Create Accessible PDFs

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

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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

Adobe Acrobat DC Portable Document Format (PDF)

• PDF Testing and Remediation Guide (MS Word, March 2019)
• PDF Testing Checklist (MS Word, June 2019)

Adobe Acrobat Pro (Older Versions)

• PDF Baseline Test Process (MS Word, September 2017)
• PDF Detailed Checklist (MS Word, September 2017)
• PDF Printable Checklist (MS Word, September 2017)

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).

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

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: February 2021