Searchable text: A document that consists of scanned images of text is inherently inaccessible because the content of the document is images, not searchable text. Assistive software cannot read or extract the words, users cannot select or edit the text, and you cannot manipulate the PDF for accessibility. Convert the scanned images of text to searchable text using optical character recognition (OCR) before you can use other accessibility features with the document.
  • Alternate text descriptions: Screen readers cannot read document features such as images and interactive form fields unless they have associated alternate text. Screen readers can read web links; however, you can provide more meaningful descriptions as alternate text. Alternate text and tool tips can aid many users, including users with learning disabilities.
  • Fonts that allow characters to be extracted to text: The fonts in an accessible PDF must contain enough information for Acrobat to extract all of the characters to text for purposes other than displaying text on the screen. Acrobat extracts characters to Unicode text when you read a PDF with a screen reader or the Read Out Loud feature. Acrobat also extracts characters to Unicode when you save as text for a braille printer. This extraction fails if Acrobat cannot determine how to map the font to Unicode characters.
  • Reading order and document structure tags: To read a document’s text and present it in a way that makes sense to the user, a screen reader or other text-to-speech tool requires a structured document. Document structure tags in a PDF define the reading order and identify headings, paragraphs, sections, tables, and other page elements.
  • Interactive form fields: Some PDFs contain forms that a person is to fill out using a computer. To be accessible, form fields must be interactive to let the user enter values into the form fields.
  • Navigational aids: Navigational aids in a PDF include links, bookmarks, headings, table of contents, and preset tab order for form fields. Navigational aids assist users in understanding the document without reading completely through it. Bookmarks are especially useful and can be created from document headings.
  • Document language: Specifying the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language.

Creating accessible PDF files using Microsoft Word

Creating accessible PDF files using Microsoft Word is an important step in ensuring that your documents can be easily read and understood by individuals with disabilities. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create accessible PDFs from Word:

Prepare Your Word Document:

Start by writing or opening your document in Microsoft Word.

Use a readable font and proper formatting (e.g., headings, lists, and styles) for better accessibility.

Add Alternative Text to Images:

For any images, charts, or graphs, right-click on them, select "Format Picture," and then go to the "Alt Text" tab to provide a concise and descriptive alternative text description.

Use Proper Heading Styles:

Use Word's built-in heading styles (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) to structure your document. This helps screen readers and assistive technologies understand the document's hierarchy.

Create Meaningful Hyperlinks:

Ensure that hyperlinks have descriptive text instead of generic phrases like "click here." Right-click on the hyperlink, select "Edit Hyperlink," and enter a meaningful description in the "Text to display" field.

Use Lists and Bullets:

When creating lists, use the built-in bullet or numbering styles in Word instead of manually typing them. This ensures proper structuring for screen readers.

Check Reading Order:

Use the "Accessibility Checker" tool in Word to review the reading order of your document and make necessary adjustments. Ensure that the content flows logically.

Set Language and Document Properties:

In Word, set the document language through the "Review" tab > "Language" > "Set Proofing Language."

Update the document properties, including title, author, and keywords, under "File" > "Info" > "Properties."

Check for Color Contrast:

Ensure that text and background colors have sufficient contrast for readability. Use tools like the Accessibility Checker or online contrast checkers to verify.

Avoid Using Tables for Layout:

If you need to use tables, ensure they are for data, not layout purposes. Add appropriate headers and summaries to data tables.

Save as PDF:

Once your Word document is ready, go to "File" > "Save As" and select "PDF" as the file format. You may need to choose options like "Standard" or "Minimum size" based on your needs.

Enable Accessibility Features in PDF:

In the PDF save dialog, ensure that the "Document properties" option is set to "Create bookmarks using" and select "Headings" to include navigational bookmarks.

Review the PDF:

Open the PDF file in a PDF viewer (like Adobe Acrobat) and use its accessibility checker to ensure that your PDF meets accessibility standards.

Test with Assistive Technology:

Finally, test your accessible PDF using screen readers and other assistive technologies to verify that it's navigable and understandable for users with disabilities.

