In todays modern world its super important to make sure your online content can be accessed by anyone, including those with disabilities. This is especially true for PDF documents, which are the dominant format used in the exchange of official documentation between companies, colleagues, and clients. They are used for everything from marketing materials and user manuals to legally binding policies and contracts. But what does it mean to make a PDF accessible, and why is it so important? This one-stop guide reveals all, leaving no stone unturned.
Understanding PDFs and accessibility
A PDF, or Portable Document Format, is a file type that preserves the formatting of a document, such that its layout, fonts, and images remain consistent across different devices and platforms. Accessibility, on the other hand, is a measure of how readily available something, like a PDF document, can be used by users with visual, auditory, cognitive, motor, or any other type of impairment.
PDFs are widely used because their content does not change between different devices or operating systems. However, it is exactly this lack of customisability which poses a barrier to accessibility. This is an important topic because when you combine PDFs with accessibility, you’re ensuring that your documents can be read, navigated, and understood by everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. This isn’t just a moral obligation but a legal one in many parts of the world.
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What makes a PDF accessible for users?
When seeking to make your content accessible, simply converting a document to PDF is not enough. In fact, most actions demand careful consideration with respect to how the content is structured, formatted, and presented. Doing so ensures that all users, including those who use different types of assistive technologies, can access the information they need.
Text content and structure
One of the foundational elements of PDF accessibility is the content of the text and how it’s structured. If your PDF contains scanned images of text, it’s essentially a picture and not readable text. This makes it inaccessible to screen readers and other assistive technologies. However, tools like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology can convert scanned text into readable, selectable, and searchable text, making your document much more accessible.
What’s more, PDFs can be complex, with multiple columns, text boxes, images, and more. If the content isn’t ordered logically, assistive technology users may find it difficult to follow. Ensuring a logical reading order means that the content flows naturally from one section to the next when read aloud by a screen reader.
Furthermore, proper use of headings and subheadings is also important, not just for readability but for accessibility too. Headings allow screen readers to navigate a document efficiently, helping users skip to the section they’re interested in without having to listen to the entire document.
Fonts and colour contrast
Fonts and colour contrast are key components in ensuring that your PDF is readable by everyone. Not all fonts are created equal when it comes to accessibility. Simple, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica are generally more readable than decorative fonts. Additionally, ensuring that the font size is large enough, typically 12 points or more can make a significant difference for the accessibility of users with visual impairments.
Even the contrast between the text and the background matters. If the contrast is too low, the text can be difficult to read, especially for users with visual impairments or colour blindness. A contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 is recommended for body text to ensure sufficient readability. Software, like Recite Me’s accessibility toolbar, offers this possibility, giving users the ability to customise a site according to their specific requirements.
Interactive elements
Any interactive elements on a PDF, like links, buttons, and forms, need to be accessible to all users. Links and buttons should be clearly labelled and easy to identify, and users should be able to navigate these elements using the keyboard alone. For example, rather than have a button that says “click here”, you should instead use an accessible label like “submit form” to clarify its function. As well, all text within the PDF should be searchable, which also means it should be selectable and copyable, so that users can find specific information quickly and effectively. Finally, your buttons and touch targets should be large enough, showing a strong commitment to mobile accessibility.
Accessible multimedia
Multimedia elements like images, videos, and audio can enrich your PDF, but they also need to be accessible. If your PDF includes videos, for example, make sure you provide captions for or transcripts for the spoken content. Captions help users who are deaf or hard of hearing, while transcripts can be useful for anyone who prefers to read rather than listen. Descriptive audio tracks may even be used to provide narration of visual content for users who are blind or have low vision. This ensures that they don’t miss out on any important visual information.
When it comes to images in your PDF, they should all feature alternative text (alt text) descriptions which convey the content and function of the images effectively. This allows users with visual impairments to understand the purpose of the images even if they can’t see them. As a result, alt text should be descriptive but not overly complex. For example, alt text for an image of a bar graph might read, “bar graph showing company revenue growth from 2020 to 2023, with an upward trend in all years”.
Tags and markup
Tags and markup are the behind-the-scenes elements that make a PDF accessible. Tags define the structure of a PDF document, such as headings, paragraphs, and lists. They allow screen readers to interpret the document’s content in the correct order. Without proper tagging, a PDF may be difficult or impossible for assistive technologies to navigate.
