Across the last [period=12 months], where did our approval workflow fail to create an auditable trail for [documents=p…
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.
PDF/UA is a specific standard just for PDF documents. It tells you exactly how a PDF must be structured to be accessible. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a broader set of rules for all digital content, like websites and documents. WCAG is not tied to one technology. Many regulated jobs need both standards to be met, meaning your PDF should follow PDF/UA, and the content itself should meet WCAG guidelines.
Acrobat's auto-tagging can work with scanned PDFs, even blurry ones, because it uses smart technology (Sensei-powered API). It tries to identify headings, tables, lists, and paragraphs. However, a blurry scan might make it harder for the automation to be accurate. You will still need to manually check and correct the tags, reading order, and add alt text for images to ensure full accessibility.
Fixing accessibility in the original document (like a Microsoft Word file) is much easier and saves a lot of time. When you create an accessible source document, the PDF exported from it will often keep most of those accessibility features. This means you spend less time fixing problems later in the PDF, which can be a very slow process, especially for complex documents. It's about starting with good practices.
Reading order is the sequence in which a screen reader or other assistive technology reads the content on a page. It matters because if the reading order is wrong, a person using a screen reader might hear sentences or paragraphs in the wrong order, making the document confusing or impossible to understand. You need to make sure the content flows logically.