By following these steps, you can create accessible PDF files from Microsoft Word that are inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

Workflow for creating accessible PDFs

Broadly, the process of creating accessible PDFs includes the following stages:

  1. Consider accessibility before you convert a document to PDF.
  2. Add fillable form fields and descriptions, and set the tab order.
  3. Add other accessibility features to the PDF.
  4. Tag the PDF.
  5. Evaluate the PDF and repair tagging problems.

Consider accessibility before converting document to PDF

Whenever possible, think about accessibility when you create the source files in an authoring application, such as a word-processing or page-layout application.

Typical tasks in the authoring application include adding alternate text to graphics, optimizing tables, and applying paragraph styles or other document-structure features that can be converted to tags.

Add fillable form fields and description, set the tab order

If your PDF includes form fields, select All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Autottag form fields to detect form fields and make them interactive (fillable).

Use the Forms tools to create fillable form fields, such as buttons, checkboxes, pop-up menus, and text boxes. When you create a field, type a description in the Tooltip box in the Properties dialog box. Screen readers read this text aloud to the user. For more information, view Create form fields.

Tag the PDF

Improve the accessibility of PDFs by adding tags in Acrobat. If a PDF doesn’t contain tags, Acrobat attempts to tag it automatically when users read or reflow it, and the results may be disappointing. With a tagged PDF, the logical structure tree sends the contents to a screen reader or other assistive software or hardware in an appropriate order.

Tag a document when converting it to PDF from an authoring application for best results. Examples of these applications include Adobe FrameMaker®, Adobe InDesign®, Microsoft Word, or OpenOffice Writer. If you don't have access to an authoring application that can generate a tagged PDF, you can tag a PDF any time by using Acrobat.

Tagging during conversion to PDF requires an authoring application that supports tagging in PDF. Tagging during conversion enables the authoring application to draw from the source document's paragraph styles or other structural information to produce a logical structure tree. The logical structure tree reflects an accurate reading order and appropriate levels of tags. This tagging can more readily interpret the structure of complex layouts, such as embedded sidebars, closely spaced columns, irregular text alignment, and tables. Tagging during conversion can also properly tag the links, cross-references, bookmarks, and alternate text (when available) in the file.

To tag a PDF in Acrobat, choose All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Autotag document.

This command works on any untagged PDF, such as one created with Adobe PDF Printer. Acrobat analyzes the content of the PDF to interpret the individual page elements, their hierarchical structure, and the intended reading order of each page. Then, it builds a tag tree that reflects that information. It also creates tags for any links, cross-references, and bookmarks you added to the document in Acrobat.

The Autotag Document command adequately tags most standard layouts. However, it cannot always correctly interpret complex page elements' structure and reading order. These elements include closely spaced columns, irregular text alignment, non-fillable form fields, and tables that don’t have borders. Tagging these pages using the Autotag Document command can result in improperly combined elements or out-of-sequence tags. These issues cause reading order problems in the PDF.

Repair PDF tagging issues (Acrobat Pro)

Once you have a tagged PDF, evaluate the document for reading order problems, tagging, and accessibility errors, and then repair them as needed.

Irrespective of the method used to tag the PDF, use Acrobat to touch up the tagging and reading order for complex page layouts or unusual page elements. For example, the Autotag Document command can’t always distinguish between instructive figures and decorative page elements such as borders, lines, or background elements. It may incorrectly tag all of these elements as figures. Similarly, this command may erroneously tag graphical characters within the text, such as drop caps, as figures instead of including them in the tag that represents the text block. Such errors can clutter the tag tree and complicate the reading order that assistive technology relies on.

If you tag a document from within Acrobat, the application generates an error report after it completes the tagging process. Use this report as a guide to repairing tagging problems. You can identify other tagging, reading order, and accessibility problems for any PDF by using the Full Check/Accessibility Check tool or the Reading Order tool. For more information, view Check accessibility with Full Check/Accessibility Check and Check and correct reading order.

Creating a tagged PDF from the authoring tool

Usually, you create tagged PDFs from within an authoring application, such as Adobe FrameMaker®, Adobe InDesign, or Microsoft Word. This way, tags are added more effectively than in Acrobat.

