What are the best practices for making an accessible PDF?

Creating an accessible PDF ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and navigate your content. This is crucial for compliance with accessibility standards and for making information available to a wider audience. Here's a guide on best practices to ensure your PDFs are accessible.

1. Use Tags for Structure

Tags are the backbone of an accessible PDF. They provide the structure that screen readers rely on to interpret and navigate the document. Properly tagged elements, such as headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables, help screen readers understand the hierarchy of the content. Use a PDF creation tool like Adobe Acrobat to add and check tags, ensuring headings are defined with proper tags (e.g., H1 for the main title, H2 for subheadings).

2. Include Alternative Text for Images

Screen readers rely on alternative text (alt text) to describe images. When adding images to your PDF, always provide a brief but clear description of the image’s content and purpose. Alt text should be concise and descriptive, ensuring that users who cannot see the image still understand its meaning. Following PDFs accessibility guidelines on Techboltify can help you ensure the alt text is correctly implemented, improving accessibility for users who rely on screen readers.

3. Use Clear and Simple Language

To make your PDF more accessible, use plain language and avoid jargon. This makes it easier for people with cognitive disabilities or those who speak English as a second language to understand the content. Clear and simple language improves the overall user experience for all readers, not just those with disabilities.

4. Ensure Color Contrast

For users with visual impairments, such as color blindness, it's essential to use high contrast between text and background. Make sure there’s enough contrast to improve readability. A contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text is recommended. Tools like the WebAIM contrast checker can help you assess the contrast in your PDF.

5. Make Form Fields Accessible

If your PDF contains forms, ensure they are properly labeled and navigable via keyboard or screen readers. Each form field should have a clear label that is linked to the respective input field. Use tools like Adobe Acrobat to add accessible form fields, so users can easily fill out the form without relying on a mouse.

6. Add Bookmarks for Navigation

Bookmarks make navigating long PDFs much easier. They allow users to quickly jump to different sections of the document. Use the headings and subheadings to create bookmarks in your PDF, providing a clear table of contents that can be accessed with just one click.

7. Ensure Text Is Selectable

Make sure that the text in your PDF is selectable. Scanned images of text or PDFs created from images often prevent screen readers from reading the content. Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to convert scanned documents into searchable and selectable text.

8. Use Descriptive Hyperlinks

Ensure all hyperlinks are descriptive. Instead of using vague phrases like "click here," describe the link's purpose (e.g., "Download the full report"). This practice helps users understand where the link will take them, especially those who rely on screen readers.

9. Test Your PDF for Accessibility

Once you've created your accessible PDF, it’s crucial to test it. Use accessibility checker tools such as Adobe Acrobat’s accessibility checker or online tools like the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) to ensure your document meets accessibility standards. Manual testing with a screen reader like JAWS or NVDA can also help identify potential issues.

10. Follow Accessibility Standards

Adhering to accessibility standards, such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and PDF/UA (PDF Universal Accessibility), is essential for ensuring that your PDFs are accessible. These guidelines provide specific criteria for making PDFs usable by individuals with a variety of disabilities.

Conclusion

Creating an accessible PDF isn't just about meeting legal or organizational requirements—it's about making sure your content is inclusive and usable for everyone. By following best practices like using tags for structure, including alt text for images, ensuring good contrast, and making forms accessible, you ensure that your documents are truly accessible. Testing and continuously improving your PDFs based on feedback will ensure that they remain accessible to all users.