How to Create Accessible PDFs: A Complete Guide

Optimizing Web Accessibility Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Creating accessible Adobe Acrobat PDFs involves more than just making the text readable. It’s about ensuring that the PDF structure is navigable and understandable for people with disabilities, especially those using screen readers or other assistive technologies. By prioritizing accessibility, we can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable digital environment.

In this guide, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the key components of an accessible PDF, recommended tools, and techniques. Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be empowered to create digital content that is inclusive and accessible to all users.

Why ADA Compliance Matters

Creating ADA-compliant PDFs is not only a legal requirement but also a moral imperative. It ensures that the 61 million people living with disabilities in the U.S. have equal access to information. This inclusivity can lead to positive business outcomes, as it opens up your content to a wider audience and demonstrates a commitment to diversity and accessibility.

When to Use PDFs:

It’s important to consider the appropriate scenarios for using PDFs. For instance, if a document is intended for printing, then PDFs are useful for preserving the format and layout of printed materials. However, they may not be the best choice for online content since HTML is superior in terms of accessibility. HTML has been found to be more adaptable to various assistive technologies compared to non-HTML formats like PDFs.

Key Components of an Accessible PDF

Creating an accessible PDF involves several key components to guarantee individuals with disabilities can access and understand the content. These include: 

1. Searchable Text: Allowing users to search for a word in a document (often by using CTRL F) is essential as it allows them to find specific information easily. Selectable text should also be in an accessible PDF so users can highlight necessary words in the document.
2. Alternative Text: Providing descriptions for visual elements (images, charts, and graphs) is crucial for users who rely on screen readers. Alternate text must provide a concise description of the content. Consider using OCR to convert image texts to searchable and selectable text.
3. Logical Structure: Web content should be presented in a linear, meaningful manner so users can properly navigate the text. Bullet points and lists can also improve the organization and scannability of the content.
4. Accessibility Tags: Proper tags or labels, such as headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.), subheadings, and paragraphs, are important when organizing content hierarchically.
5. Bookmarks: Aid in easy navigation to different sections of the PDF.
6. Proper Table Formatting: Ensures information is organized and accessible, particularly for complex data tables.
7. Avoid Background Images and Watermarks: These can make the text unreadable for people with visual impairments.
8. Color Contrast: Establish sufficient contrast between text and background.
9. Choose Accessible Fonts and Colors: Enhancing readability involves utilizing easily legible fonts and ensuring ample contrast between text and background colors.
10. Use Clear and Descriptive File Names: Users who rely on assistive technologies need descriptive file names to understand the content before opening the PDF.
11. Include Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks should be informative and specific rather than generic.
12. Use Proper Table Markup: Proper table structuring with headers and data elements.
13. Consider Language and Reading Order: Clear language and logical reading order are important for documents with multiple languages or complex structures.
14. Accessible Forms: Forms within PDFs should be made accessible with proper fields and labels.
15. Add Fillable Form Fields and Descriptions: If the PDF includes form fields, it’s important to make them interactive and accessible. Descriptions should be added for screen readers, and the tab order must be set correctly for easy navigation.
16. Additional Accessibility Features: To improve the overall usability of the document for people with disabilities, it is also recommended to set the document language and check that security settings don’t interfere with screen readers.

How to Use PDFMaker in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has a comprehensive suite of features for creating and checking PDFs’ accessibility. The service creates high-quality PDFs that are visually clear. They are also well-tagged to improve accessibility and include live links for hyperlinks, internal document links, and tables of contents.

Acrobat also offers tools like “Prepare for accessibility,” which automates many tasks, checks for accessibility, and suggests manual fixes. The Accessibility Check feature verifies the document’s conformity to standards, and the “Accessibility Report” option summarizes findings and provides links for fixing problems.

For Microsoft Office:

• Go to the “File” tab and choose “Options.”
• Select “Add-Ins.”
• Choose “COM Add-Ins” from the Manage pop-up menu and select Go.
• Select “PDFMOutlook” or “Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Add-in” and click “OK.”
• Restart the Office application.

To Convert a File to PDF:

• Open the file in the application used to create it.
• Use the “Convert To Adobe PDF” button on the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar (or the “Create PDF” button in Microsoft Office applications).
• Type in a filename and determine a location for the PDF.
• Select “Save.”
• Optional: check “View Result” to open the PDF or enable Protect PDF to specify Security settings for the PDF.

Using the Accessibility Checker in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

• Open document in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and click the “Tools” tab.
• Find and add the Accessibility tool icon.
• Select the “Full Check” option located on the right-hand side.
• When the Accessibility Checker Options box appears, select Start Checking.
• Once the check is complete, results appear on the left-hand side of the screen.

Interpreting the Results:

• The Accessibility Checker checks your document against a list of accessibility rules. Results include “Passed,” “Needs Manual Check,” “Failed,” and “Skipped By User.”
• Items requiring attention are bolded in the results.
• Right-click on the failed item and use the “Fix” option if available, which will either solve the issue automatically or prompt you to fix it manually.
• The “Explain option” opens an online Help service for additional instructions.
• Use “Check Again” after making changes to see if the issue is resolved.

After running the accessibility check, Acrobat provides options to automatically fix issues or offers guidance for manual fixes. This includes addressing problems like security settings that may interfere with screen readers or converting image-only PDFs to searchable text. PDF tags may also need to be repaired and may involve touching up the tagging and reading order for complex layouts.

Other Tools for Creating ADA-Compliant PDFs:

• Lumin PDF: A cloud-based platform for collaborating on and editing PDFs.
• Foxit PDF Editor: Provides extensive accessibility checks and remediation suggestions.
• Smallpdf: A user-friendly option for basic PDF editing and accessibility checks.

EcomBack Recognizes the Importance of PDF Accessibility and ADA-Compliance

Accessibility is an ongoing process, and EcomBack emphasizes the importance of regularly reviewing and updating PDFs to accomplish proper compliance with the latest standards and guidelines. We offer professional services to optimize PDFs for accessibility, ensuring content reaches all users, regardless of their abilities.

EcomBack emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and ensures that everyone can access online content and navigate websites. This is particularly crucial given the popularity of PDFs for sharing information in a universally compatible format, and the challenge of making these PDFs comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).