PDFMaker provides conversion settings that let you create tagged PDFs in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

For more information about creating accessible PDFs, see www.adobe.com/accessibility.

For more information, see the documentation for your authoring application.

About tools for creating accessible PDF forms

Adobe offers several tools for the creation of accessible PDF forms:

Acrobat Pro, Acrobat Standard

Use one of these applications to open untagged or tagged PDF forms (except PDF forms created by Adobe Designer) to add fillable form fields, such as text boxes, checkboxes, and buttons. Then, use the application’s other tools to make the form accessible. Add descriptions to form fields, tag untagged forms, set the tab order, manipulate tags, and perform the other PDF accessibility tasks.

Authoring applications

Most authoring applications you can use to design forms don’t retain their fillable form fields when converting the files to PDF. Use the forms tools in Acrobat Pro to add fillable form fields. Moreover, if you tag the form during conversion to PDF, the authoring application can generate inappropriate tags for the text labels of the form fields. For example, the text labels for all the fields can run together into a single line in a complex form. Screen readers can’t interpret these fields as individual labels. Such reading order problems can require time-consuming work in Acrobat Pro to split the labels apart.

In this case, producing an untagged PDF form from the authoring application is sometimes the better course. You can then use the Forms tools in Acrobat Pro to add fillable form fields before you tag the entire document. Some forms are straightforward enough to produce a tagged PDF from the authoring application. Then, perform a light touch-up in Acrobat Pro after you add the fillable form fields.

Workflow for creating accessible PDF forms

Using Acrobat, you can open untagged and tagged PDF forms, add fillable form fields, add field descriptions and alternate text, set the tab order, and tag the forms (if they aren’t already tagged). You can also edit the tags of any tagged PDF form by using the Reading Order tool or the tag tree.

Design the form for accessibility.

Forms tend to have relatively complex layouts compared to documents that have a simple, single-column structure. The success that an application has in analyzing and tagging a form depends largely on the original formatting and layout of a document, and the types of fields that it uses.

When you design a form, include headings, instructions, and fields in which users are to enter data. At a minimum, give each field a label. Also add special instructions for fields that need them. Use graphics tools to draw lines and boxes. Don’t use characters, such as underscores and vertical bars, because these text characters can confuse screen readers.

Adding descriptions to form fields enables screen readers to identify the fields to users. Users hear the description read aloud when they tab to the field. Write descriptions that are terse but complete. For example, the description “First name” is appropriate for a first-name field. Don’t use instructions (such as “Enter first name”) as a description.

Set and test the tab order of a form.

The tab order for form fields enables people with disabilities to use a keyboard to move from field to field in a logical order. In PDF forms, set the tab order to Use Document Structure. You can test the tab order of a form by using the following keyboard commands:

  • Tab to move focus to the next field
  • Shift+Tab to move focus to the previous field
  • Spacebar to select options
  • Arrow keys to select options or list items

Tag the PDF form and correct tagging issues.

If the PDF form is already tagged, use the Reading Order tool in Acrobat to tag each form field. This tool also enables you to fix any reading order problems of the text labels for the form fields. For example, you may need to split merged lines of fields into individual fields.

Checking document accessibility

  1. Open the PDF and then from the All tools menu on the left, select View more and then select Prepare for accessibility.
    Or, from the top menu, select See all tools. Then, scroll down to Prepare > Prepare for accessibility and select Open.
    It displays the Prepare for accessibility page with a list of available actions displayed on the left panel.
  2. From the left panel, select Accessibility check.
    The right-hand pane changes to display each task included in the Make Accessible action, as well as the instructions to execute the action.
  3. From the Accessibility Checker Options dialog, select the options as required and then select Start Checking.
  4. Once the check is complete, it displays a panel on the right that lists the accessibility issues. Select each issue type drop-down to view the details and make fixes, as suggested.

Since the Accessibility Check feature does not distinguish between essential and nonessential content types, some reported issues may not affect readability. We suggest that you review all issues to determine the ones that need correction.

