Kentucky Assistive Technology Service (KATS)Network

1-800-327-5287
Tutorial on Accessible PDF Documents
Introuction
The following resources are meant to provide guidance in creating accessible P! documents for posting on
the internet and sending through e-mail" #reating accessible P! documents will allow for greater
accessibilit$ and usabilit$ for ever$one% including users of te&t to speech software b$ persons who are blind
or who have other te&t or print disabilities% as well as achieving 'ection 508 compliance where applicable"
('ee 'ection 508 #ompliance and )hat is 'ection 508 below"*
P! documents are widel$ used on the internet and in email because the$ allow the author to preserve all
the fonts% formatting% colors% and graphics of the source document regardless of the application and platform
that was used to create it"
#ommon uses for P! include+ newsletters% brochures% memos% contracts% length$ documents% archival
documents% providing a print version of a web page or other document t$pes% interactive forms% fact sheets%
etc"
)hen most people tal, about accessible P! documents% the$ generall$ are referring to P! -tags-" Tags
provide a navigable structure to a P! document for screen reader users. however% it should be noted that
there is more to P! accessibilit$ than /ust P! tags"
The !ene"its o" an Accessible PDF Document
Te&t that is searchable and selectable
0 characteristic of an accessible P! is that the te&t can be searched and selected% copied
and pasted b$ the end user" 0n accessible P! can also be converted to plain te&t b$ the
end user for use with 1raille printers" #ontent is readable b$ screen readers and search
engines (when posted online*"
2mages and form fields contain alternative te&t descriptions
0llows for screen reader access to these parts of a P! document
3ogical reading order and structure is defined b$ P! tags
To present a documents te&t in a wa$ that ma,es sense to users of screen readers (or other
te&t to speech software*% the document must be structured using headers% paragraphs% lists%
sections% tables of contents% and other page elements"
4avigational 0ids
4avigational aids include h$perlin,s% headings% tables of contents% boo,mar,s% form field tab
order% etc"% assist all users to easil$ move through the document without having to read
entirel$ through word b$ word" 1oo,mar,s are especiall$ useful (providing a navigable
outline structure* and can be created from the document5s headings"
)hen using the 6oom% te&t can be -reflowed- to fit the screen
7ou can reflow a P! to temporaril$ present it as a single column that is the width of the
document pane" The reflow view can ma,e the document easier to read on the small screen
of a mobile device or on a standard monitor at a large magnification% without the need to
scroll hori8ontall$ to read each line of te&t"
Te&t that doesn5t reflow includes forms% comments% digital signature fields% and page
artifacts% such as page numbers% headers% and footers" 9ertical te&t reflows hori8ontall$"
Te&t and bac,ground colors can be changed b$ the end user (using 0dobe :eader*
7ou can choose from a list of contrasting color combinations for te&t and bac,ground% or $ou
can create $our own" These settings correspond to the ;se <igh #ontrast #olors for
ocument Te&t option in the 0ccessibilit$ 'etup 0ssistant in 0dobe :eader"
ocument language
'pecif$ing the document language in a P! enables some screen readers to switch to the
appropriate language when reading the document"
'ecurit$ features (such a password protection and igital :ights =anagement* do not interfere with
assistive technologies"
P! documents can be protected to restrict users from printing% cop$ing% e&tracting% adding
to or editing te&t" The te&t of an accessible P! document must be available to users of
screen readers and other te&t to speech software" 0dobe 0crobat Pro can be used to chec,
that securit$ settings do not interfere with screen reader access"
#reating Accessible PDF ocuments
)hile there are numerous tutorials% guidelines and fact sheets alread$ published on the internet covering this
topic% rather than re-inventing the wheel% we will provide $ou a short overview of creating accessible P!
documents along with lin,s to several in-depth resources that $ou can peruse at $our own leisure"
#reating accessible P! documents is essentiall$ a two step process+
1" creating an accessible source document (such as )ord% etc*% and
2" converting the source document to P!"
)hile it is possible to create an accessible P! document from a scanned paper cop$% the steps to do so
are much more cumbersome and time consuming than converting the original electronic document to P!"
