Accessibility: How to Make Digital Assets Accessible: PDFs

This is an overview of the elements that require special consideration when creating accessible PDFs. Please review one of the Additional Resources for detailed instructions on any of the following:

• Know when to use a PDF. When appearance or security is critical. For most cases, HTML or Word is a better choice.
• Use a version no older than Acrobat 5.0 to create PDF documents. Acrobat 5.0 has new features that are critical for the accessibility of PDF documents. 
• Tag all documents for easier reading by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
• Make sure security is formatted correctly to allow for assistive devices.
• Provide a text equivalent for any multimedia that includes speech, or music with lyrics.
• Include all important or relevant parts of the document as part of the document structure.
• Follow guidelines for creating accessible documents and images.

             University of Cincinnati Accessible PDF Example

• Adobe PDF Manual using bookmarks to enable easier browsing

To check:

• Website or webpage visit the 508 Checker website.
• Microsoft Office products visit the Check for accessibility issues information page on the Microsoft website.
  • Rules used by Microsoft accessibility checker
• Accessibility in Office 365 view the support page
• Use of color for the 3 types of color blindness visit the Accessibility Color Wheel website.