The report displays one of the following statuses for each rule check:

  • Passed: The item is accessible.
  • Skipped By User: Rule was not checked because it wasn't selected in the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box.
  • Needs Manual Check: The Full Check/Accessibility Check feature couldn't check the item automatically. Verify the item manually.
  • Failed: The item didn't pass the accessibility check.
  • To view a complete report of the check, from the left panel, select Accessibility report.

It displays a detailed report in the right panel.

Fix accessibility issues (Acrobat Pro)

To fix a failed check after running the Prepare for accessibility check, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the item in the Accessibility Checker panel and select one of the following options from the context menu:

  • Fix: Acrobat either fixes the item automatically or displays a dialog box prompting you to fix the item manually.
  • Skip Rule Deselects this option in the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box for future checks of this document, and change the item status to Skipped.
  • Explain Opens the online Help where you can get more details about the accessibility issue.
  • Check Again Runs the checker again on all items. Choose this option after modifying one or more items.
  • Show Report Displays a report with links to tips on how to repair failed checks.
  • Options Opens the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box, so you can select which checks are performed.

IMAGE-ONLY PDF

Reports whether the document contains non-text content that is not accessible. If the document appears to contain text, but doesn't contain fonts, it could be an image-only PDF file.

To fix the rule automatically, go to All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Accessibility check and then ensure that the Document is not-image only PDF checkbox is deselected before running the check.

To fix this rule check manually, use OCR to recognize text in scanned images:

  1. From the All tools menu, select Scan & OCR.
  2. From the Scan & OCR panel, under Recognize Text, select In this file.
  3. From the Pages dialog, select the pages you want to process, the document language, and then select Recognize text.

TAGGED PDF

If this rule check fails, the document isn't tagged to specify the correct reading order.

To fix the item automatically, go to All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Accessibility check and then ensure that the Document is tagged PDF checkbox is selected before running the check. Acrobat automatically adds tags to the PDF.

To specify tags manually, do one of the following:

  • Enable tagging in the source application and re-create the PDF.
  • Select All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Autotag document. The Add Tags Report appears in the navigation pane if there are any issues. The report lists potential problems by page, provides a navigational link to each problem, and provides suggestions for fixing them.
  • Select All tools > Prepare for Accessibility > Reading order and create the tags tree. For more information, see Reading Order.
  • Open the Tags panel and create the tags tree manually. To display the Tags panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side panels > Accessibility tags. For more information, see the Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panel.

LOGICAL READING ORDER

Verify this rule check manually. Make sure that the reading order displayed in the Tags panel coincides with the logical reading order of the document.

DOCUMENT LANGUAGE

Setting the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language. This check determines whether the primary text language for the PDF is specified. If the check fails, set the language.

To set the language automatically, select Primary Language in the Accessibility Checker tab and then choose Fix from the Options menu. Choose a language in the Set Reading Language dialog box, and then select OK.

To set the language manually, do one of the following:

  • Choose the hamburger menu (Windows) or the File menu (macOS) > Properties> Advanced, and then select a language from the drop-down list in the Reading Options section. (If the language doesn't appear in the drop-down list, you can enter the ISO 639 code for the language in the Language field.) This setting applies the primary language for the entire PDF.
  • Set the language for all text in a subtree of the tags tree. Open the Tags panel. Expand the Tags root and select an element. Then choose Properties from the Options menu. Choose a language from the Language drop-down list. (To display the Tags panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side panels > Accessibility tags.)
  • Set the language for a block of text by selecting the text element or container element in the Content panel. Then, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (macOS) the text, choose Properties from the context menu, and choose a language from the Language drop-down list. (To display the Content panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side panels > Content.)

Note: See the related WCAG section: Language of Page (Level A)

TITLE

Reports whether there is a title in the Acrobat application title bar.

To fix the title automatically, select Title in the Accessibility Checker tab, and choose Fix from the Options menu. Enter the document title in the Description dialog box (deselect Leave As Is, if necessary).

