PDFs

Working with your PDF in Adobe Acrobat DC Professional (i.e. Acrobat Pro, not Acrobat Reader) gives you direct access to the full suite of PDF tools, including “Check for accessibility.” 

If you are new to Acrobat Pro, give yourself time to learn how to navigate the built-in accessibility checker and understand the feedback it provides.  

• Start here: Using the Adobe Accessibility Checker 
• Resource: Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro) 

The UDOIT accessibility checker in Canvas allows you to quickly review common accessibility issues across all of your PDF files in a course.  

Under “Review Course Files”, you will see a report on the following issues: 

• Image-based file detected 
• File is missing a title element 
• Files lacks tags needed for navigation by assistive technologies

Visit the ULEARN Accessibility Guide to learn more about each of these issues. 

Note: UDOIT can create alternate versions of your PDF file, including a Canvas Page or HTML file. These alternate versions are not automatically accessible. You will need to review their accessibility with tools such as the Canvas Accessibility checker (Canvas Page version) or WAVE website accessibility checker (HTML file version). 

UDOIT can also create a tagged PDF file for you, but in our experience it is less accurate than the auto-tag feature in Acrobat Pro. 

Before investing your time and energy in remediating an inaccessible PDF, check to see whether an accessible version already exists. 

Search the library catalog. Oftentimes, different databases may have different formats of the same resource. Contact your University Libraries Liaison or search the library’s catalog for your reading to see if multiple versions might be available. Once you track down a potential option, check to see if one of those versions might be accessible (or at least more accessible). 

Contact the publisher. If no accessible version is available, reach out to the publisher. They may have one available or can create it for you. If they cannot provide you with an accessible version, ask for permission to make the content accessible yourself. 

Note: If you have attempted but are unable to get permission to remediate the inaccessible content from the owner, please email the Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@uncg.edu. You are still responsible for having an accessible version of the content available. 

If an accessible PDF isn’t available, see if the content exists in a different format that is either already accessible or easier to make accessible. These formats may include: 

• HTML Pages. HTML is the standard format for web pages, built with structured tags that define headings, lists, and other elements. Many publishers provide an HTML version of their content. Because they are design to include semantic structure, which makes navigation easier for users with disabilities, HTML pages are often more flexible and work well with screen readers and other assistive technologies. 
• Word or text files. Editable formats like Word (.docx) or plain text (.txt) are generally easier to remediate than a complex PDF. They allow you to apply accessibility features such as headings, styles, and alt text before converting to PDF. 
• EPUB (electronic publication). EPUB is a digital book format that many textbook publishers use for their eBooks. Many EPUB resources include accessibility features like adjustable fonts and integrated screen reader compatibility. 

While these alternative formats have many accessibility features built in and are often a better starting point than a PDF, you’ll still need to check each resource to make sure it is fully accessible. 

First, check to see if the text is readable. Screen readers can’t interpret text that isn’t selectable or searchable (common in scanned PDFs), so check by trying to select the text or by searching for a word you can see visually. 

If text isn’t selectable or searchable, use the Scan & OCR tool in Acrobat Pro to run OCR. If your PDF is a scan, select Enhance scanned file to clean up the image for better OCR results. Run OCR:  

1. Select Recognize Text > In this file. 
2. Choose the correct language. 
3. Click Recognize text. 

After running OCR, verify that you can highlight and search text throughout the document. 

Proper tagging ensures screen readers can navigate and interpret your PDF’s structure. You can either (1) start by autotagging your document or (2) go ahead and tag each element manually. 

Autotagging 

You can autotag your PDF from the Accessibility Tags panel in Acrobat Pro. Simply open the Options menu and select Autotag Document. 

Once the tags appear, you will need to check that they are accurate. 

• Check for correct tag types (e.g., headings, paragraphs, figures). 
• Ensure tags follow a logical reading order and proper heading hierarchy. 
• Edit or reorder tags as needed by double-clicking or dragging them. 

You may find this list of common PDF tags helpful. 

Manual Tagging 

To tag your PDF manually, first open the Reading Order panel from the Order pane. Select sections of text or other document elements (e.g., headings, images, tables) and assign the appropriate tag using the buttons on Reading Order panel. 

Confirm that each tag appears correctly in the Tags pane. 

Find the image in the Tags panel (should be tagged as <Figure>). Check the tag’s properties to see if any alt text is already included. If there is alt text present, make sure it is accurate. If there is no alt text, add it. 

Good alt text is concise, context-specific, and conveys the image’s purpose for users with screen readers. 

If the image does not convey any meaning, or if its meaning is already described within the document text, simply mark it as decorative. 

Go to Menu > Document Properties to check that this metadata is present and accurate. Look at the document title, author, and any other relevant information. 

Accessibility checker. Run Acrobat Pro’s accessibility checker to make sure you’ve addressed all issues. If any issues remain, you can fix most of them from the Accessibility Checker panel. 

Reading order. Use the Order pane to ensure elements are in the correct sequence. Rearrange elements by dragging and dropping them within the Order pane if necessary. 

Tab order. Use the Tags pane to check nesting and order. Rearrange elements by dragging and dropping them within the Tags pane if necessary. 

Metadata. Double-check document properties for accuracy. 

