Getting started
This guide explains how to make sure your PDF is accessible.
If you create or publish content, you are responsible for making sure it can be used by as many people as possible.
Check your PDF for accessibility
You must carry out manual checks to assess how accessible your PDF is.
Automated accessibility tools can help, but they do not find every issue. They should be used alongside manual checks, not instead of them. You can check:
- the source document (such as a Word document), or
- the PDF itself
If your source document is Word or Powerpoint, the Corporate Communications and Engagement Team recommend using the Assist Pro Microsoft Office add-on - please ask the team for a license if you haven't got one. Assist Pro works by checking, fixing and embedding accessibility information before export, rather than trying to repair the PDF afterwards.
Check the source document
Most PDFs are created from Microsoft Office files, such as Word documents.
Checking and fixing the source document is usually the easiest option.
If the source document is accessible, the PDF created from it is much more likely to be accessible too.
Check the PDF
If you want to check the PDF directly, you will need:
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- the guidance provided in this guide
Adobe Acrobat Pro includes an Accessibility Check tool. This can help identify some issues.
However, automated checks cannot find every accessibility problem. You should always carry out manual checks as well.
Check that the PDF was created correctly
If Acrobat reports many accessibility issues, first check that the PDF was exported correctly from the source document. The Assist Pro add-on can help with this.
In Adobe Acrobat Pro:
- Open the View menu
- Select Show/Hide
- Select Navigation Panes
- Open Tags
If the Tags panel contains tags, the PDF was exported correctly.
If the panel says "No tags available", the PDF was not exported correctly and should be recreated from the source document.
Recreate the PDF if needed
If your PDF does not contain tags, create a new PDF from the original document
Fixing accessibility issues
If accessibility issues need to be corrected, it is usually best to update the source document first.
You should only edit the PDF directly if you cannot access or change the original file.
This is because:
- it is usually quicker and easier to edit the source document
- some accessibility issues can only be fixed in the source document
- changes made directly to a PDF may need to be repeated if a new version of the PDF is created later
Making your PDF accessible