To fix the title manually:

  1. Select the hamburger menu (Windows) or the File menu (macOS) > Document properties.
  2. In the dialog that opens, under Description, enter a title in the Title text box.
  3. Select Initial View and then fromthe Show drop-down, select Document Title.
  4. Select OK.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4 Page Titled (Level A)

BOOKMARKS

This check fails when the document has 21 or more pages, but doesn't have bookmarks that parallel the document structure.

To add bookmarks to the document, select Bookmarks on the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the Options menu. In the Structure Elements dialog box, select the elements that you want to use as bookmarks, and click OK. (You can also access the Structure Elements dialog box by clicking the Options menu on the Bookmark tab and selecting the New Bookmarks From Structure command.)

Note: See the related WCAG sections: 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A), 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)

COLOR CONTRAST

When this check fails, it's possible that the document contains content that isn't accessible to people who are color-blind.

To fix this issue, make sure that the document's content adheres to the guidelines outlined in WCAG section 1.4.3. Or, include a recommendation that the PDF viewer use high-contrast colors:

  1. Select the hamburger menu (Windows) or the Acrobat menu (macOS) > Preferences.
  2. In the dialog that opens, from the left panel, select Accessibility.
  3. Select Replace Document Colors and then select Use High-Contrast Colors. From the High-contrast color combination, choose the color combination that you want and then select OK.

Page content

TAGGED CONTENT

This check reports whether all content in the document is tagged. Make sure that all content in the document is either included in the Tags tree, or marked as an artifact.

Do one of the following to fix this rule check:

  • Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (macOS) the content that you want to mark as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content tab, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side panels> Content.)
  • Tag the content by choosing All tools > Prepare for a*ccessibility > Reading order*. Select the content, and then apply tags as necessary.
  • Assign tags using the Tags panel. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the element in the Tags tree, and choose Create Tag From Selection. Items such as comments, links, and annotations don't always appear in the Tags tree. To find these items, choose Find from the Options menu. (To display the Tags panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side panels > Accessibility tags.)

Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text content (A), 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A), 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A), 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA), 4.1.2 Name, role, value

TAB ORDER

Because tabs are often used to navigate a PDF, it's necessary that the tab order parallels the document structure.

To fix the tab order automatically, select Tab Order on the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the Options menu.

To manually fix the tab order for links, form fields, comments, and other annotations:

  1. Click the Page Thumbnails panel on the navigation pane.
  2. Click a page thumbnail, and then choose Page Properties from the Options menu.
  3. In the Page Properties dialog box, choose Tab Order. Then, select Use Document Structure, and select OK.
  4. Repeat these steps for all thumbnails in the document.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4.3, Focus Order (Level A)

CHARACTER ENCODING

Specifying the encoding helps PDF viewers' present users with readable text. However, some character-encoding issues aren't repairable within Acrobat.

To ensure proper encoding, do the following:

  • Verify that the necessary fonts are installed on your system.
  • Use a different font (preferably OpenType) in the original document, and then re-create the PDF.
  • Re-create the PDF file with a newer version of Acrobat Distiller.
  • Use the latest Adobe Postscript driver to create the PostScript file, and then re-create the PDF.

Note: The WCAG doesn't address Unicode character mapping.

TAGGED MULTIMEDIA

This rule checks whether all multimedia objects are tagged. Ensure that content is included in the Tags tree or marked as an artifact.

Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side Panels > Content.)

Tag the content by choosing All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Reading order. Select the content, and then apply tags as necessary.

Assign tags using the Tags panel. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the element in the Tags tree, and choose Create Tag From Selection. (To display the Tagspanel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side Panels > Accessibility tags.)

Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 1.2.1 Audio- only and Video- only (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded). (AA)

SCREEN FLICKER

Elements that make the screen flicker, such as animations and scripts, can cause seizures in individuals who have photosensitive epilepsy. These elements can also be difficult to see when the screen is magnified.

If the Screen Flicker rule fails, manually remove or modify the script or content that causes screen flicker.

Note: See these related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 1.2.1 Audio- only and Video- only (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded). (A), 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold. (Level A)

SCRIPTS

Content cannot be script-dependent unless both content and functionality are accessible to assistive technologies. Make sure that scripting doesn't interfere with keyboard navigation or prevent the use of any input device.

