To make a PDF accessible, create or repair its underlying structure so people with disabilities can read and navigate it using a screen reader, keyboard, or other assistive technology. This includes logical headings, PDF tags, reading order, text alternatives for meaningful images, accessible tables, descriptive links, and correct document properties.
Building accessibility into the source document before export is the most effective approach. For existing PDFs, remediation, review, and validation can address accessibility barriers.
What an accessible PDF is
An accessible PDF is structured so its content remains understandable when a reader cannot rely on visual layout alone. It should communicate the same information and support the same tasks for people using assistive technology.
For a fuller definition, see what an accessible PDF is. This guide focuses on the practical steps for creating accessible PDFs and improving existing files.
The core elements of an accessible PDF
An accessible PDF relies on more than one feature. It needs a meaningful structure that reflects the content’s purpose, not simply a document that looks well formatted on screen.
The following elements form the foundation of an accessible PDF:
Tags and structure
PDF tags are a hidden structure layer that tells assistive technology whether content is a heading, paragraph, list, table, image, link, or form field. Tags do not change the visible page, branding, fonts, or layout.
A logical tag structure lets people move through a document by headings, identify lists as lists, and understand the relationships within tables. For more detail, see what a tagged PDF is.
Reading order
Reading order determines the sequence in which a screen reader presents content. It should follow the document’s intended meaning, including headings, body text, sidebars, columns, captions, and footnotes.
A visually polished PDF can still be difficult to use if the reading order is incorrect. This is common in multi-column layouts, documents with floating text boxes, and files converted from complex designs.
Headings, lists, and tables
Use true heading styles to create a clear hierarchy. Headings help people scan the content and move directly to the section they need.
Lists should be tagged as lists rather than manually created with hyphens or symbols. Tables need clear headers and logical relationships between headers and data cells, especially when they include merged cells or multiple header rows.
Alternative text for meaningful images
Alternative text, often shortened to alt text, communicates the purpose of an image, chart, diagram, or icon to people who cannot see it. Keep it concise and describe the information the image contributes in context.
For example, “Company logo” may be enough for a logo, while a chart may need a short description plus an explanation of its key takeaway in nearby text. Decorative images should be marked as artifacts so they do not interrupt the reading experience.
Links, contrast, and document properties
Links should use descriptive text that identifies their purpose or destination. Avoid vague labels such as “click here” or “read more,” which are unclear when a screen reader presents links out of context.
Text and background colors need sufficient contrast. Color should not be the only way to communicate meaning. Finally, set the document title and primary language so screen readers can announce the file accurately.
Use a PDF accessibility checklist to review these elements before publishing.
Make a PDF accessible from the source
Creating an accessible PDF starts before the PDF exists. When you use accessible source files in Word, Google Docs, InDesign, or another authoring tool, the exported PDF is more likely to retain useful structure.
This approach reduces the remediation needed later and gives authors more control over headings, tables, links, and image descriptions.
Follow these steps when creating a new PDF:
- Use built-in styles for headings and lists.
Apply heading styles in order, beginning with one main title and continuing through logical subsection levels. Use the authoring tool’s list features instead of typing bullets or numbers manually. - Write content in a logical sequence.
Keep paragraphs, columns, captions, and callouts in the order readers should encounter them. Avoid using text boxes or floating elements for essential content when a simpler layout will work. - Add alternative text before export.
Give meaningful images and charts concise descriptions. Include key data or trends in the surrounding text when an image conveys detailed information. - Build tables carefully.
Use simple tables where possible. Identify header rows and avoid merged cells unless they are necessary and can be structured accurately. - Use descriptive links and clear form labels.
Explain where each link goes. For forms, provide real fields with visible labels, clear instructions, and a logical keyboard order. - Export with structure tags enabled.
Check your export settings and select options that preserve document structure, tags, and bookmarks where available.
Starting with an accessible source does not remove the need for review. It does, however, make it easier to produce a tagged PDF that is usable from the outset.
Make an existing PDF accessible
You can make an already created PDF accessible through remediation. This process identifies and corrects barriers in a file that may have been exported without tags, created from an inaccessible source, or received from another team.
Existing PDF remediation usually follows a clear sequence:
- Inspect the document.
Run an accessibility check to identify issues with tags, reading order, images, tables, links, language, and metadata. - Create or repair the tag structure.
Add tags to identify headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures, and other content. Confirm that the structure reflects the document’s meaning. - Correct the reading order.
Review each page to make sure content is announced in a sensible sequence. Pay particular attention to multi-column pages, sidebars, headers, and footers. - Add or update text alternatives.
Provide meaningful descriptions for images and mark decorative elements as artifacts where appropriate. - Review interactive elements.
Check links, tables, bookmarks, and forms. Form fields need labels, logical tab order, and instructions that do not rely on color alone. - Set metadata and validate again.
