Close menu William & Mary
Popular Topics
News Events
William & Mary
Resources FOR...
Resources FOR...
Digital Accessibility
Resource Guide

Creating Accessible PDFs

PDFs are one of the most commonly used document formats in academic and administrative environments, but they can also be some of the least accessible if not created properly. This guide outlines key considerations and detailed steps for creating accessible PDFs that comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Wherever possible, accessibility should be built into the source document before conversion to PDF. 

Table of Contents

Start with an Accessible Source Document 

The most effective way to create an accessible PDF is to begin with an accessible source file (e.g., a Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Google Docs file), ensuring that structural elements such as headings, lists, image descriptions, and table markup are preserved when exported to PDF. Trying to fix accessibility issues after a PDF is created is far more time-consuming and less reliable. 

Best Practices

  • Use built-in heading styles to indicate structure.
  • Apply alt text to all meaningful images.
  • Use proper list formatting (not manually typed bullets or numbers).
  • Include descriptive hyperlink text.
  • For tables, use headers and simple layouts (no merged or nested cells).
  • Avoid scanned documents unless they’ve been converted to text using OCR.

Creating Accessible Word Documents

Creating Accessible PowerPoints

Creating Accessible Google Docs

Exporting to PDF from Microsoft Word (With Acrobat)

Exporting with Adobe Acrobat ensures that heading levels, alt text, and other structural tags are properly embedded in the PDF. This method is strongly preferred when available.

Steps

  1. Open your accessible source file in Microsoft Word.
  2. Go to the Acrobat tab in the ribbon (requires the Adobe Acrobat plug-in).
  3. Click Create PDF.
  4. In the pop-up window, make sure “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” is selected (especially on macOS).
  5. Click Save.

Following these steps preserves the logical structure of your document and includes the necessary tags for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Exporting to PDF from Microsoft Word (Without Acrobat)

You can still create a tagged PDF using Word’s built-in export function if you don’t have the Acrobat plug-in. However, you’ll need to manually verify that tags were preserved.

Steps

  1. Go to File > Save As.
  2. Choose PDF from the list of file formats.
  3. Click Options (near the Save button).
  4. Ensure that “Document structure tags for accessibility” is checked.
  5. Click Save.

Tip

Do not use “Print to PDF.” This method strips out accessibility features, including tags and alt text.

Tagging PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Tags give a PDF its structure. They tell screen readers and other assistive technologies how to interpret different parts of the document, like which text is a heading, which parts are lists, or which is regular paragraph text. Without tags, a PDF is essentially unreadable to many users who rely on assistive tech.

How to Check for Tags

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  2. Go to View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.
  3. In the Tags pane, you’ll see a tree-like structure that outlines how your document is tagged. If nothing appears, your PDF likely isn’t tagged.

To Add Tags (If Missing)

  1. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document.
  2. Acrobat will apply basic tags to structure the content.
  3. You may still need to review and clean up the tags afterward to ensure accuracy.

Common Tags

  • Heading Tags (<H1> to <H6>):
    Headings break the content into sections and help users navigate. Start with one <H1> for the main title, then use <H2>, <H3>, and so on, in order. Don’t skip levels—jumping from <H1> to <H4> will confuse screen readers.
  • List Tags (<L>, <LI>, <LBody>):
    Lists help organize information. The <L> tag wraps the whole list, each list item is tagged as <LI>, and the content of each item is wrapped in <LBody>, which helps users understand that they’re in a list and how many items it includes.
  • Paragraph Tags (<P>):
    Most of your document’s regular text will be tagged as <P> for paragraph. These indicate standard reading text not part of a heading, list, or other specialized element.
  • Link Tags (<Link> and Link-OBJR):
    Hyperlinks are identified with <Link> tags. Inside that tag, Link-OBJR helps define the clickable area. All links should use descriptive text like “William & Mary Library Resources” instead of vague text like “click here.”