Check the scripts manually. Remove or modify any script or content that compromises accessibility.

Note: See these related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide. (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value

ACCESSIBLE LINKS

For URLs to be accessible to screen readers, they must be active links that are correctly tagged in the PDF. (The best way to create accessible links is with the Create Link command, which adds all three links that screen readers require to recognize a link.) Make sure that navigation links are not repetitive and that there is a way for users to skip over repetitive links.

If this rule check fails, check navigation links manually and verify that the content does not have too many identical links. Also, provide a way for users to skip over items that appear multiple times. For example, if the same links appear on each page of the document, also include a "Skip navigation" link.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. (Level A)

Forms

TAGGED FORM FIELDS

In an accessible PDF, all form fields are tagged and are a part of the document structure. In addition, you can use the tool tip form filed property to provide the user with information or to provide instructions.

To tag form fields, choose All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Autotag document.

Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value

FIELD DESCRIPTIONS

For accessibility, all form fields need a text description (tool tip).

To add a text description to a form field:

  1. Select one of the Form tools, and then right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the form field.
  2. Choose Properties from the context menu.
  3. Click the General properties tab.
  4. Enter a description of the form field in the Tooltip field.

Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A), 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value

Alternate text

FIGURES ALTERNATE TEXT

Make sure that images in the document either have alternate text or are marked as artifacts.

If this rule check fails, do one of the following:

  • Select Figures Alternate Text in the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the Options menu. Add alternate text as prompted in the Set Alternate Textdialog box.
  • Use the Tags panel to add alternate text for images in the PDF.
  • Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side Panels > Content.)

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)

NESTED ALTERNATE TEXT

Screen readers don't read the alternate text for nested elements. Therefore, don't apply alternate text to nested elements.

To remove alternate text from nested elements, do the following:

  1. Select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side Panels > Accessibility tags.
  2. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Accessibility tagspanel and choose Properties from the context menu.
  3. Remove the Alternate Text and the text to which it's applied from the Object Properties dialog box, then select Close.

Note: See the related WCAG section: #1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)

ASSOCIATED WITH CONTENT

Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation of content on the page. If an element has alternate text but does not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which page it is on. If the Screen Reader Option in the Reading preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen readers never read the alternate text.

  1. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) an item to check.
  2. Open it in the Accessibility tags panel. (To display the Accessibility tags panel, select the hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select the View menu (macOS), and then select Show/Hide > Side Panels > Accessibility tags.)
  3. Remove the Alternate Text from the Tags panel for any nested item that has no page content.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)

Tables

Because table structure can be complex, it is best practice to check them for accessibility manually.

ROWS

This rule checks whether each TR in a table is a child of Table, THead, TBody, or TFoot.

See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.

Note: Related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

TH AND TD

In a proper table structure, TH and TD are children of TR.

See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.

Note: See related WCAG section: #1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

HEADERS

For accessibility, it's necessary that all tables in the PDF have a header.

See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

REGULARITY

To be accessible, tables must contain the same number of columns in each row, and rows in each column.

See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

SUMMARY

Table summaries are optional, but can improve accessibility.

  1. Select All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Reading order.
  2. Select the table by drawing a rectangle around it.
  3. In the Reading order dialog box, select Table.
  4. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) Table.
  5. Click Edit Table Summary.
  6. Enter a summary and select OK.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

Lists

LIST ITEMS

The check reports whether each List Item (LI) is a child of List (L). When this rule check fails, the structure of this list is incorrect. Lists must have the following structure: A List element must contain List Item Elements. And, List Item Elements can only contain Label Elements and List Item Body Elements.

To fix the list structure:

  1. Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac OS) the failed element and choosing Show In Tags Panel.
  2. Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

LBL AND LBODY

Lists must have the following structure: A List element must contain List Item Elements. And, List Item Elements can only contain Label Elements and List Item Body Elements. When this rule check fails, the structure of this list is incorrect.

To fix the list structure:

  1. Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac OS) the failed element and choosing Show In Tags Panel.
  2. Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.

Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)

Headings

APPROPRIATE NESTING

This rule checks nested headings. When this check fails, headings are not nested properly.