Add a descriptive document title and primary language, then run checks again. Complete a manual review to confirm that the document is understandable in context.
For a deeper explanation of automated tagging, read understanding auto-tagging of PDF documents. Automated tools can provide a measurable uplift, but they cannot replace human judgment for reading order, meaningful alternative text, complex tables, or interactive forms.
Make scanned PDFs accessible
Scanned and image-only PDFs need a different starting point because they contain pictures of text rather than selectable text. Screen readers and auto-tagging tools need real text to interpret the document’s content and structure.
Use optical character recognition (OCR) before tagging and remediation. OCR creates a text layer, but its output still needs review as it may misread words, columns, headings, or tables.
After OCR, follow the same remediation process: review the text for accuracy, create tags, correct reading order, add image descriptions, and validate the final PDF. Complex scanned forms, historical records, and tables often need additional manual work.
Choose the right PDF accessibility workflow
The right workflow depends on your document volume, the complexity of your PDFs, and your team’s accessibility experience. Browser-based tools can help teams begin quickly, while desktop software and expert services can support more detailed or high-volume work.
Grackle PDF supports browser-based AI auto-tagging to create an initial structure and deliver measurable accessibility uplift. It is designed to help users address common issues while preserving the visible branding and fonts in the original document.
Adobe Acrobat Pro can also support PDF accessibility work through desktop tools, checkers, and manual tag editing. It is more likely to suit experienced PDF professionals who already use Acrobat in their document process.
Neither automated browser tools nor desktop checkers guarantee full PDF/UA or Section 508 conformance on their own. A manual pass remains necessary, particularly for complex tables, forms, image-heavy reports, and documents where context affects meaning.
For files that need detailed remediation or higher-confidence sign-off, Grackle PDF Desktop and remediation services provide the next level of support. This route can be appropriate for complex documents, large backlogs, or teams with limited internal capacity.
Check your work before publishing
Accessibility checking should happen before a PDF goes live, not after someone encounters a barrier. Automated validation can identify technical issues efficiently, while manual review helps confirm that the document works as intended for real readers.
Use an accessibility checker to review tags, reading order, headings, alternative text, tables, links, forms, document title, and language. Then test keyboard navigation and, where possible, listen to the document with a screen reader.
For a more detailed validation process, read how to check a PDF for accessibility. You can also use Grackle GO to assess PDF accessibility in your browser and identify issues that need attention.
A checker is an important part of quality assurance, but it cannot determine whether every description is meaningful or whether a complex layout makes sense when read aloud. Combine automated results with manual validation for a more reliable outcome.
Understand the standards that apply to PDFs
PDF accessibility standards and requirements vary by organization, location, and document purpose. They provide frameworks for assessing whether content can be perceived, operated, understood, and interpreted by assistive technology.
WCAG 2.1 AA is commonly used to evaluate the accessibility of digital content. It covers issues such as text alternatives, contrast, keyboard access, headings, and understandable content. Explore a guide to WCAG standards for PDFs for more info.
PDF/UA, or ISO 14289, is the technical standard for accessible PDF documents. It focuses on requirements such as tagging, logical reading order, document metadata, and accessible interactive elements.
Section 508 applies to U.S. federal agencies and, in some cases, organizations that work with them. For practical guidance, see how to make a Section 508 compliant PDF.
These standards support a structured approach to document accessibility, but meeting a technical check alone does not guarantee that every reader will have the same experience. Human review remains part of an effective accessibility process.
Make accessibility part of your PDF publishing process from the first draft through final validation. Get started with Grackle PDF to try browser-based auto-tagging and remediation on your own document.
Frequently asked questions about making PDFs accessible
What makes a PDF accessible?
An accessible PDF has logical tags, correct reading order, meaningful alternative text, structured headings and tables, descriptive links, sufficient contrast, and accurate document properties. It should be usable with a keyboard and assistive technology.
How do I make a PDF accessible step by step?
Start with an accessible source file when possible, then export with tags enabled. For an existing PDF, check the file, correct its structure and reading order, add alternative text and metadata, then validate and manually review it.
How do I make an existing PDF accessible?
Remediate the existing file by adding or repairing tags, correcting reading order, reviewing images and tables, setting the language and title, and validating the result. Complex PDFs may need detailed manual remediation.
How do I make a PDF accessible in Acrobat versus in a browser?
Acrobat Pro provides a desktop workflow with accessibility checking and manual editing tools. Browser-based tools such as Grackle PDF provide AI auto-tagging and guided remediation, helping teams establish an initial structure quickly.
How do I check that my PDF is accessible?
Use an accessibility checker to identify technical issues, then manually review tags, reading order, tables, image descriptions, links, and forms. Keyboard and screen reader testing can reveal usability barriers that automated checks may miss.
How do I make a scanned PDF accessible?
Run OCR first to create real, selectable text. Then review the OCR output, apply tags, correct reading order, remediate any errors, and validate the finished document.