How do I make a PDF accessible in Acrobat?

Go to 'All tools' and select 'Prepare for accessibility'. Use 'Automatically tag PDF' to add basic structure. Then, use 'Fix reading order' to ensure content flows logically. Finally, run 'Full Check' with the Accessibility Checker to find and fix any remaining issues like missing alt text or incorrect headings.

What is the difference between PDF/UA and WCAG for accessibility?

Standard Focus Technology. PDF/UA Specific to PDF documents, ensuring technical accessibility within the PDF format. PDF-specific WCAG General guidelines for web content accessibility, applicable to many technologies including PDFs. Technology-agnostic

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

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create an accessible PDF of the wall text and catalog essay for the '[exhibition=Light and…+

Create an accessible PDF of the wall text and catalog essay for the '[exhibition=Light and Line]' exhibition by adding accessibility tags and exporting a verified tagged PDF so researchers using assistive tech can read it.

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

BImprove — “do it better”To minimize barriers for researchers, tag headings, figures, and captions correctly, run an…+

To minimize barriers for researchers, tag headings, figures, and captions correctly, run an accessibility check and fix remaining issues, and export a verified accessible PDF with a short accessibility statement and contact for queries so assistive‑tech users can rely on the file.

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 of an image or media for people who can't see it.

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

Go to 'All tools' and select 'Prepare for accessibility'.
Use 'Automatically tag PDF' to add basic structure.
Then, use 'Fix reading order' to ensure content flows logically.
Finally, run 'Full Check' with the Accessibility Checker to find and fix any remaining issues like missing alt text or incorrect headings.

The most important part of making a PDF accessible is tagging. Tags provide the structure for assistive technologies like screen readers. Without proper tagging, a PDF is very difficult for people with disabilities to use, even if other elements are correct.

Yes, you can still make a scanned PDF accessible. Acrobat's 'Automatically tag PDF' feature uses smart technology to tag headings, tables, lists, and paragraphs, even in scanned documents. However, you will still need to manually check and correct the reading order and add alt text for images after the initial auto-tagging.

Standard	Focus	Technology
PDF/UA	Specific to PDF documents, ensuring technical accessibility within the PDF format.	PDF-specific
WCAG	General guidelines for web content accessibility, applicable to many technologies including PDFs.	Technology-agnostic

It is much better to fix accessibility issues in the source document (like a Word file) before creating the PDF. When you fix the source, any PDF exported from it will already have good accessibility. Remediating an existing, untagged PDF is very time-consuming and often requires more effort than preventing the issues from the start.

Prepare Accessible Texts

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Other guides