Create Accessible Documents

Video Introduction

PDFs can be convenient, but when they are not  authored with accessibility in mind, they often  create barriers for people with disabilities. Let’s look at an example PDF with structural  

Inaccessible PDF: screen reader experience

problems. In this document, headings are visually  bold, but they are not properly tagged. Plus,  the reading order in the PDF does not match  what you see on the page. Let’s listen to  this PDF in Voice Over on a Mac. Activities for people new to town Welcome Activities schedule Moving to a new town can– Here are some ideas to help you get started Notice it did not announce the headings.  Also, the reading order doesn’t match the page  layout. Instead of reading the  left column first, the content  

Why this PDF is inaccessible

jumps unpredictably, making it hard to follow. For screen reader users, keyboard-only users,  and people with cognitive disabilities, this  lack of structure makes the PDF confusing,  disorienting, and easy to abandon. In contrast, here’s an example of  

Accessible PDF: screen reader experience

an accessible PDF with proper tags for  headings and the correct reading order.Let’s listen to a properly tagged  PDF, read with VoiceOver on a Mac.In page one, containing heading level  one, Activities for People New to Town Heading level two, Welcome Moving to a new town– Here are some ideas– Heading level two– Notice how the headings were announced and  the reading order matched the columns of the  

What makes this PDF accessible

document. With proper structure, more users  can navigate and understand the content.

Outro

Now that you understand how inaccessible  PDFs affect users with disabilities,  think about accessibility the  next time you share a PDF. Remember to subscribe for  more accessibility videos

Question to Ask

As you review your documents, ask these four questions:

1. Is the document currently in active use or needed for any public service or program? Yes make it accessible! No continue to question 2.
2. Has the document been accessed or requested within the last year? Yes make it accessible! No continue to question 3.
3. Is there a legal or regulatory requirement to keep the document accessible, regardless of its age or usage? Yes make it accessible! No continue to question 4.
4. Does the document contain information critical to people with disabilities or relate to civil rights obligations? Yes make it accessible! No, it can be considered an archivable document.

Steps to Archive

To properly archive a document you must follow these steps:

1. Remove it from primary navigation/search: Don’t keep archived documents in public-facing search results. Remove from site search indexing, menus, and key user journeys.
2. Create a separate “Archived Documents” section or page: Make it clear that the content is historical and not current. Label the section as “Archived” or “Historical Reference Only.”
3. Provide a clear accessibility notice: Example: “This document is archived and may not be accessible. If you
   need assistance accessing this content, please contact
   [name or department] at [email/phone].”
4. Ensure a process is in place to provide access upon request: Someone in your organization must be able to: Retrieve the document, Convert it to an accessible format if needed (PDF remediation, alt text, etc.), Respond in a reasonable timeframe (typically within days).
5. Avoid linking archived documents to active services: If an archived document is still being linked from live program pages. It must be made accessible again or removed from that context.

Scanned Documents? Find a Better Version First!

Before you begin the labor-intensive process of fixing an old PDF, for the content you want to keep available for users, try to locate a “born-accessible” version. A high-quality source file is always better than a repaired scan.

Follow this Search Order:

1. Link to the Source: Instead of downloading a PDF and uploading it to Canvas or another web platform, link directly to the article in the University Library database. Database versions are professionally tagged and far more accessible than a personal scan. They sometimes provide an HTML version as well.
2. Find the Web (HTML) Version: Check if the content exists as a webpage or an e-book. HTML is inherently more accessible and responsive for students reading on mobile devices.
3. Request from the Publisher: If you are using a specific textbook or excerpt, email the publisher’s accessibility department. They can often provide a high-quality, accessible digital file (EPUB or tagged PDF) specifically for accessibility needs.
4. The Last Resort: Only move to “Manual Remediation” if you have exhausted all options to find a digital-first version.

Why this matters

A scanned PDF is essentially just a “picture of text.” Even with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), it often contains errors, lacks a logical reading order, is invisible to screen readers, and requires hours an manual labor to fix. Finding a better version first is the most effective way to ensure student success.