Transcript for Video: Creating Accessible PDFs (3:33)

PDF tags provide information about the structure and format of the resource. Although not visible, they are an essential part of navigating a resource for users of assistive technology. Not all PDFs contain PDF tags; therefore, they are not accessible. For example, a document scanned and saved as a PDF may not contain PDF tags. Creators must add PDF tags to make these documents accessible for users of assistive technology.

How to Review and Create PDFs

The easiest method for identifying PDF tags is using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+F for PC and COMMAND+F for Mac. In the provided Find/Search text box, type a word known to be included in the document. If PDF tags are present, the Find/Search function will bring focus via the cursor to the first instance of the word in the document. Repeat these steps with several words to confirm PDF tags and compliance. If PDF tags are absent, the Find/Search function will not return any results.

Adobe Acrobat Pro, which is the premium version of Adobe Reader, has built-in tools that assist in creating accessible PDFs and evaluating existing PDFs.  For some best practices for creating accessible PDFs, Adobe provides an Accessibility Guide: Best Practices for PDF Accessibility. The free version of Adobe Acrobat has a limited set of tools available for adding accessibility features to existing PDFs.

There are also some free PDF accessibility checkers available for users who do not have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro or for whom purchasing it is cost prohibitive.  One such tool is PDF-Accessibility Checker (PAC2).