PDF Documents

There are some techniques that will greatly improve the accessibility of your PDF content:

  1. Use Adobe® Acrobat®'s Make Accessible feature
  2. Run the Accessibility Check
  3. Design accessible documents before converting to PDF

Use the 'Make Accessible' Feature

The Make Accessible feature in Adobe® can improve your PDF’s accessibility by guiding you through adding features that make it easier for users to read. Follow the steps below to launch the Make Accessible feature:

  1. Go to the Tools tab, or open the Edit menu and select Tools.
  2. Select the Action Wizard.
  3. Choose the Make Accessible option from the pane menu.
  4. Press Start in the pane menu. The feature will begin running.
  5. Follow the steps in the dialog boxes as they appear.

Run the Accessibility Check

Adobe’s Accessibility Check allows you to see what aspects of your PDF are accessible, and which areas need improvement. Follow the steps below to launch the Accessibility Check:

  1. Go to the Tools tab, or open the Edit menu and select Tools.
  2. Choose Accessibility. A dialog pane should open up.
  3. Select Full Check from the menu. A dialog box will appear.
  4. Select desired options in the dialog and click OK. Results will appear once the check finishes.

Design Accessible Documents Before Converting to PDF

For optimum PDF accessibility, it is best to design accessible Microsoft Office documents before converting to a PDF; many accessibility features from Microsoft Office will cross over, meaning less accessibility checking in Adobe. Follow the steps below to learn how to convert an accessible document to PDF:

  1. Create your document in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel using built-in accessibility features.
  2. Click Save to PDF, or select Save As and the file format PDF, within the original program.
  3. Run the Full Check in the Accessibility Tool in Adobe to verify or fix any remaining issues.

Additional Resources

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