Setting the Reading Order

Reading order is the sequence in which content is read out loud by screen readers. If the order is wrong, like if a sidebar is read before the page title, the content can be confusing or even unusable for people using assistive technologies.

How to Check & Fix Reading Order

  1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  2. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order.
  3. Numbered boxes appear over each section of the page, showing the current reading order.
  4. If the numbers don’t follow the correct flow (e.g., top-to-bottom, left-to-right), click and drag the boxes into the right order.

Tip

Use View > Read Out Loud > Activate to have the PDF read to you so you can check if the flow makes sense. The goal is to ensure the content is read in the same logical order as someone would read it visually.

Alternative Text for Images

Alt text ensures users who can’t see images can still understand their function or content. Decorative images should be hidden from screen readers.

Steps

  1. In Acrobat, right-click on the image.
  2. Choose Edit Alt Text or go to Object Properties > Tag tab > Alternate Text.
  3. Enter a short description (usually 1–2 sentences).
  4. If the image is decorative, mark it as an artifact so it will be skipped.

Tips

  • Do not use “image of” or “picture of” — screen readers already identify it as an image.
  • Focus on the purpose or meaning, not appearance.

For more details and examples of specific guidelines on adding meaningful alt text, visit Section 508: Alt text. 

Color & Contrast

Low contrast or color-dependent content can prevent users from perceiving information. Ensure your design uses accessible color combinations and includes text or symbols in addition to color. If you use Adobe’s Accessibility Checker, you will always be prompted to check the color contrast. If you’re unsure about the contrast, use a tool (such as the WebAIM Contrast Checker) to check. 

If contrast issues are found during this step, it’s best to return to the original source document and fix them there whenever possible. This highlights the importance of starting with an accessible source from the beginning.

Best Practices

  • Use at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text.
  • Use at least 3:1 contrast for large or bold text (18 pt+ or 14 pt bold).
  • Don’t rely on color alone — add bolding, underlines, icons, or patterns to reinforce meaning.

Accessible Tables in PDFs

Tables must have clearly identified header rows and simple structures to be accessible. Screen readers rely on header tags to associate data properly.

Steps

  1. Check that tables are tagged as <Table> in the Tags pane.
  2. Right-click the table tag > choose Table Editor.
  3. Ensure the first row is tagged as <TH> (table header), and other cells as <TD> (table data).
  4. Use Table Inspector to define header scope and relationships.
  5. Add a short summary as alt text under Object Properties > Alt Text.

Avoid

  • Merged cells
  • Blank cells used for spacing
  • Nested tables

Accessible Forms in PDFs

Form fields must be operable by keyboard, have accessible labels, and follow a logical tab order.

Steps

  1. Use Tools > Prepare Form to edit form fields.
  2. For each field:
    • Ensure a meaningful label is entered in the Tooltip field.
    • Use logical field names and tab order.
  3. Test form using only the Tab key to navigate.
  4. Avoid placing important labels only in visual proximity (screen readers won’t detect these).

Using the Accessibility Checker in Acrobat

 The built-in accessibility checker in Adobe Acrobat Pro identifies structural issues, missing tags, color contrast problems, and more. It is an essential final step before sharing a PDF.

Steps

  1. Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro.
  2. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Full Check.
  3. Select the document elements you want to include in the check (leave all selected by default).
  4. Review the report in the Accessibility Checker pane.
  5. Expand flagged items and follow the prompts to resolve errors. 

Note: This tool may not catch every issue (e.g., vague link text or bad alt text), so manual review is also important.

Final Checklist for Accessible PDFs

  • Document is tagged
  • Logical reading order is verified
  • All headings follow a consistent hierarchy
  • Lists and tables use proper structure
  • Images have descriptive alt text or are marked as decorative
  • Form fields have labels and logical tab order
  • Hyperlinks are descriptive
  • Text has sufficient contrast
  • The file was exported properly (not printed to PDF)
  • Acrobat’s accessibility checker was run

Additional PDF Resources