PDF Accessibility Checklist

PDF Accessibility Checklist [PDF]

Guidance Description Test
PDF is tagged Tagged PDFs are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for organizing content.
  1. Click “Menu.”
  2. Select “Document Properties.”
  3. Select the “Description” tag.
  4. Find the “Advanced” section.
  5. The last item should read “Tagged PDF: Yes.”
  6. If the PDF is not tagged, close the window and select “All tools.”
  7. Click “Prepare for Accessibility.”
  8. Select “Automatically tag PDF.”
PDF is not image only Image-only PDFs are inaccessible to users who rely on assistive technology and hard to use for all users.
  1. Open your PDF document.
  2. “Scanned Page Alert” does not appear upon opening.
Assistive technology access is enabled Assistive technology access is required for users with disabilities.
  1. Click “Menu.”
  2. Select “Document Properties.”
  3. Click the “Security” tab.
  4. Find the “Document Restrictions Summary” section.
  5. Confirm the summary includes “Content Copying for Accessibility: Allowed.”
  6. If content copying for accessibility is not allowed, change the “Security Method” using the drop-down list at the top of the pop-up window.
Document language is set Correctly identified language is necessary for users who rely on screen readers and beneficial for reliable content creation.
  1. Click “Menu.”
  2. Select “Document Properties.”
  3. Click the “Advanced” tab.
  4. Find the “Reading Options” section.
  5. Set Language by using the drop-down menu.
Tags follow visual/logical order of document Tags presented in a logical order are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for content organization.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Accessibility tags” icon.
  2. In the top-right corner, click the three dots.
  3. Select “Highlight content.” A check will appear beside this option when selected.
  4. Go back to the Accessibility tags menu.
  5. Click the first tag on the list.
  6. Using the down button, navigate through the list. The content highlighted on the document should follow a logical reading order.
  7. To adjust tags, drag and drop them to their correct place on the list.
Decorative content is marked as Artifact Unmarked decorative content is misleading for users who rely on screen readers.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Accessibility tags” icon.
  2. In the top-right corner, click the three dots.
  3. Click “Find.”
  4. The “Find Element” window will open. Use the drop-down menu to select Artifacts.
  5. Click “Find Next.”
  6. Confirm that all decorative content is marked as an Artifact.
  7. To add an Artifact tag to decorative content, find the decorative content’s tag in the “Accessibility tags” list. Right-click the tag and select “Properties.” In the pop-up window, you can use the “Type” drop-down menu to change the tag.
Vital information in headers, footers and watermarks are duplicated in the document Vital information contained within the document is necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and easy to find for all users.
  1. Identify vital information that appears in the header, footer or watermark.
  2. Duplicate this information in the text of the document.
Headings in document are tagged with heading tags Correctly tagged headings are required for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for content organization.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Accessibility tags” icon.
  2. In the top-right corner, click the three dots.
  3. Select “Highlight content.” A check will appear beside this option when selected.
  4. Go back to the Accessibility tags menu.
  5. Click the tags that read <H#>.
  6. Each <H> tag should correspond with a highlighted heading in the document.
  7. If a heading is tagged incorrectly, right-click on the tag and select “Properties.” In the pop-up window, you can use the “Type” drop-down menu to change the tag.
Lists are tagged correctly Correctly tagged lists are necessary for users who rely on screen readers and beneficial for content organization.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Accessibility tags” icon.
  2. Find lists by locating <L> tags in the list.
  3. List items should be nested under the <L> tag as <LI>s.
  4. If a list or list item is tagged incorrectly, right-click on the tag and select “Properties.” In the pop-up window, you can use the “Type” drop-down menu to change the tag.
  5. To add a tag, such as a list item or <LI>, select the three dots and click “New Tag.” You will be able to add the tag type, then drag and drop the tag into the list.
Sections that contain text in different languages are tagged with the corresponding language attribute Correctly tagged language attributes are required for users who rely on screen readers and beneficial for content transference.
  1. Highlight the content within the document that is in a different language.
  2. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Accessibility tags” icon.
  3. Click the three dots at the top right-hand corner of the tags window.
  4. Select “Find Tag from Selection.”
  5. Your highlighted content’s tags will now appear highlighted in the Tags Pane. Find the content in a different language and right-click the tag.
  6. Select “Properties.”
  7. In the pop-up window, locate the Language option and choose the corresponding language from the drop-down menu.
  8. Click “Close.”
All meaningful images, figures and objects have a description of purpose/function (Captions and alt text) Captions and alt text are required for users who rely on screen readers and beneficial for all users’ understanding of the content.
  1. Open the “All tools” menu on the left side of your screen.
  2. Select “Prepare for accessibility” (note: You may have to first select “View more”).
  3. In the Accessibility menu, select “Fix reading order.”
  4. In the pop-up window, check only “Show tables and figures.”
  5. Select “Show Order Panel.”
  6. In the Order Panel that appears at the right of your screen, click the tag that corresponds to images, figures and objects.
