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Accessibility for PDFs

PDFs are widely used to distribute information on the web because almost every computer and mobile device can open and display them consistently across platforms (e.g., Mac, Windows, iOS, Android). It’s important to know that material is not authored in a PDF. It is first drafted in a  source document, where it is edited and proofed. Once completed, the source document is then exported to a PDF.

Read more about PDF requirements, especially around content review and use of HTML pages for PDFs.

Authoring 508-compliant Files

To create a PDF, the original source document may be:

  • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
  • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)
  • Adobe InDesign (.indb)
  • Plain or rich text document (.txt, .rtf)
  • Scanned document (.tif, .jpg, .bmp, etc.)

508 Requirements in Source Document

  • Add full document property meta data, including title and author
  • Use succinct alt-text (125 characters or less) to describe any relevant images
  • Embed all fonts in the original source document
  • Structure file using proper headings and paragraphs
  • Bullet lists using the appropriate buttons in the toolbar/ribbon
  • Add bookmarks to files of more than nine pages
  • Keep tables simple:
    • Refrain from using tables for layout purposes
      • Only use them for tabular data
    • Assign "headers" to applicable columns
    • Avoid using merged cells when possible
  • Avoid linking words and phrases like “Click here” or “More”
    • Describe what it is that is being linked with terms or through a title (e.g., 2015 Funding Report)
  • Insert a page break from the toolbar/ribbon instead of repeatedly hitting the Enter/Return key to begin a new page
  • Use the Word 508 Checklist as a guide: 
    https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html

PDF 508 Requirements

  • Confirm that the meta data from the source document has carried over into the Document Properties dialogue box, which must be properly filled out for accessibility
    • If not, add or set:
      • Title
      • Author
      • Show “Document Title” instead of “File Name”
      • Language
  • Scanned files must be run through Acrobat’s "OCR" function to make text editable and readable
  • Confirm PDF has tags in the left-hand navigation pane; this is what we call a "tagged PDF"
    • Just because a PDF has tags does not mean it’s 508-compliant
      • However, if a PDF does not have tags, then it is automatically not 508-compliant
    • Tags must be added to the PDF if it did not carry over from the source document
    • Tags must match the visual structure of the document (e.g., headings, paragraphs, lists, tables) and be in the proper reading order, which may require reordering and editing of tags
  • Add succinct alternate text to all relevant images
  • “Artifact” or “Background” any nonessential items, decorative images, page numbers, and footers
  • Run Acrobat’s 508 Accessibility Checker with all options checked (in Full mode) to find and correct errors
  • Run the Checker again after each fix to confirm that the error has been remediated, and that new ones have not been introduced
  • Use the PDF 508 Checklist as a guide: 
    https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html
  • Required Fixes for PDF Files:
    http://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/pdf-required/

Online 508 Accessibility Resources for PDFs and Source Documents

Read more:

,  Web Standards