Embedded Files
The main feature in an accessible PDF document is a logical tagged structure that provides a meaningful reading order for content, as well as a method for defining structural elements role and relationship to page content. With this information a user with assistive technology is then able to skip to desired content easily.
The tags in PDFs correspond to a specific type of content - List of PDF Tags with their Meaning
Converting from an Accessible Word Processing Document
Converting from an Accessible Word Processing Document
A Word document or PowerPoint presentation can be converted to an accessible PowerPoint by doing one of the following:
Select File > Export to PDF
This will create a 'tagged' PDF by default.
Once your document has been converted, you will also want to check it within Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Note: There are other ways to convert a document to PDF, however, Exporting gives you the best chance of creating a correctly tagged PDF.
Fixing Inaccessible PDFs (Requires Adobe Acrobat Pro)
Fixing Inaccessible PDFs (Requires Adobe Acrobat Pro)
Below are the four basic steps to help you ensure you have an accessible PDF:
ALWAYS use the Export function when saving a word document to a PDF. This has the best chance of retaining any accessibility features you built into the Word document. Even if you have a totally accessible Word doc though, when you bring it in the Title will fail. Simply select that you want to "fix" form the tag panel and it automatically grabs it.
Try the auto tagging feature to fix any issues identified in the PDF.
Open the Reading Order Tool and check the auto tagging to make sure it’s accurate. Make sure to check that you want to use the ‘Structure types’ features of the tool (pictured below). If items are tagged incorrectly, use the Reading Order Tool to fix them.
Once items are tagged correctly, use the Reading Order Tool to check the order the content will be read. Make sure ‘Page content order’ is checked in the tool.
Fixing Specific PDF Issues
Fixing Specific PDF Issues
This section is intended to help you address a document that has one or two discreet issues. Guidance in this section is updated all the time.
Alt Text Failed
Alt Text Failed
From the accessibility checker panel, right click on the error and then select "Fix."
the program will then walk you through all the alt text and you will be able to fill in the missing descriptions.
Tagged Annotations Failed (Unmarked Links)
Tagged Annotations Failed (Unmarked Links)
Open up the tags panel (that's what you see pictured here)
Click on the box icon highlighted in the picture and then select ‘Find’ about halfway down the drop down.
Once you click on ‘Find’, select ‘Unmarked Links’ – Select whether you wan to search the page or the document.
It will highlight that unmarked links and allow you to select ‘Link’ from the list and put in the text that explains it as well.
Table Headers Failed (Table doesn't have headers identified)
Table Headers Failed (Table doesn't have headers identified)
From the accessibility pane, open up the Reading Order Tool. Make sure 'Structure Types' is selected.
Highlight the table and select the 'Table Editor' from the Reading Order tool or right click over the table and use the dropdown.
Right click on any header cell that is incorrectly labeled as 'TD' (Table Data) and select 'Table Cell Properties' from the dropdown
Within that box, select 'Header Cell' and then select OK
Nested Headings Failed (Headings are not sequential in the tagging structure)
Nested Headings Failed (Headings are not sequential in the tagging structure)
This can be fixed by using the Reading Order Tool to grab and correctly label Headings at their appropriate Level. The tool allows you to select Headings 1 through 6. Heading 1 is equivalent to the Title, Heading 2 would be for all the headings at that next level and so on.
Bulleting
Bulleting
Bullets are one of the hardest accessibility issues to fix in a PDF because you can't fix it from the reading order tool - it's not one of the tagging options. Often it's easier and faster to delete the bullets that were transferred over to the PDF, and insert new bullets using the native feature in Adobe.
Bullets really need to be fixed in the tag panel. From the tag panel, you need to make sure the structure looks like below, per the PDF/UA-1 specification (ISO 14289 at https://www.iso.org/standard/64599.html):
<L>
<LI>
<Lbl> [the bullet character is considered the "label"]
<LBody> [the body text of the bullet item]
Often you will see the tag "Span" in bullets. This should also be changed because span simply means that there is content that Adobe doesn't know how to tag. Span pops up most often when a PDF is created from a design program.
What else to know about the Reading Order Tool
What else to know about the Reading Order Tool
You can retag and add alternative text entirely in the Reading Order Tool.
To retag, grab the item and then right click and select the appropriate tag from the dropdown list
To fill in alt text, click on the "Figure - No Alternative text exists," then right click and select "Edit alt text" from the dropdown list.
It may show you things that didn't necessarily show up when you did an accessibility check.
For instance, space that has been entered with the use of the enter key will show as empty paragraphs (P). But don't be fooled by those, the screen reader will not read them like in a Word document. It just looks messy. And if you can clean it up in Word and space things correctly, you might as well do that.
More Resources
More Resources
Brochure for PDF Accessibility (INCLUDES INFO ABOUT TABLE OF CONTENTS & BULLETS/LISTS)
Report abuse