Why Are PDFs a Problem?

Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) was never meant to be an electronic communication vehicle. PDFs were created to share documents across platforms for users to then download and print. They’re now prolific and a problem on the web (and in email and on the portal) for a variety of reasons — screen reader accessibility is just one.  

Learn more about the problem with PDFs, as well as our PDF standards for the AACC website.


In a nutshell, we need to drastically limit our use of PDFs. In the limited instances when a PDF is appropriate, we need to make sure our documents follow best practices and pass an accessibility test.

Basic Principles for Accessible Documents

It’s easier if you keep accessibility in mind from the beginning. Start with your source document (in Word/InDesign/etc.).

Images

  • Need alternative text
  • Limit text in image (any text should be included in alt tag)

Resource: Microsoft support, Improve Accessibility with Alt Text video

Meaningful link text

Resource: Microsoft support, Create Accessible Links video

Paragraph styles

  • Text should be broken into short paragraphs divided as appropriate by headers.
  • Headers should be tagged as such and nested in order like an outline (a Header 3 should only come after a Header 2, etc.).
  • Use the “strong” character style vs. using bold in toolbar

Resource: Microsoft Support, Improving Heading Accessibility video

Reading Order

  • Acrobat assumes your content is right to left, top to bottom. It does not always register columns or other side-by-side content. Avoid side-by-side content in a basic Word document. Always review the reading order in Acrobat.

Color

  • Use colors that meet accessibility contrast guidelines.
    Note: specific guidance regarding the official AACC color palette is forthcoming.
  • Color shouldn’t be the only indicator of information (links, chart info., etc.)

Tables

  • Need a designated header row.
  • Avoid nested tables, tables with split cells or tables with merged cells.
  • Do not use tables to format.

Resources: Microsoft Support, Create accessible tables video 

Metadata

  • In Acrobat, under document properties, be sure to enter your document’s title.

Checking for Accessibility

Microsoft Word

The accessibility checker is in different locations on the PC version of Word versus the Mac. 

  • On a PC, go to File > Inspect Document > Check Accessibility. 
  • On a Mac, go to the Review toolbar and choose Check Accessibility.

Word’s accessibility checker provides a list of issues, explains why they’re an issue and how to fix them.

Resource: Microsoft Support, Check document accessibility video

Adobe Acrobat

Open a document in Acrobat. Scroll down through the right menu, until you see Accessibility.

Resource: Create and Verify PDF Accessibility

Additional Resources

You can also contact the Web Content Team in Strategic Communications. Content Contributors should stay tuned for the accessibility channel in the new Content Community Team.

January 2021