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 Accessibility Best Practices

Your eight-step PDF accessibility

checklist
PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most widely used
file formats worldwide. Whether used for academic research,
corporate documentation, or digital publications, PDFs are
universally recognized for their convenience and consistency.

Despite their widespread use, however, companies often overlook

the critical importance of creating accessible PDF documents. It’s
not uncommon to find websites claiming to be compliant while still
having inaccessible PDF documents available for download on
their site.

Digital documents are considered web content and must be

accessible for any website to attain full WCAG compliance.

In this article, you’ll get a brief overview of what PDF accessibility

is and why it’s so important. We’ll also provide you with an easy,
eight-step checklist that you can use to help ensure your PDFs are
fully accessible.

What is PDF accessibility?

At its core, PDF accessibility ensures that PDF documents are
available to all users, including those with disabilities.

An accessible PDF provides features that help individuals with

visual, motor, cognitive, and hearing impairments to perceive,
navigate, and interact with the content without hindrance and in
an equitable way.

These features include things such as semantic tags, alternative

text for images, and logical reading order.

Accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(WCAG) and/or PDF/Universal Accessibility (PDF/UA) are often
followed to make PDFs more inclusive and ensure the best user
experience.

Why is PDF accessibility important?

Accessibility is ethically and morally essential, because everyone
deserves equal access to information whether they have a
disability or not. But there are also important business benefits.
Here are just some of the ways PDF accessibility can benefit your
company:

 Reach: An estimated 16% of the world’s population has some

form of disability. Accessible PDFs ensure that your content
reaches a broader audience.
 User experience: Accessible design results in better overall
user experience. Features that aid those with disabilities can
also benefit other users.
 SEO and search: Accessible PDFs can be indexed better by
search engines.
 Reputation. People are more likely to view your organization
favorably when you demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity.
 Legal compliance: Many countries have laws and regulations
—such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US,
the The European Accessibility Act (EAA) , and more—which
mandate accessibility standards. Non-compliance can lead to
legal repercussions.

Your eight-step PDF accessibility checklist

Use this checklist as a guide to help ensure your PDFs are
accessible.

1. My PDF has tags.

o Tags should be semantic (headings, paragraphs, lists,
tables, etc.).
o The first heading should be an “H1” and only heading
levels 1-6 should be used.
 Heading levels should not be skipped (e.g. H2
followed by H4).
 Heading levels can restart (e.g., H3 followed by H4,
followed by H2).
2. Meaningful images in my PDF have appropriate
alternate text.
o Alternate text should be as clear and concise as possible.
o Phrases such as “image of” or “graphic of” should be
avoided since screen readers already announce properly
tagged images as “graphic”.
o Decorative images should be properly artifacted (i.e.,
marked appropriately so they don’t interfere with
usability and accessibility).
3. My PDF has a logical reading order.
o For most screen readers, the order in which your tags
appear in the tags tree determines the logical reading
order of the document. Properly ordering tags ensures a
cohesive reading experience.
 In the US, for example, content is typically read from
top to bottom and from left to right.
 o The reflow order of your PDF should also be logical. This
can be controlled by ensuring containers in your content
pane are in the appropriate stacking order.
4. My PDF passes color contrast requirements.
o WCAG 2.0 level AA requires a color contrast ratio of at
least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
 Large text is defined as 14 point bold, or 18 point.
o Information should not be conveyed solely through color.
Use text labels or symbols as well.
5. Tables in my PDF are tagged correctly.
o Data tables must have table headers for columns and
rows.
o Column and row scope should be designated to associate
header cells with data cells.
o Complex tables should be avoided. If they exist, they
should use cell ID’s for association.
o Layout tables should not be tagged as data tables.
o A table of contents should be tagged with appropriate
structure and can include navigational links to the
appropriate page.
6. Form fields and other interactive elements in my PDF
are tagged correctly and are navigable by keyboard
alone.
o Ensure form fields have clear labels and descriptive
tooltips.
o Ensure the appropriate tab order has been set.
o Ensure hyperlinks have meaningful link text. Avoid
generic phrases like “click here.”
7. My PDF contains the necessary metadata.
o Specify the document language to assist screen readers
in pronunciation and navigation.
o Include a meaningful title of the PDF and set the
document title to show in the window options.
8. I have thoroughly tested my PDF with a combination of
automated PDF checkers, manual testing, and assistive
technology.
o Automated PDF checkers can help identify issues such as
missing alternate text, untagged content, and missing
metadata such as a document title or language.
o Manual testing of the PDF is always required to ensure
accuracy, readability, and navigation.
 o Use assistive technology such as screen readers to listen
to the document and identify inconsistencies.

Keep this checklist handy and refer to it anytime you create new
PDFs. It’s a great way to start making your website and digital
content fully accessible.

Want to learn more?

Deque offers a wide variety of services to fit your needs, including:

 Online self-paced digital accessibility courses via Deque

University. See our Document Accessibility curriculum.
 Virtual Instructor-Led Training See our Document Accessibility .5
day to 2 full day modules.

Contact us today and see how Deque solutions take the guesswork
out of digital accessibility!

By Kyle PacielloJune 18, 2024

Categories

 Accessibility Best Practices

 Accessible User Experience & Design

Tags

 document accessibility
 pdf accessibility

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 About Kyle Paciello

Kyle Paciello is a Senior Documentation Accessibility Consultant at

Deque. He’s been in the accessibility industry for over 14 years and
specializes in helping clients make their digital documents
accessible. He is an Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) certified
by the IAAP and an Adobe Acrobat Certified PDF Expert with a deep
knowledge of the requirements of an accessible document to meet
compliance standards, including WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA.
View all posts by Kyle Paciello
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