PDF Accessibility Guide: Creating WCAG Compliant Documents

PDF accessibility ensures that documents work with screen readers, can be navigated via keyboard, and are readable when magnified or reformatted. Inaccessible PDFs represent significant legal risk—Section 508 and ADA requirements apply to PDF documents just as they apply to websites. For organizations sharing product guides, policies, contracts, or any downloadable content, PDF accessibility is essential.

This guide covers creating accessible PDFs from scratch and remediating existing inaccessible PDFs for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.

Q: What makes a PDF WCAG compliant?

A: WCAG-compliant PDFs require: proper tag structure (headings, paragraphs, lists), logical reading order, alternative text for images, accessible tables with headers, bookmarks for navigation, and document properties set (title, language). The PDF must work with screen readers and support keyboard navigation.

PDF Accessibility Fundamentals

Why PDF Accessibility Matters

PDFs present unique accessibility challenges:

• Screen readers require tagged structure to interpret content
• Visual layout doesn't determine reading order
• Images embedded in PDFs need alt text
• Tables need proper header associations
• Forms need labels and tab order

Legal requirements: PDFs fall under the same accessibility laws as websites. ADA, Section 508, and WCAG requirements all apply to PDFs provided by covered entities.

Tagged vs Untagged PDFs

Tagged PDFs:

• Contain structural markup
• Reading order defined
• Screen readers can interpret content
• Required for accessibility

Untagged PDFs:

• Just visual information
• No logical structure
• Screen readers struggle or fail
• Require remediation

Checking Tag Status

In Adobe Acrobat:

1. File → Properties → Description tab
2. Look for "Tagged PDF: Yes/No"

Quick test:

1. View → Read Mode
2. Edit → Select All
3. If selection follows logical reading order, tags likely present

Creating Accessible PDFs

From Microsoft Word

Word documents properly structured export to accessible PDFs:

Document preparation:

1. Use heading styles: Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.—not just bold text
2. Add alt text: Right-click images → Edit Alt Text
3. Use real lists: Bullet/number lists, not manual formatting
4. Create accessible tables: Simple structure, designated header row
5. Add bookmarks: For long documents
6. Set document properties: Title, author, language

Export settings:

1. File → Export → Create PDF/XPS
2. Options → Document structure tags for accessibility: ✓
3. Create bookmarks using: Headings

From Adobe InDesign

InDesign offers granular accessibility control:

Preparation:

1. Object Export Options: Set alt text per image
2. Articles panel: Define reading order
3. Table of Contents: Generate for navigation
4. Paragraph styles: Map to PDF tags

Export:

1. File → Export → Adobe PDF (Print)
2. Create Tagged PDF: ✓
3. View After Exporting → check accessibility

From Google Docs

Google Docs has limited PDF accessibility:

Best practices:

1. Use proper heading hierarchy
2. Add image descriptions (right-click → Alt text)
3. Use built-in list formatting
4. Download as PDF

Limitations:

• Tag quality inconsistent
• May require Acrobat remediation
• Consider exporting to Word first

PDF Structure Elements

Headings

PDFs need proper heading hierarchy:

Correct structure:

<H1> Document Title
  <H2> Section 1
    <H3> Subsection 1.1
    <H3> Subsection 1.2
  <H2> Section 2
    <H3> Subsection 2.1

In Acrobat:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order
2. Select text → choose heading level
3. Or: Tags panel → change tag type

Paragraphs and Lists

Paragraphs: Tagged as <P> elements

Lists:

<L> (List)
  <LI> (List Item)
    <Lbl> • (Label/bullet)
    <LBody> List item text
  <LI>
    <Lbl> •
    <LBody> Second item

Images and Figures

Figure tags:

<Figure>
  Alt text: "Chart showing 40% increase in accessibility adoption"
  <Caption> Figure 1: Accessibility adoption rates

Adding alt text in Acrobat:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Set Alternate Text
2. Or: Tags panel → right-click Figure → Properties → Alternate Text

Tables

Proper table structure:

<Table>
  <THead>
    <TR>
      <TH scope="col">Product
      <TH scope="col">Price
      <TH scope="col">Stock
  <TBody>
    <TR>
      <TD>Running Shoes
      <TD>$89.99
      <TD>In Stock

Table headers in Acrobat:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order
2. Table Editor
3. Right-click cells → Table Cell Properties
4. Set as Header Cell, specify scope

Links

Accessible links need:

• Meaningful link text (not "click here")
• Proper link tag structure
• Working destinations

In Acrobat:

1. Tools → Edit PDF → Link
2. Or verify in Tags panel

Reading Order

Why Reading Order Matters

PDF visual layout doesn't determine reading order. A two-column layout might be read:

• Left column then right (correct)
• Across both columns line by line (incorrect)
• Random order (very incorrect)

Setting Reading Order

In Acrobat:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order
2. View content blocks numbered
3. Drag to reorder, or select and use Structure Types

Order panel:

1. View → Show/Hide → Navigation Panes → Order
2. Drag items to correct sequence

Complex Layouts

Sidebar content: Should appear after related main content

Footnotes: Can be at end of page or document

Multi-column: Ensure columns read sequentially

Form Accessibility

Accessible PDF Forms

Required elements:

• Labels for all fields
• Tab order matching visual order
• Tooltips matching labels
• Clear instructions

Form Field Properties

In Acrobat:

