How do I make a PDF accessible for people with visual impairments?

First, use 'Automatically tag PDF' to give your document structure. Then, check and adjust the 'Reading Order' so text flows correctly. Finally, run the 'Accessibility Checker' to find and fix any remaining issues like missing alt text for images.

Accessible Art-History Brief in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”A visually impaired occupational therapist asked for a client's art-history summary for a joint…+

A visually impaired occupational therapist asked for a client's art-history summary for a joint session tomorrow. I have detailed notes and images but no accessible version. I can't tell how much sensory description they need. Decide whether to produce a text-first summary or an image-transcribed document, and give the concise accessible summary I can hand over that captures themes, methods, and notable sensory elements without revealing identity.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open the PDF document you want to check for accessibility.
2
Click the Tools tab at the top of the Acrobat window.
3
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.
4
In the Accessibility tools pane, click Full Check.
5
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.
6
Review the results displayed in the Accessibility Checker panel on the left side of the screen.

In the appWith the API

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.

Glossary

words on this page

AccessibilityMaking sure everyone, including people with disabilities, can use something.ExampleThe website was designed with Accessibility in mind, so screen readers can easily navigate it.

Alt textA short description for images so people who cannot see them know what they show.ExampleA person using a screen reader hears 'a red bicycle leaning against a brick wall' when they encounter the image.

TaggingAdding labels to parts of a document so screen readers can understand it.ExampleTagging a document helps visually impaired users navigate its content with a screen reader.

Who does this

3 roles

Accessibility SpecialistInstructional DesignerDocument Remediator

FAQ

about this task

First, use 'Automatically tag PDF' to give your document structure.
Then, check and adjust the 'Reading Order' so text flows correctly.
Finally, run the 'Accessibility Checker' to find and fix any remaining issues like missing alt text for images.

PDF/UA is a specific standard for PDF documents, focusing on how PDFs themselves are built for accessibility. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a broader set of rules for all digital content, not just PDFs. Many rules overlap, but regulated work often needs to meet both standards to ensure full compliance across different technologies.

It's much easier and saves time to fix accessibility issues in the original Word document before you create the PDF. If the source file is accessible, the PDF exported from it will likely be accessible too. Fixing an already-made PDF can be a lot of work and take a long time, especially for complex documents.

Yes, Acrobat's auto-tagging uses smart technology that can work with both native (digital) and scanned PDFs. It can identify headings, tables, lists, and paragraphs even in scanned documents. However, for blurry scans, you might need to do more manual checks and corrections to ensure everything is tagged correctly and readable.

Reading order is the sequence in which a screen reader or other assistive technology reads the content of a PDF. It is important because if the reading order is wrong, a person using a screen reader might hear text in a jumbled or illogical way, making the document confusing or impossible to understand.

Accessible Art-History Brief

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Other guides