  7. Right-click the tag, then select “Tag as figure.”
  8. In the Accessibility menu, select “Add alternate text.” This feature will identify where you are missing alt text.
  9. In the pop-up window, input alternative text for each image, figure and object. Use the arrows to move between figures.
Data tables are tagged as Table Correctly tagged tables are necessary for users who rely on screen readers and beneficial for content organization.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Order” panel.
  2. Ensure each <Table> tag corresponds to a table within the document by clicking on the tag.
  3. To add a <Table> tag, right-click the existing tag and select “Properties.” In the pop-up window, select the correct tag from the “Type” drop-down menu.
Column and row header cells in tables are tagged as “Table Headers” Correctly tagged table headers are required for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for content organization.
  1. On the menu at the far right of your screen, select the “Order” panel.
  2. Right-click the <Table> tag.
  3. Select “Table Editor.”
  4. In the document, TH (table header) and TD (table data) should appear in the correct spaces according to the organization of your table.
  5. To change or add a TH/TD tag, right-click on a cell, then select “Table Cell Properties.” Select the appropriate Type of cell (header or data). If designating a header cell, use the Scope drop-down menu to indicate if the header covers the first row or column of the table.
Links and controls are uniquely identified, describe the destination/function and are in a logical tab order Descriptive, accurate links in a logical tab order are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for all users.
  1. Place your cursor at the beginning of the document.
  2. Press the Tab key.
  3. By using the Tab key, navigate through the document by links. Each link should appear in a logical order and be accompanied by a unique, descriptive name.
  4. To update link or link text, select “Edit a PDF” in the All tools menu.
All form fields are fillable with a tooltip that matches its label or instruction and Tab in logical order Form fields with tooltips that follow a logical order are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and beneficial for all users filling out your form.
  1. Hover over each form field with your cursor. A small box with text should appear, indicating what the user should fill in the form field.
  2. To add or update tooltips, select “Prepare a form” from the All tools menu.
  3. Your form fields should be highlighted. Right-click a form field.
  4. Select “Properties.”
  5. In the pop-up window, input the desired action in the “Tooltip” section.
  6. Close the window.
  7. Click the first form field.
  8. Using the Tab key, navigate through the document. All form fields should appear in a logical, intended order.
  9. To correct reading order of form fields, use the “Fields” menu to the right of your screen to drag and drop items in the reading order list.
Colors and other visual characteristics that convey information are also described in the text Information only conveyed through color or other visual characteristics is impossible for users with visual impairments to understand and hard to notice for all users.
  1. Identify where you use colors or visual elements to convey information.
  2. Include this information in the written text of the document using the “Edit a PDF” function in the All tools menu.
Color contrast ratio between text and background is sufficient Adequate color contrast ratio is necessary for users with visual impairments and preferred by all users.
  1. Click Menu.
  2. Select “Print.”
  3. In the Print menu, select the “Grayscale” option.
  4. Content that is hard to see in grayscale will likely not pass color contrast ratio standards.
  5. Check specific color ratios by using a color contrast checker.
Audio, video or multimedia files are accompanied by text description, captions and/or audio descriptions Multimedia files accompanied by alternate, accessible versions are necessary for users with disabilities and preferred by all users depending on how they most engage with content.
  1. Identify all multimedia content in your document.
  2. Instead of embedding multimedia content, consider hosting it on a website (such as YouTube or the college’s news website) and linking to it in the document.
  3. All video content must be accompanied by captions and a version that includes audio descriptions.
  4. All audio content must be accompanied by a transcript or text description.
Flashing objects are avoided Flashing objects are dangerous for users with disabilities related to epilepsy or seizures and disruptive for all users.
  1. Visually confirm that your document contains no flashing objects.
  2. If your document contains flashing objects, select and delete them.
If an alternative, accessible version of the content is needed, it is provided at the same time. Alternative, accessible versions of your content are required for users with disabilities and preferred for all users’ depending on how they engage most with content.
  1. Consider alternate, more accessible ways to present your content, such as a Word document.
  2. Provide the alternative version at the same time the PDF is provided.
Bookmark titles are descriptive Descriptive bookmark titles allow all users to navigate your content more easily and find what they are looking for quicker.
  1. On the right side of your screen, select the “Bookmarks” tab.
  2. In the Bookmarks menu, select the three dots in the top right-hand corner.
  3. Select “New Bookmarks from Structure.”
  4. In the pop-up window, select the type of information you’d like to group under the bookmark (ex. H1, table, etc.).
  5. Click OK.
  6. In the Bookmarks menu, input a descriptive title for your bookmark.
  7. Repeat as needed.
Headings follow logical order Logical headings are required for users who rely on screen readers to navigate a document and a best practice for all users.
  1. Review your heading structure in the Accessibility Tags menu.
  2. Ensure headings follow a logical order: H1, H2, H3, etc.
  3. To edit tag types, right-click the tag and select “Properties.” Select the correct tag from the Type drop-down option.