If your PDF includes forms, it’s essential that these fields are tagged correctly. This means providing clear labels for each field and ensuring that users can navigate the form using only the keyboard. This is especially important for users with visual impairments who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers.
Specifying the document’s language in the metadata also contributes towards PDF accessibility. It helps screen readers choose the correct pronunciation rules, which is particularly important for multilingual documents or those with specialised terminology.
Additional factors for PDF accessibility
In addition to the key elements mentioned in the sections above, there are several other factors that can contribute to a fully accessible PDF:
- Avoiding flashing content: Flashing content can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid using such content in your PDF.
- Table of contents: Including a clickable table of contents can greatly enhance navigation for all users, especially those using assistive technologies.
- Document metadata: Adding metadata like the document title, author, and keywords can improve how the document is indexed and retrieved by search engines and assistive technologies.
Online Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit
This year we published our Digital Inclusion Toolkit that was developed to help businesses make a real difference to the lives of the millions of people around the world who encounter online barriers. The 40 page document provides practical advice covering the complete landscape of online accessibility from how to write an accessibility statement to our top tips for providing an inclusive recruitment journey.
Relevant European Legislation on PDF Accessibility
In Europe, PDF accessibility is primarily governed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that provides standards for making web content more accessible. These guidelines apply not only to websites but also to digital documents like PDFs. WCAG demands specific criteria that must be met for a PDF to be considered accessible. These criteria are based around 4 main principles – perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust – which can be used to guide the creation of your content.
European Accessibility Act (EAA)
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), on the other hand, is a directive aimed at making products and services more accessible across the EU. It includes provisions for digital content, including PDFs, and aligns closely with the WCAG. The EAA mandates that businesses and public entities ensure their digital products, including PDFs, are accessible to people with disabilities.
The benefits of PDF accessibility for your business and customers
Despite all the regulations and legalities around online accessibility, making your PDFs accessible isn’t just about compliance; it offers tangible benefits for both your business and your customers. This section puts forward a series of compelling business case for accessibility when designing PDF documents:
- Wider audience reach: By making your PDFs accessible, you can reach a broader audience, including people with disabilities, ensuring that your content is available to everyone.
- Improved user experience: Accessible PDFs provide a better user experience for all users, not just those with disabilities. Clear structure, readable fonts, and logical navigation make it easier for everyone to find and understand your content.
- Legal compliance: Ensuring your PDFs are accessible helps you comply with various accessibility laws and regulations, reducing the risk of legal action or fines.
- Enhanced brand reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility can enhance your brand’s reputation, showing that you value inclusivity and are dedicated to providing equal access to all users.
How to test your PDF is accessible
Once you’ve made your PDF accessible, it’s crucial to test it to ensure that all users can navigate and understand the content as intended. Testing your PDF for accessibility involves using automated tools as well as conducting self-testing and user testing to catch any issues that might have been overlooked.
Adobe Acrobat accessibility checker
Adobe Acrobat Pro offers a built-in accessibility checker that can help you identify potential accessibility issues in your PDF. This tool scans your document and highlights areas that may need attention, such as missing alt text, untagged content, or improper heading structures.
While Adobe Acrobat’s accessibility checker is a powerful tool, it’s not foolproof. Automated tools can only identify certain types of issues, so it’s important to complement this with other forms of testing.
Self-testing and user testing
Automated tools like Adobe Acrobat’s checker are useful, but they can’t catch everything. Self-testing and user testing are essential steps in ensuring that your PDF is truly accessible.
Self-testing involves going through your PDF manually. Try navigating the document using only a keyboard, check that all links and buttons are functioning, and ensure that text is selectable and searchable. You can also use screen readers, during your tests to listen to how your document is read aloud, making sure that it follows a logical reading order and that all content is understandable.
This should be combined with user-testing, whereby users with disabilities are invited to provide valuable feedback on how well the document meets their needs. A dyslexic user who relies on dyslexia-friendly fonts might be able to identify an issue with your font type. Likewise, a user with physical disabilities that relies on specific assistive technology may be able to identify incompatibility.
Kickstart your accessibility journey with Recite Me
Act today to ensure your website is accessible and compliant with the latest WCAG standards. Get started on your website accessibility strategy by working through the following action points:
- Contact our team for more advice about WCAG standards and Accessibility best practices.
- Find out more about the Recite Me Web Accessibility Checker.
- Schedule a free demonstration to learn how our technology can help you.
- Run a free scan of your website for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
- Try our assistive toolbar on your website.
