Fill in the standard underwriting checklist on application [application=A-902] using the provided PDF form, complete a…
Open the PDF file to be checked in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Select Tools in the upper left, then add or open the Accessibility tool.
In the Accessibility pane, select Full Check.
In the dialog that opens, under Report Options, ensure Create accessibility report is checked.
Under Checking Options, select the desired standard (e.g., WCAG 2.0 or PDF/UA) if available.
NoteIf your version of Acrobat does not list PDF/UA or WCAG options, the checker will still test for core accessibility issues relevant to both standards.
Click Start Checking to run the accessibility check.
Review the results in the Accessibility Checker panel; expand each section to see issues flagged.
Address all issues marked as Failed or Needs manual check by following the recommended fixes or using the Fix option where available.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid using 'Print to PDF' when creating documents, as this removes accessibility tags and formatting.
Repeat the accessibility check after making corrections to confirm compliance.
Save a copy of the accessibility report for documentation or auditing purposes.
Best practiceAlways verify that text is selectable and not an image; scanned PDFs are not accessible and should be remediated or recreated.
The Accessibility Checker panel provides a detailed breakdown of compliance issues and links directly to problem elements in your PDF.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
| Standard | Focus | Use |
|---|---|---|
| PDF/UA | Rules specific to PDF documents. | Often needed for government or legal documents. |
| WCAG | General rules for all web content, not just PDFs. | A broader standard for digital accessibility across all technologies. |
It is much easier and faster to make a document accessible in its original program, like Microsoft Word. If you fix the source file, any PDF you create from it will already be mostly accessible. Fixing a PDF after it's made, especially if it was not tagged, takes a lot of time and effort.
Yes, Acrobat's 'Automatically tag PDF' feature, powered by Sensei, works for both native (created in software) and scanned PDFs. It can identify headings, tables, lists, and paragraphs even in scanned documents. However, you will still need to check and adjust the reading order and add alt text manually.
The 'reading order' is the path a screen reader follows through your document. It matters because if the order is wrong, a screen reader might jump around the page, making the content confusing or impossible to understand for someone who cannot see the layout.