Getting Started

The Source Document is supreme!

It is almost always easier to make a Source Document accessible and then convert it to a PDF--even if that means returning to the Source Document, making changes, and then re-converting it to a PDF. Things to consider when creating a Source Document:

• Text is “true” (no images of text are used)
• Text has a contrast ratio of 7:1 and is readable when resized
• Color alone isn’t used to convey information or navigation
• Headings are utilized
• Alternative text is included for all images, figures, and other objects
• Links are self-describing
• Underlined text is reserved for hyperlinks only (do not use for emphasis)
• Lists, tables, and charts are properly formatted using built-in features
• Built-in layouts are utilized for presentation slides NOTE: do not use blank slide template
• Each presentation slide has a unique title
• Spreadsheets are created using header rows and column headings, cells are not merged, nested, or split, and blank cells are not used for formatting

There are three main ways of converting to a PDF from a source document: Save as PDF, Print to PDF, and the Acrobat PDF conversion plug-in.

First, save the source document as a PDF.

> File

> Save As

> Save as type: PDF

Second, print to PDF.

> File

> Print

> Adobe PDF

Third, Acrobat PDF conversion plug-in (also known as PDF Maker).

From the ribbon in Word:

> Acrobat

> Create PDF

Saving as a PDF will produce a tagged PDF. Print to PDF will produce an untagged PDF.

Special Note for Mac Users: Acrobat Plug-in produces a “better” PDF than Save as PDF.

The Action Wizard tool within Acrobat Pro DC has an option you can choose to tag a PDF called “Make Accessible.” There are times when you might want to use the PDF Maker and times you may want to use the Make Accessible tool. PDF Maker uses semantic information of the source document to tag the PDF whereas Make Accessible attempts to imply the structure of the document.

• Source Document is accessible
  • If the Source Document has not passed a built in accessibility check, make the appropriate changes to the Source Document and then reconvert to a PDF before making repairs to the PDF.
• Changes can be made to the Source Document
  • If changes cannot be made to the Source Document, consider converting to a PDF without tags so that you can auto tag the PDF or add tags manually.

The primary tools needed to create accessible PDFs are in the Tools Pane. The Tools Pane is a tab along the top ribbon and can also be displayed to the right of an open document. There is a drop-down list of options for each tool:

• Open
• Add Shortcut
• Learn More

Select Add Shortcut to add a particular tool to the Tools Pane.

Two of the most important tools for creating accessible PDFs are not automatically in the Tools Pane: The Accessibility tool and the Action Wizard tool. Before working in Acrobat Pro DC, both tools should be added to the Tools Pane. The order of tools can be customized by dragging and dropping the tool up or down on the Tool Pane.

> Tools Pane

> Add Tool

> Organize Tools Pane

Primary tools for creating accessible PDFs located in the Tools Pane:

• Action Wizard
• Make Accessible (used mainly for Forms)
• Accessibility Tool
• Autotag Document
• Set Alternative Text
• Edit PDF
• Use for Links
• Enhance Scans
  • Use the PDF is a scanned document

One of the most important things you can do to support your remediation efforts is to add three panels to the Navigation Pane. The following panels should be added to Navigation Pane:

• Tag Panel
• Order Panel
• Content Panel

To add the panels:

> View

> Show/Hide

> Navigation Pane

Choose the desired panels

> OK

The first step to creating an accessible PDF is to know what is contained in your document so that you know how to convert it and in what order to proceed. There are some tasks that need to be done in sequential order; this is referred to as the Hierarchy of Tasks. There are four questions, in order of importance, to ask yourself before you begin modifying any PDF.

1. Is the PDF created from a scanned image? (If yes, perform text recognition first.)
2. Is the PDF a form with fillable form fields? (If yes, consider which is easier: adding form fields first or tagging the document first.)
3. Does the PDF document or form contain links? (If yes, first add the links.)
4. Does the PDF have multimedia? (If yes, first add the multimedia making sure it is accessible, to include applicable captions and video descriptions.)

Only after questions one through four have been asked, answered, and addressed should you begin tagging the document. If the document has been edited after or during tagging, it may be necessary to remove all tags, multimedia, links, and form fields and begin again.

NOTE: if the PDF contains complex lists, it may be easier to ensure the list is formatted properly in the Source Document than it is to remediate an incorrectly tagged list in a Tag Tree.

The Tag Tree is in the Accessibility toolbar to the left of the document. It can be accessed by selecting the tag icon (it looks like a luggage tag).

The Tag Tree will include a list of tags such as <P> or <H1> or <TH>. For a full list of tags, see the Glossary of Tags. To view the content of a tag in the PDF, select the tag and the corresponding text should appear inside a blue outline within the document itself. If that does not happen, navigate to the drop-down menu above the Tag Tree and >Highlight.

Untagged PDFs do not provide a description of the logical structure and or relationship of document elements to users of assistive technology thereby making the file inaccessible. Documents that were converted to a PDF using > Print > Adobe PDF will always be untagged. There are two ways to add tags to a PDF: manually tag the file, or automatically add tags to the document.

There are two ways to manually add tags to the file, through the Reading Order Tool within the Tools section of Acrobat Pro DC or within the Tag Tree itself.

To access the Reading Order Tool:

> Tools

> Accessibility

> Reading Order

Shortcut: Control + Shift + U

To select contents of the document to tag through the Reading Order Tool, left click your mouse to display crosshairs and use them to draw a rectangle around the portion of text you wish to tag. Release the left button on your mouse and select the appropriate button on the Reading Order Tool to add a tag to the Tag Tree. NOTE: the tag will be added to the bottom of the Tag Tree and will need to be moved to the correct location.

The second way to manually add a tag is through the Tag Tree itself. Select the tag icon located in the Navigation Pane. This will expand the Tag Tree and you’ll notice there are no tags available.

To add tags:

Expand the Tag Tree

R> No Tags Available

> Create Tags Root

The text will change from No Tags Available to Tags. See the General Tags and Tagging Action sections of this Guide for more details on how to add tags once a root tag has been created.

There are two ways to auto tag the document, within the Tools section of Acrobat ProDC or within the Tag Tree itself:

> Tools Pane

> Accessibility

> Auto Tag Document

OR

Expand the Tag Tree

R> No Tags Available

> Add Tags to Document

To bulk select tags:

Place focus on the first tag in the series to be bulk selected

Hold the Shift key and highlight the tags by using the down arrow on the keyboard

Right click to view tag properties

From here you can change all the selected tabs simultaneously by selecting appropriate tag from the master list OR you can cut and paste the entire selection to another location in the Tag Tree. If you cut and paste the selection, remember to put focus on the tag above where you want to paste the selection.