To fix the list structure:

  1. Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (macOS) the failed element and choosing Show in Tags Panel.
  2. Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.

Reading Order tool overview

The Reading Order tool provides the easiest and quickest way to fix reading order and basic tagging problems. When you select the tool, a dialog box opens that lets you see overlay highlights that show the order of page content. Each highlighted region is numbered and highlighted with gray or colored blocks; the number indicates the region’s placement in the page’s reading order. After you check the reading order of the page, you can correct other, more subtle tagging issues as needed.

The Reading Order tool is intended for repairing PDFs that were tagged using Acrobat, not for repairing PDFs that were tagged during conversion from an authoring application. Whenever possible, return to the source file and add accessibility features in the authoring application. Repairing the original file ensures that you don’t have to repeatedly touchup future iterations of the PDF in Acrobat.

You can use the Reading Order tool to perform the following accessibility tasks:

  • Visually check, and then repair, the reading order of page content
  • Tag fillable form fields and their labels
  • Add alternate text to figures and descriptions to form fields
  • Fix the tagging of simple tables, and prepare complex tables for more advanced manipulation in the logical structure tree
  • Remove nonessential content, such as ornamental page borders, from the logical structure tree

To perform advanced reading order and tagging tasks, such as fixing complex tables, removing obsolete tags, and adding alternate text to links, use the Tags panel. For more information, see Edit tags with the Tags panel.

Tips for using the Reading Order tool

  • Save the document (or a copy of it) before you use the Reading Order tool, as undo-redo isn't supported for all operations. For more information, see Undo or redo the tag changes done using the Reading Order tool.
  • Choose View > Page display > Single-page view from the hamburger menu (View menu in macOS), when using the Reading Order tool. When you select the Clear Page Structure button, Acrobat clears tags from all visible pages, even pages that are only partially visible.

Select the Reading Order tool

  • Choose All tools > Prepare for accessibility, and then choose Reading Order in the left pane. The dialog for the tool is displayed.

Reading Order options

You can select Reading Order options from the dialog box, from the pop-up menu that appears when you right-click a highlighted region, or from the Options menu in the Order panel. The Reading Order tool includes the following options:

Learn about the options

Text/Paragraph

Tags the selection as text.

Figure

Tags the selection as a figure. Text contained within a figure tag is defined as part of the image and screen readers don’t read it.

Form Field

Tags the selection as a form field.

Figure/Caption

Tags a selected figure and caption as a single tag. Any text contained in the tag is defined as a caption. Useful for tagging photos and captions and preventing caption text from being incorrectly added to adjacent text blocks. Figures may require alternate text.

Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Heading 4, Heading 5, Heading 6

Tags the selection as a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth level heading tag. You can convert heading tags to bookmarks to help users navigate the document.

Table

Tags the selection as a table after the selection is analyzed to determine the location of headings, columns, and rows.

Cell

Tags the selection as a table or header cell. Use this option to merge cells that are incorrectly split.

Formula

Tags the selection as a formula. Because speech software may handle formula tags differently from normal text, you may want to add a description using alternate text.

Note

Tags the selection as a note.

Reference

Tags the selection as a reference.

Background/Artifact

Tags the selection as a background element, or artifact, removing the item from the tag tree. That way, it doesn’t appear in the reflowed document and screen readers don’t read it.

Table Editor

Automatically analyzes the selected table into cells and applies the appropriate tags. The table must be tagged as a table before you can use the Table Editor command on it.

Show Page Content Groups

Shows content elements as highlighted areas that contain numbers to indicate the reading order. Specify the highlight color by clicking the color swatch.

Show Table Cells

Highlights the content of individual table cells. Specify the highlight color by clicking the color swatch.

Display Like Elements In A Single Block

Adjacent squares with the same tag type are collapsed into a single, bigger square with the common tag type that encompasses the original square.

Show Tables And Figures

Outlines each table and figure with a crossed-out box. The box also indicates whether the element includes alternate text. Specify the box color by clicking the color swatch.

Clear Page Structure

Removes the tagging structure from the page. Use this option to start over and create a structure if the existing structure contains too many problems.

