How do I make sure my PDF is accessible for screen readers?

First, use 'Automatically tag PDF' to give your document a basic structure. Then, check the reading order to make sure content is read in the correct sequence. Finally, run the 'Accessibility Checker' and fix any issues it finds, especially missing alt text for images.

If my PDF has many images, how do I make sure they are accessible?

Use the 'Accessibility Checker' to find images that are missing alt text. Add clear and short alt text descriptions for each important image. If an image is just for decoration and does not add information, mark it as decorative so screen readers skip it.

Prepare Accessible Report in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create and verify an accessible PDF of the environmental report and send it to the disability…+

Create and verify an accessible PDF of the environmental report and send it to the disability services coordinator and the public comments inbox before the hearing, checking tagged headings and alt text on figures first.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before distributing the environmental report to disability services and the public, make it…+

Before distributing the environmental report to disability services and the public, make it truly accessible — structure and tag headings, add descriptive alt text for all maps and charts, fix reading order issues, include a plain-language summary, and run an accessibility check with a remediation log so reviewers have confidence before the hearing.

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

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.

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.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Prepare an accessible version of the environmental report so people with disabilities can review it before the hearing.

FAQ

about this task

First, use 'Automatically tag PDF' to give your document a basic structure.
Then, check the reading order to make sure content is read in the correct sequence.
Finally, run the 'Accessibility Checker' and fix any issues it finds, especially missing alt text for images.

PDF/UA is a specific standard for making PDF documents accessible, meaning it focuses only on PDFs. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a broader set of guidelines for all kinds of digital content, not just PDFs. Many regulated documents need to meet both standards to be fully accessible.

It is much easier and saves time to make your original document (like a Word file) accessible before you convert it to a PDF. If the source is accessible, the PDF created from it will often be accessible too. Fixing an already created, untagged PDF can take a lot of time and effort.

Use the 'Accessibility Checker' to find images that are missing alt text.
Add clear and short alt text descriptions for each important image.
If an image is just for decoration and does not add information, mark it as decorative so screen readers skip it.

Reading order is the sequence in which a screen reader or other assistive technology reads the content on a page. It is important that this order matches how a person would visually read the document, so the information makes sense.

Prepare Accessible Report

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Other guides