Content follows a logical nesting order Logical content organization is required for users who rely on assistive technology and clearer for all users.
  1. Review your content structure in the Accessibility Tags menu.
  2. Identify any content that is out of place or incorrectly nested.
  3. Reorganize content by dragging and dropping in the tags menu.
Form fields are formatted correctly Correctly formatted form fields are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology and easier to navigate for all users.
  1. To insert a form field, select “Prepare a form” from the All tools menu.
  2. Use Adobe Acrobat’s form field options to create your form. Do not use tables or columns to organize form content.
Text size is 11 pt or larger Larger text size is easier to read for all users.
  1. Highlight your text.
  2. Right-click the selection.
  3. In the pop-up window, select “Edit a PDF.”
  4. An editing window should appear on the left side of your screen.
  5. Within the editing window, find the “Format Text” section.
  6. Set the text size to 11 or higher.
Font is easy to read Easy to read font is preferred by all users. 
  1. Visually confirm that all content is easy to read.
  2. Adjust font type, size and spacing as required by selecting All Tools and clicking “Edit a PDF.”
Radio buttons within a group have the same Name and Tooltip value Grouped radio buttons must have clear organization and instructions for users who rely on assistive technology to engage with them.
  1. Add or identify where your document contains radio buttons by selecting “Prepare a form” from the All tools menu.
  2. Your radio buttons should be highlighted. In the Fields list on the right side of your screen, find the radio button tags.
  3. The Group tag should appear first, with the Choices nested under it. To correct the order, drag and drop the tags within the Fields menu until they are correct.
  4. Right-click the Group tag. Select Properties.
  5. In the pop-up window, input a descriptive Group Name.
  6. Close the window.
  7. Right-click a Choice tag. Select Properties.
  8. In the pop-up window, input a descriptive name and tooltip (intended action).
  9. Repeat steps 7-8 for all choices.
Checkbox labels and tooltips are descriptive Descriptive labels and tooltips are a necessity for users who rely on assistive technology to fill out your form.
  1. Add or identify where your document contains radio buttons by selecting “Prepare a form” from the All tools menu.
  2. Your checkboxes should be highlighted. Right-click a checkbox.
  3. Select Properties.
  4. Input a descriptive label and tooltip (intended action) in the pop-up window.
  5. Close the window, then repeat for all checkboxes.
Button labels are descriptive  Descriptive labels and tooltips are a necessity for users who rely on assistive technology to fill out your form.
  1. Select “Add rich media” from the All tools menu.
  2. Select “Button” and place the button in the document.
  3. A pop-up window will appear. Select “All Properties.”
  4. Input a descriptive button name, tooltip (intended action) and any other information in the pop-up window.
  5. Click OK to save your changes and close the window.
Form fields are tagged Tagged form fields are essential for users navigating a form with assistive technology and readily identifiable for all users.
  1. Select “Prepare for accessibility” in the All tools menu.
  2. Select “Automatically tag form fields.”
  3. If all form fields are not automatically tagged, select the Accessibility Tags menu.
  4. Select the three dots in the right-hand corner of the Accessibility menu.
  5. Select “Find.”
  6. Using the Find drop-down menu, select “Unmarked Annotations.”
  7. Unmarked form fields will be highlighted. Select “Tag Element” for each.
  8. Verify tags are correct by right-clicking a tag in the Accessibility tags menu and clicking “Properties.”
‘Page content order’ is selected Correctly organized content is necessary for users who rely on assistive technology such as screen readers.
  1. Select the Reading Order icon on the right-side menu of your screen.
  2. In the Reading Order window, select the three dots at the right, top-hand corner.
  3. Hover over the “Show page content groups” option.
  4. In the smaller pop-up window that appears, check “Page content order”.
‘Display like elements in a single block’ is not checked Clearly defined, separate pieces of content are easier to navigate for users who rely on assistive technology.
  1. Select the Reading Order icon on the right-side menu of your screen.
  2. In the Reading Order window, select the three dots at the right, top-hand corner.
  3. Ensure “Display like elements in a single block” is not checked in the list of options that appears.
Buttons and checkboxes follow a logical order Logically organized forms are necessary for users who rely on assistive technology such as screen readers.
  1. Open the Reading Order menu on the right side of your screen.
  2. Click the first item in the list.
  3. Using the up and down arrows, navigate through the list and ensure it corresponds with the intended reading order of the document.
  4. To edit reading order, drag and drop items in the Order window until it reflects the document’s intended reading order.
Hyperlinks send users to intended destinations Descriptive hyperlinks are preferred and easy to engage with by all users.
  1. Identify all hyperlinks in your document.
  2. The hyperlinked phrase should be descriptive of the purpose or destination of the hyperlink.
  3. Click hyperlinks to confirm it sends the user to its intended destination.

 

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