Creating Accessible PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Make Accessible Action

Acrobat Pro includes an action for making PDFs accessible. This will provide a series of prompts that will allow you to make changes to the document that will make it more accessible.

Using Make Accessible

• Go to Tools > Action Wizard

• From the Action List, click "Make Accessible"

• Select the files that you want to apply the Make Accessible action to. By default, the action runs on the document that's currently open

• Click "Start"

• Follow the prompts to complete the action

Full Accessibility Check

Acrobat Pro can do a Full Check to see if there are issues that could cause significant problems for screen readers.

Using a Full Check

• Go to Tools > Accessibility

• In the secondary toolbar, click "Full Check"

• In the Report Options section, select options for how you want to view the results. You can save the results as an HTML file on your system, or attach the results file to the document itself

• Select a page range if you prefer to check individual pages of a document

• Select one or more of the Checking Options

• Click "Start Checking". The results will be displayed in the Accessibility Checker panel on the left. The report will display one of the following statuses:

  • 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 feature couldn't check the item automatically

  • Failed: The item didn't pass the accessibility check

Fixing Accessibility Issues After a Full Check

To fix a failed check after running a full check, right-click the item in the Accessibility Checker panel. Choose one of the following options in the context menu:

• Fix: Either fixes the problem automatically or displays a dialog box prompting you to fix the problem manually

• Skip Rule: Deselects this option in the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box for future checks of this document, and changes the item status to Skipped

• Explain: Opens the online Help service from Adobe where you can get more details about the accessibility issue

• Check Again: Runs the checker again on all items. Choose this 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

Accessibility Issues

The following are the issues that can appear when running a Full Check. They also serve as a guideline for common issues with PDFs that you can fix yourself.

Document

Prevent security settings from interfering with screen readers

A document author can specify that no part of an accessible PDF is to be copied, printed, extracted, commented on, or edited. This setting could interfere with a screen reader's ability to read the document, because screen readers must be able to copy or extract the document's text to convert it to speech.

This flag reports whether it's necessary to turn on the security settings that allow accessibility.

To fix this automatically, select "Accessibility Permission Flag" on the Accessibility Checker panel. Then, choose "Fix" from the Options menu.

Or, to fix this manually:

• Click File > Properties > Security

• Choose "No Security" from the Security Method dropdown

• Click "OK"

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 this automatically, select "Image-only PDF" on the Accessibility Checker panel. Then, choose "Fix" from the Options menu.

Or, to fix this manually:

• Click Tools > Enhance Scans

• In the secondary toolbar, choose Recognize Text > In This File

• Select the pages you want to process, the document language, and then click "Recognize Text"

Tagged PDF

If this is flagged, the document isn't tagged to specify the correct reading order.

To fix this automatically, select "Tagged PDF" on the Accessibility Checker panel. Then, choose "Fix" from the Options menu.

Or, to specify tags manually, do one of the following:

• Enable tagging in the application in which the PDF was originally created, then re-create the PDF

• Choose Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document in Acrobat. The Add Tags Report appears in the navigation pane if there are any issues

• Choose Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order in Acrobat, and create the tags tree

• Open the "Tags" panel and create the tags tree automatically. To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags

Logical reading order

Verify this manually. Make sure the reading order 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. The check determines whether the primary text language of the document for the PDF is specified. If this check fails, set the language.

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

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

• Choose File > Properties > Advanced and then select a language from the dropdown in the Reading Options section. 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. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags)

  • Expand the Tags root and select an element

  • Choose "Properties" from the Options menu

  • Choose a language from the "Language" dropdown list

• Set the language for a block of text by selecting the text element or container element in the Content panel, then:

  • Right click the text and choose "Properties"

  • Choose a language from the "Language" dropdown

Title

This check fails if there is no title in the Acrobat application title bar.

To set the language automatically, select "Title" in the Accessibility Checker tab. Then, choose "Fix" from the Options menu. Enter the document title in the "Description" dialog box.

Or, to fix this manually:

• Choose File > Properties > Description

• Enter a title in the "Title" text box

• Click "Initial View", and then choose "Document Title" from the Show dropdown

• Click "OK" to close the Description dialog box

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.)

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:

• Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS)

• Click "Accessibility"

• Select "Replace Document Colors", and then select "Use High-Contrast Colors". Choose the color combination that you want from the drop-down list, and then click "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 (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark as an artifact. Then, select "Create Artifact" from the context menu. (To display the Content tab, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content)

• Tag the content by choosing Tools > 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". 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, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes> Tags)

Tagged annotations

This rule checks whether all annotations are tagged. Make sure that annotations such as comments and editorial marks (such as insert and highlight) are either included in the Tags tree or marked as artifacts.

• 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, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content)

• Tag the content by choosing Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. Select the content, and then apply tags as necessary

• Assign tags using the Tags panel. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags)

To have Acrobat assign tags automatically to annotations as they're created, choose "Tag Annotations" from the Options menu on the Tags panel.

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

Tagged multimedia

This rule checks whether all multimedia objects are tagged. Make sure that content is either 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, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content).

Tag the content by choosing Tools > 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 Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags).

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.

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.

Timed responses

This rule check applies to documents that contain forms with JavaScript. If the rule check fails, make sure that the page does not require timed responses. Edit or remove scripts that impose timely user response so that users have enough time to read and use the content.

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.

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 Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Form Fields.

Field descriptions

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

To add a text description to a form field:

• Select one of the Form tools, and then right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the form field

• Choose Properties from the context menu

• Click the "General" properties tab

• Enter a description of the form field in the "Tooltip" field

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 Text dialog 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, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content)

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:

• Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.

• Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose "Properties" from the context menu.

• Remove both the Alternate Text and the text to which it's applied from the Object Properties dialog box, and then click "Close"

Associated with content

Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for 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.

• Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) an item to check

• Open it in the Tags panel. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags)

• Remove the Alternate Text from the Tags panel for any nested item that has no page content

Hides annotation

Alternate text can't hide an annotation. If an annotation is nested under a parent element with alternate text, then screen readers don't see it.

To remove alternate text from nested elements:

• Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags

• Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose "Properties" from the context menu

• Remove the alternate text from the Object Properties dialog box, and then click "OK"

Other elements alternate text

This report checks for content, other than figures, that requires alternate text (such as multimedia, annotation, or 3D model). Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for 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 Options in the Reading preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen readers don't read the alternate text.

• Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags

• Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose "Properties" from the context menu

• Remove the alternate text from the Object Properties dialog box, and then click "OK"

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.

To fix this, see Adobe's documentation on editing document structure.

TH and TD

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

To fix this, see Adobe's documentation on editing document structure.

Headers

All PDF tables should have a header.

To fix this, see Adobe's documentation on editing document structure.

Regularity

Tables must contain the same number of columns in each row, and rows in each column.

To fix this, see Adobe's documentation on editing document structure.

Summary

Table summaries are optional, but can improve accessibility.

• Choose Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order

• Select the table by drawing a rectangle around it

• In the Reading Order dialog box, click "Table"

• Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) "Table"

• Click "Edit Table Summary"

• Enter a summary and click "OK"

Lists

List items / Lbl and LBody

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:

• 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"

• Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them

Headings

Appropriate nesting

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

To fix the list structure:

• 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"

• Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them

Content adapted from Adobe Acrobat User Guide - Create and verify PDF accessibility - CC BY-NC-SA 3.0