How to create accessible Portable Document Format (PDF) documents that conform to the Revised 508 Standards.
Guidance
The resources in this section were developed by the Accessible Electronic Documents Community of Practice (AED COP).
Training Videos
How to Test and Remediate PDFs for Accessibility Using Adobe Acrobat DC
The Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice (AED CoP) created this series of videos to explain and demonstrate the minimum steps needed to ensure your PDF is Section 508 conformant.
Duration 63m 51s | 5-part Video Series
Other Tips
- When generating PDF documents through conversion from another format, or through an automated tool, ensure the resulting PDF file is properly tagged to support accessibility.
- If using an authoring tool, make sure the tool is capable of generating accessible PDF documents that conform to PDF/UA (some do not). PDF/UA provides a standardized framework for software to create, test and remediate accessible PDFs. PDF/UA and WCAG should be complimentary. See also PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0.
Agency-Developed Guidance
The resources in this section were developed by Federal agencies, and shared here for your convenience. Note, much of this guidance predates the Revised 508 Standards.
- Resources for Developers and Document Authors - Guidance on how to develop and author accessible electronic content
- Alternate Text For Images (PDF, July 2011) - Developed by SSA
- Making a diagram screen reader friendly - ONRR.gov
Related Resources
- Create Accessible Digital Products
- Review WebAIM Alternative Text for appropriate use of alternative text.
- Review W3C’s Alt Decision Tree for guidance on how to describe images.
- Adobe Acrobat accessibility support
- Web Accessibility Tutorials and Presentations - Guidance from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Reviewed/Updated: June 2025