Show Order Panel

Opens the Order tab for reordering highlighted content.

Edit Alternate Text

Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a highlighted figure. Allows the user to add or edit a text description about the figure properties that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.

Edit Form Field Text

Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a form field. Allows the user to add or edit a form field text description that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.

Edit Table Summary

Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a highlighted table. Allows the user to add or edit a text description about the table properties that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.

Change the reading order in the Order panel

Steps for changing the reading order in the Order panel

  1. Select the Reading Order tool in the left pane.
  2. In the Reading Order dialog, select Show Order Panel.
  3. In the Order panel, navigate to view a list of highlighted regions that appear in the document pane.
  4. In the Order panel, drag the tag for a highlighted region to the location you want. As you drag, a line appears to show potential locations. After you drag an item to a new location, the highlighted regions are renumbered to show the new reading order. You can select and move multiple, adjacent regions.

Change the reading order by dragging on the page

Steps for changing the reading order by dragging on the page.

  1. Select the Reading Order tool.
  2. In the Reading Order dialog, select Show Page Content Groups, and then select Page Content Order.
  3. In the document pane, place the pointer over the number for the highlighted region you want to move. Then, drag it to where you want it to be read. The text-insertion pointer shows target locations within the text.

When you release the highlighted region, the location of the text-insertion pointer becomes the dividing line. The underlying highlighted region is split into two new highlighted regions. All highlighted regions are renumbered to show the new reading order.

Apply a heading tag

To help readers navigate a document and find the information they need, make sure that headings are tagged with the appropriate level to indicate their hierarchy in the content.

Steps for applying a heading tag.

  1. Select the Reading Order tool, and then select the heading text in the PDF.
  2. In the Reading Order dialog, select the button corresponding to the appropriate heading tag (for example, Heading 1, Heading 2).

Apply a figure tag

You can select an element and define it as a figure by using the Reading Order tool. Once you define it as a figure, you can add alternate text to describe the figure.

  1. Using the Reading Order tool, select the figure.
  2. In the Reading Order dialog box, select Figure.
  3. In the document pane, open the context menu for the region, and choose Edit Alternate Text.
  4. Enter alternate text, and select OK.

Edit table tags and tag unrecognized tables

Tables pose a special challenge for screen readers because they present textual or numerical data to be easily referenced visually. Content within table cells can be complex and might contain lists, paragraphs, form fields, or another table.

For best results when tagging tables, use the application that you created the document with to add tags when you create the PDF. If a PDF isn’t tagged, you can add tags by using the Add Tags To Document command. Most tables are properly recognized using this command; however, the command may not recognize a table that lacks clear borders, headings, columns, and rows. Use the Reading Order tool to determine if the table has been properly recognized and to correct recognition problems. To add specialized formatting to tables and table cells, use the Tags panel.

You can use Table Editor to automatically analyze a table into its components and apply the appropriate tags. However, you must check and correct some of these tags manually. By viewing table tags, you can determine whether columns, rows, and cells have been correctly identified. Tables that lack well-defined borders and rules are often tagged incorrectly or contain adjacent page elements. You can correct poorly tagged tables by selecting and redefining them; you can split combined cells by creating a tag for each cell.

To correct complex tagging problems for tables, you often must use the Tags panel.

Steps for editing table tags and tagging unrecognized tables

  1. Select the Reading Order tool, and then select Show Tables And Figures.
  2. If the table isn’t clearly labeled in the document pane, drag to select the entire table, and then select Table in the dialog.
  3. Select Show Table Cells to make sure that all cells in the table are defined as individual elements.
  4. If cells don’t appear as separate elements, do one of the following: - If one or more cells are merged, use the Reading Order tool to select the area within a single cell, and then click Cell in the dialog box. Repeat for each merged cell.
    • If cells aren’t highlighted, the table might not use standard table formatting. Re-create the table in the authoring application.
  5. If the table contains cells that are intended to span across two or more columns, set ColSpan and RowSpan attributes for these rows in the tag structure.

Resources

For more information about PDF accessibility, see www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/. For more information, see Creating a tagged PDF from an authoring application.