• Creating an accessible original source document is the most effective way to create an accessible PDF and reduce that amount of remediation work you’ll need to do later on.
• An accessible source document is easier to maintain and update. If you need to make changes, you just need to open it, edit it, and save it again as a PDF. No need to remediate after conversion.
• If your source file is accessible, the accessibility features will be preserved when converted to a PDF, which will reduce the need for manual fixes in Adobe Acrobat Pro

How to Protect a Source File: Word 

• You can protect a Word document and share it however you prefer to share it (as an uploaded document, shared link)
• From File/Info/Protect Document/Restrict Editing – you can make a read only document by choosing “No Changes” – this could be manually removed however
• So an added layer of protection is to set a password to keep users from removing the restriction
• Best to avoid the encryption-only protection option because this will block screen readers from being able to access the content 

How to Protect a Source File: Excel 

Excel files also have great options for locking your workbooks or spreadsheets  

• You can protect the entire workbook – File/Info/Protect Workbook/Protect Structure 
  • Students will be able to view the contents in the workbook, but can’t change anything (can’t edit, move sheets, , copy, reorder, add or delete sheets, show hidden sheets)  
  • Protecting the workbook protects the structure of the file, not the ability to edit data  
• You can also protect the sheets in the workbook (all of them on select ones)  
  • Review tab/Protect Sheet, and then choose allowed actions  
  • Protects cell content – editing/deleting cell values, formulas, adding/deleting rows and columns, sorting and filtering 
• Locking an Excel file is a preferred method 
  • Comments will lose context and won’t align with cell data  
  • Column and row headers can be misread or skipped  
  • Interactive elements (filters, dropdowns, charts, etc) become static; lose context  
  • Reading order may need to be re-ordered  

How to Protect a Source Document: PPT 

• Share as a Read Only file via OneDrive or SharePoint
  • Only way to lock a PowerPoint file
  • No way to enable restrictions within the PPT file fully lock it to prevent edits and changes 

• Option 1: Share as a Read Only file via OneDrive or SharePoint
  • If you choose “Can’t Download”, users will be able to view the file but won’t be able to download it. This is the best way to ensure no changes are made.
  • If you choose “View only”, users can view the original file, but they can also download a copy for themselves. Any changes they make will only be reflected in their copy. 

• Option 2: Upload the file Directly to Canvas
  • Students can view or download a copy of the file. 
  • The downloaded copy would be editable, but the original source file in Canvas would not be editable. 
  • Downloading a copy of any file uploaded to Canvas will always preserve the original file that’s been uploaded. 

When converting your accessible file to a PDF keep in mind that it’s not always 100% accessible afterward so keep in mind the following:

• Preserves important accessibility tags
  • Headings, alt text, numbered and bulleted lists, links, basic tables will often remain accessible when a file is converted to a PDF.
  • Consistent layout and reading order are usually preserved as well, but should be checked in the PDF version.
• Reduces the need for extensive manual tagging
  • Converting an accessible document to a PDF will reduce the need for extensive manual tagging in the PDF.
  • Will certainly reduce the time and effort to remediate.
• Some accessibility features can get lost during conversion
  • Complex tables with merged or nested cells often result in broken tag structures in the new PDF.
  • Charts and graphs will get converted to an image with alt text, but the data points and labels are often lost after conversion.
• Comments can be lost; specifically in Excel
  • Interactive elements aren’t preserved, and will need to be rebuilt as accessible form fields in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  • Embedded multimedia will not transfer over, and any associated captions or transcripts will need to be reassociated.
  • Never Print to Adobe PDF – Always Export
  • Do not print to Adobe PDF – this will essentially save your file as an image, making your previously accessible file inaccessible.

Before creating your PDF, use the steps on this website to create an accessible Word document: 

• 7 Basic Elements of Accessible Content 
• Creating Accessible Word/Google Documents 
• Using the Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker 

When you’re ready to create your PDF, choose Save As from the File menu. 

On a Mac, name your file, and then choose PDF from the File Format menu. Select Best for electronic distribution and accessibility to create a tagged PDF. Click Export.

On a PC, choose PDF from the Save as Type menu. Select Standard (optimize for) and click Options.

Make sure that Document structure tags for accessibility is selected. Click OK. Click Save.

Use Paragraph Styles consistently throughout the document. Base them on their hierarchical structure (main heading, sub headings, body text, etc.).

To create a paragraph style, choose Paragraph Style from the Type menu and then New Paragraph Style.

Name the style and apply formatting as necessary.

To apply a paragraph style, select the text and then the style from the Paragraph Styles panel.

Establish export tag relationships between InDesign styles and PDF tags.

In the Paragraph Styles panel, double-click to open the Paragraph Styles Options window.

Click Export Tagging and select the appropriate tag to be mapped when exported to a PDF.

Specify alternative text for images.

Select the image and then select Object Export Options from the Object menu.

On the Alt Text tab, choose Custom for Alt Text Source and enter your alternative text. Click Done.

Specify a document title and description as metadata.

Choose File Info from the File menu.

Enter a document title and other description on the Basic tab. Click OK.

Export as PDF with settings optimized for accessibility.

Choose Export from the File menu. From the File Type menu, choose either Adobe PDF (Print) or Adobe PDF (Interactive). Click Save.

Make sure that Create Tagged PDF is selected and click Export.

You can automate fixing accessibility issues in Acrobat Pro using the Make Accessible action.

Click on the Tools tab at the top of the screen, scroll down, and click on the Action Wizard Icon.

Click on the Make Accessible action in the Actions list.

In the Make Accessible action, add any additional files you want to make accessible, and then click Start.

The action will automatically walk you through the steps to make a PDF accessible. Make your changes in the dialog boxes presented. Acrobat will then run the Accessibility Checker and present any additional issues you need to correct.