1$ default% a scanned document will not be accessible% and often times will not be able to be read b$ screen
readers at all unless it is scanned using >ptical #haracter :ecognition (>#:* software"
Ste$ %ne
The first step to creating an accessible P! document is to start with an accessible source document% such
as a )ord ("doc* document" This includes using 't$les (headers% paragraphs% lists% etc* to maintain a proper
structure to the document% providing alternative te&t for images% and using proper lin, te&t"
For more guiance on creating an accessible &or ('oc) ocument(
)eb02= article on creating accessible )ord documents
#0T?0 @uidelines for accessible )ord documents
#0T?0 Printable !act 'heet on accessible )ord documents (P!*
#0T?0 self-paced tutorial for creating accessible )ord documents
0ccessible =icrosoft )ord !iles ("doc*
4# 'tate 0ccessible 2T tutorial on accessible )ord documents
=icrosoft self-paced tutorials for creating accessible >ffice documents
Ste$ Two
The second step is to convert the source document to P!" There are several simple techniAues that can be
used to convert $our source document to an accessible P! document" 'tep-b$-step instructions can be
accessed from the list of lin,s below"
!or =icrosoft )ord 2003% $ou will need to have 0dobe 0crobat Pro (version 7 or later* installed on $our
computer" )ith 0dobe 0crobat Pro installed% $ou will have a new menu item in )ord called B0dobe P!C%
with an option to B#onvert to 0dobe P!C" #reating the document b$ BprintingC to P! will not produce an
accessible P! document. $ou must use the B#onvert to 0dobe P!C option in the B0dobe P!C menu to
ensure accessibilit$" 7ou cannot use the free 0dobe :eader to create P! files% though it can be used to
open and read P! files"
!or =icrosoft )ord 2007% $ou can download a free 'ave as P! add-in for converting )ord documents to
P! (without the need to install 0dobe 0crobat Pro*"
7ou can also use >pen>ffice"org )riter to convert te&t documents to accessible P! documents"
>pen>ffice"org is a free open-source office suite and includes its own P! converter which can be used to
create accessible P! documents"
For more guiance on converting &or ocuments to PDF(
)eb02= article on converting documents to P!
#0T?0 guidelines for accessible P! documents
#0T?0 Printable !act 'heet on =a,ing P! !iles 0ccessible for 'tudents (P!*
#0T?0 self-paced tutorial for ma,ing P! documents accessible
@uide to creating accessible P! documents from section508"gov (P!*
4# 'tate 0ccessible 2T tutorial on accessible P! documents
=a,ing P! files accessible from )eb 0ccessibilit$ for 0ll
#reating 0ccessible 0dobe P! !iles+ 0 @uide for ocument evelopers (P!*
0dobe 0crobat 0ccessibilit$ page
0dobe 0ccessibilit$ :esource #enter
0dobe guide on B<ow to #reate 0ccessible 0dobe P! !ilesC (P!*
0dobe guide on B0dvanced TechniAues for #reating 0ccessible 0dobe P! !ilesC (P!*
'etting 0ccessibilit$ Preferences in 0dobe :eader
Section )*+ #om$liance
'ection 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technolog$% to ma,e available new opportunities
for people with disabilities% and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals"
The law applies to all !ederal agencies when the$ develop% procure% maintain% or use electronic and
information technolog$" ;nder 'ection 508 of the :ehabilitation 0ct (2D ;"'"#" 7DEd*% as amended b$ the
)or,force 2nvestment 0ct of 1DD8 (P"3" 105-220*% 0ugust 7% 1DD8% agencies must give disabled emplo$ees
and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others"
&hat is Section )*+,
2n 1DD8% #ongress amended the :ehabilitation 0ct and strengthened provisions covering access to
information in the !ederal sector" 0s amended% section 508 of the :ehabilitation 0ct reAuires access to the
!ederal government5s electronic and information technolog$" 2t applies to all !ederal agencies when the$
develop% procure% maintain% or use such technolog$" !ederal agencies must ensure that this technolog$ is
accessible to emplo$ees and the public to the e&tent it does not pose an -undue burden"- The law directs the
0ccess 1oard to develop access standards for this technolog$ that will become part of the !ederal
procurement regulations"
The scope of 'ection 508 is limited to the !ederal sector" 2t does not appl$ to the private sector% nor does it
generall$ impose reAuirements on the recipients of !ederal funds with the e&ception of activities carried out
in a 'tate under the 0ssistive Technolog$ 0ct of 1DD8% as amended pursuant to section E(d*(F*(@* of that act"
<owever% man$ states have also passed legislation reAuiring electronic and information technolog$
accessibilit$ that follow in the same spirit as the 'ection 508 standards" 0dditional information related to
state accessibilit$ laws can be found in the lin,s below"
For more guiance on the Section )*+ law an stanars(
'ection 508 <omepage+ ?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$