1. Tools → Prepare Form
2. Select field → Properties
3. General tab: Name (for accessibility)
4. General tab: Tooltip (screen reader announcement)

Field name: customer_email
Tooltip: "Enter your email address"
Required: Yes
Tab order: 3

Tab Order

1. Tools → Prepare Form
2. Select fields in desired order while holding Ctrl
3. Or: Forms panel → order fields

Error Messages

If using form validation:

• Provide clear error messages
• Associate messages with fields
• Don't rely on color alone

Testing PDF Accessibility

Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker

1. Tools → Accessibility → Full Check
2. Select checking options
3. Review results

Common issues flagged:

• Missing tags
• Missing alt text
• Incorrect reading order
• Table structure problems
• Missing document title

PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker)

Free tool for PDF/UA compliance checking:

• PAC 2021
• More thorough than Acrobat's built-in check
• PDF/UA standard compliance

Screen Reader Testing

Test with actual screen readers:

NVDA (free):

• Open PDF in Acrobat Reader
• Navigate with arrow keys and Tab
• Verify reading order and structure

JAWS:

• Test navigation by headings
• Verify table reading
• Check form field labels

Testing Checklist

Structure:

• [ ] Document is tagged
• [ ] Tag structure matches visual hierarchy
• [ ] Reading order is logical
• [ ] Language is specified

Content:

• [ ] All images have alt text
• [ ] Decorative images marked as artifacts
• [ ] Tables have headers
• [ ] Links are meaningful

Navigation:

• [ ] Bookmarks present for long documents
• [ ] Table of contents accurate
• [ ] Page numbers correct

Forms:

• [ ] All fields have labels
• [ ] Tab order is logical
• [ ] Required fields indicated
• [ ] Instructions clear

Remediating Existing PDFs

Remediation Workflow

1. Assess: Run accessibility check, identify issues
2. Add tags: If untagged, run Auto-tag or manually tag
3. Fix structure: Correct heading hierarchy, reading order
4. Add alt text: For all meaningful images
5. Fix tables: Add proper headers and scope
6. Verify: Re-run checker, test with screen reader

Auto-Tagging

In Acrobat:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Autotag Document
2. Review and correct auto-generated tags

Limitations:

• Complex layouts often mis-tagged
• Tables may need manual fixing
• Reading order may be wrong

Manual Tagging

For complex documents, manual tagging provides better results:

1. Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order
2. Draw rectangles around content
3. Assign appropriate tag types
4. Verify in Tags panel

Bulk Remediation

For large PDF libraries:

• Prioritize high-traffic documents
• Consider accessibility service providers
• Investigate automated remediation tools
• Create accessible templates for future

TestParty PDF Support

TestParty supports PDF accessibility:

Scanning:

• Identifies inaccessible PDFs on your website
• Checks for missing tags and structure
• Detects missing alt text

Remediation guidance:

• Specific issues identified
• Prioritized by impact
• Step-by-step fix instructions

FAQ Section

Q: Can all PDFs be made accessible?

A: Most PDFs can be remediated, but some (scanned images without OCR) require significant work. Truly inaccessible formats (pure image PDFs) may need recreation. Documents with complex layouts require more remediation effort.

Q: Is PDF/UA compliance required?

A: WCAG doesn't specifically require PDF/UA, but PDF/UA compliance generally ensures WCAG compliance for PDFs. Section 508 references PDF/UA. Meeting PDF/UA is best practice.

Q: Should I provide HTML alternatives to PDFs?

A: HTML is inherently more accessible than PDF. For critical content, providing HTML versions ensures maximum accessibility. PDFs can supplement for print/download purposes.

Q: How do I handle scanned documents?

A: Scanned PDFs are just images—completely inaccessible. Run OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first: Acrobat → Tools → Scan & OCR → Recognize Text. Then tag the resulting text.

Q: What about PDF forms vs web forms?

A: Web forms are generally more accessible than PDF forms. Use web forms when possible. If PDFs are required, ensure full accessibility including labels, tab order, and error handling.

Key Takeaways

• Tagged structure is essential. Without tags, PDFs are inaccessible to screen readers.

• Reading order isn't automatic. Visual layout doesn't determine reading order—explicitly set it.

• Alt text required for all meaningful images. Decorative images should be artifacts.

• Tables need header cells with proper scope attributes.

• Test with screen readers, not just automated checkers. Actual assistive technology reveals real issues.

• Create accessible source documents. Properly structured Word/InDesign produces better PDFs than remediation.

Conclusion

PDF accessibility is often overlooked but legally required and essential for users who rely on screen readers. The best approach is creating accessible source documents that export to accessible PDFs. For existing inaccessible PDFs, remediation is possible but time-intensive.

TestParty identifies inaccessible PDFs on your website and provides guidance for remediation. For e-commerce sites with product specifications, user manuals, or policy documents in PDF format, ensuring accessibility prevents both legal issues and customer exclusion.

Ready to address your PDF accessibility? Get a free accessibility scan to identify inaccessible PDFs across your site.

Related Articles:

• Document Accessibility: Word, PowerPoint, and Excel Guide
• Alt Text Guide: Writing Effective Image Descriptions
• Section 508 Compliance: Complete Federal Requirements Guide

This content was created with AI collaboration and human editorial review. For accessibility compliance guidance tailored to your business, consult with experts.