By Charlotte Gregory-Ellis, Learning Technologist (Curriculum Development)
PDFs are a common format for sharing educational materials in higher education, valued for their consistency across devices. However, poorly designed PDFs can create significant accessibility barriers for students with disabilities, limiting their ability to access critical content. Ensuring PDFs are accessible is an essential step towards fostering an inclusive learning environment. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies to improve PDF accessibility, from using proper tagging and text recognition to ensuring compatibility with screen readers. With a few simple changes, educators can transform PDFs into accessible, user-friendly resources that support the success of all students.
Why Accessibility Matters
An accessible PDF ensures that content can be navigated and understood by everyone, regardless of ability. Accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement under equality and disability legislation, it’s a critical aspect of inclusive education.
Steps to Create Accessible PDFs
1. Start with an Accessible Source Document
The foundation of an accessible PDF is an accessible source file, such as a Word document. Use accessibility features in your original file, such as:
- Properly structured headings (using Styles in Word or similar tools).
- Clear, descriptive alternative text (alt text) for all images and visuals.
- Avoiding complex tables; if tables are necessary, ensure they are simple and correctly labelled.
By starting with an accessible source, you’ll simplify the process of creating an accessible PDF.
See our recent blog post on creating accessible Word documents.
2. Use a Trusted PDF Converter
Not all PDF conversion tools retain accessibility features. Use tools like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word’s built-in PDF export, or similar software that supports accessibility tagging.
When exporting to PDF:
- Ensure the option to Preserve Accessibility Features is enabled.
- Avoid scanning documents as images unless Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is applied.
3. Tag Your PDF Properly
Tags are essential for defining the structure of a PDF, such as headings, paragraphs, and lists, enabling screen readers to interpret content correctly.
To check or add tags:
- Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Navigate to the Accessibility tool and select Autotag Document.
- Review and manually adjust tags if necessary, ensuring all elements are correctly labelled.
4. Add Descriptive Alt Text to Images
For visuals such as charts, graphs, or illustrations, include alt text that clearly describes the image’s purpose and content.
To add alt text in Adobe Acrobat:
- Right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text.
- Enter a concise yet descriptive explanation.
5. Ensure Text Is Searchable and Selectable
If your PDF contains scanned images of text, use OCR to convert the images into selectable and searchable text. This step is vital for screen reader users.
In Adobe Acrobat:
- Go to All Tools > Scan & OCR.
- Choose Recognise Text and follow the prompts.
6. Check Colour Contrast
Ensure that text and background colours have sufficient contrast to be legible for users with visual impairments or colour blindness. Use online tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify compliance with accessibility guidelines.
7. Provide Navigational Aids
For lengthy PDFs, include bookmarks or a table of contents to help users navigate the document more easily. Ensure headings are tagged correctly so screen readers can recognise them as navigational markers.
8. Test the PDF for Accessibility
Before sharing the PDF, test its accessibility:
- Use Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker:
- Go to All Tools > Prepare for accessibility.
- Run the checker and address any flagged issues.
- Test with a screen reader like NVDA, VoiceOver, or JAWS to ensure the content is navigable and understandable.
While it is always preferable to create resources yourself and have access to the source document, you may encounter PDFs that are not editable and lack essential accessibility information. Our guide, Fixing Common Ally PDF Issues with Adobe Acrobat (UoD Staff Only), will help you identify and address the three most common accessibility issues.
Conclusion
Accessible PDFs are not just a technical necessity, they represent a commitment to equity in education. By following these best practices, educators can ensure their materials are usable by all students, fostering an inclusive academic environment where everyone can thrive.
Investing time in creating accessible PDFs today will lead to a more inclusive and successful learning experience for all students tomorrow. Let’s make education accessible for everyone.