?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$ 'tandards+ 0n >verview
?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$ 0ccessibilit$ 'tandards ('ection 508*
@uide to the 'ection 508 'tandards for ?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$
'ection508"gov
0 4ational 0ssessment of 'tate ?G2T 0ccessibilit$ 2nitiatives
0ccessible 2nformation Technolog$ 3aws% Policies and @uidelines b$ 'tate
Hentuc,$ 0ccessible 2nformation Technolog$ 'tatute
-ow Section )*+ a$$lies to PDF Documents $oste on the internet
'ection 11DE"22(m* reAuires the web page containing a P! file to include a lin, to a plug-in that complies
with the software reAuirements of 11DE"21(a* through (l*" 2n addition% section 11DE"22(a* reAuires provision of
a te&t eAuivalent for ever$ non-te&t element"
2n order to view a P! file% a user must use a browser -plug-in- (i"e+ 0dobe :eader*" Thus% an agenc$ has
two options when addressing P! content and the 0ccess 1oard5s standards" !irst% it can ensure that its
P! file is accessible and include a lin, to a P! reader that conforms to the software reAuirements of
section 11DE"21" 0lternativel$% if such a plug-in is unavailable% section 11DE"22(,* permits the agenc$ to
provide a lin, to a duplicate file that contains the same information in an accessible format"
For more guiance on Section )*+ an an how it a$$lies to PDF ocuments $oste online(
P! #ontent+ 'trategies for 508 #ompliance (P!*
?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$ 0ccessibilit$ 'tandards ('ection 508*
)eb 0ccessibilit$ for 'ection 508 from IimThatcher"com
)eb02= 'ection 508 #hec,list
-ow Section )*+ a$$lies to PDF Documents as an email attachment
2n its current form% 'ection 508 does not e&plicitl$ mention email as being covered under 'ection 508" The
consensus stance currentl$ is that ma,ing email accessible is recommended% but not reAuired b$ the 'ection
508 standards" <owever% it should be noted that the 'ection 508 0dvisor$ #ommittee (Telecommunications
and ?lectronic and 2nformation Technolog$ 0dvisor$ #ommittee% T?2T0#* submitted recommendations to the
0ccess 1oard in 0pril% 2008 for updatesJrevisions to 'ection 508" 2ncluded in these recommendations is that
the 508 standards e&plicitl$ note that the 508 standards appl$ to emails" Heep in mind though that
documents attached to an email (including P! documents and electronic forms* ma$ still be reAuired to
meet 'ection 508 standards as applicable"
)hile 'ection 508 compliance is not reAuired for emails% man$ !ederal agencies have internall$ adopted
'ection 508 compliance for all broadcast emails (i"e"% emails sent to large groups of people* K internal or
e&ternal K and their attachments% emails that are sent to recipients who are ,nown to have disabilities%
emails that canJor will be forwarded b$ the recipient to a larger (un,nown* audience% or contain graphics%
invitations% P! attachments% andJor lin,s to audio or video content"
These policies also state that emails with non-compliant attachments (such as a graphical fl$er or
newsletter* can be made 508 compliant in one of two wa$s" 7ou can either+
1" ma,e the attached document 508 compliant% or
2" include the te&t of the attached document within the bod$ of the email"
!or e&ample a non-compliant document (such as a graphical fl$er or newsletter* can be attached to an email
as long as all of the pertinent details of the document are reiterated in the bod$ of the email in te&t format"
)ith that said% if the document is posted to the internet% 508 compliance would be reAuired as applicable"
Note( Another alternative coul be to inclue the te.t o" the inaccessible attachment in an accessible
&or attachment'
2t should also be noted that while email is not specificall$ mentioned in 'ection 508 it is unclear at this time
whether or not documents (such as P! documents* attached to an email are covered under 'ection 508"
<owever% as mentioned earlier in this section% the 'ection 508 0dvisor$ #ommittee has submitted
recommendations to the 0ccess 1oard for amendments to 'ection 508 that e&plicitl$ note that 'ection 508
standards appl$ to emails"
For more guiance on accessible email content an attachments(
0ccess 1oard 0dvisor$ #ommittee :eport on ;pdated 508 'tandards
iscover the 'even 'teps to 0ccessible ?mail and 0ttachments (0dobe #onnect Pro* K 0rchive of a
EJ232008 ;'0 Target #enter )eb #onnect series training on accessible email"
;"'" epartment of <ealth G <uman 'ervices (<<'* 0ccessible ?mail (internal* Polic$
0dditional @uidance related to the <<' internal polic$ on accessible email
0ccess 1oard 0dvisor$ #ommittee :eport on ;pdated 508 'tandards
?ducation #abinet L epartment for )or,force 2nvestment L >ffice for the 1lind L H0T' 4etwor, L ?Aual 'ervice G ?mplo$ment >pportunities L =J!J
Printed with !ederal !unds% ;"'" ept" of ?ducation% :ehabilitation 'ervices 0dministration% @rant M <22E00D0017
0ssistive Technolog$ 0ct of 1DD8% as amended
:evised 05J27J200D