Create and verify an accessible PDF version of the environmental impact report with tagged headings and reading order …
Open the PDF document you want to check for accessibility.
Click the Tools tab at the top of the Acrobat window.
Scroll through the list and select Accessibility to add the Accessibility tools to your workspace if they are not already visible.
Best practiceIf you do not see the Accessibility tools, you may need to add them from the Tools pane as they are not shown by default.
In the Accessibility tools pane, click Full Check.
In the Accessibility Checker Options dialog, review the settings and click Start Checking.
Best practiceFor a thorough check, ensure all checkboxes are selected before starting the check.
Review the results displayed in the Accessibility Checker panel on the left side of the screen.
You can right-click in the Navigation Pane to show the Accessibility tags panel for more detailed tag inspection.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
The best way to create an accessible PDF is to start with an accessible source document. For example, if you create your report in Microsoft Word, use its built-in accessibility features like heading styles and alt text for images. When you export to PDF, many of these accessibility features will carry over, reducing the work needed in Acrobat.
| Standard | Focus | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| PDF/UA | Specific to PDF documents | Ensures PDF technical requirements for accessibility |
| WCAG | General web content accessibility | Applies to all digital content, including PDFs, but is technology-agnostic |
Tagging a PDF is crucial because it creates a hidden, structured map of the document's content. This map tells screen readers and other assistive technologies what each part of the document is (e.g., a heading, a paragraph, a list, an image). Without tags, the content is just a jumble of visual information, making it impossible for assistive technology to interpret and convey meaningfully to a user.
Yes, even scanned PDFs can be made accessible. Acrobat's 'Automatically tag PDF' feature uses advanced technology to recognize text and structure in scanned documents. While it does a good job, you will still need to manually check and correct the reading order, add alt text for any images, and run the Accessibility Checker to ensure all elements are properly identified and accessible.