PDF Accessibility

Techniques for improving web site accessibility.

PDF Documents

Legal status of PDF documents

• The Australian Human Rights Commission has taken the view that "organisations that publish documents only in PDF risk complaint under the DDA unless they make the content available in at least one additional formal and in a manner that incorporates principles of accessible document design".
• The preferred alternative format for PDF is HTML.

PDF Accessibility Techniques

• The W3C has a set of PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 which are a useful guide for PDF creators.
• The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) have some excellent guides for preparing accessibile PDF documents on their web site, under the heading PDF Accessibility for Everyone.

Making Documents Accessible

• Whether it be PDF, Word, or HTML the following issues need to me addressed in order to make a document accessible:

  • Use headings. In HTML this means adding heading tags, e.g. <h1> - <h6>. In Word this means using styles, e.g. Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal.
  • Use lists. In HTML this means adding bulleted and numbered lists, e.g. <ul>, <ol>, <li>. In word this means adding bullets and numbering, e.g. Bulleted, Numbered.
  • Present information in a linear format. In HTML this means using
    tags and CSS to position elemnts on the page. In Word this means using Columns.
  • Use table headings. In HTML this means adding tags.
  • Provide alt text for images
  • Identify the language of the document
  • Allow text to be resized
  • Use sufficient color contrast

• A Quick Reference Card for Accessibile PDF Creation can be downloaded form Adobe.

Exporting PDF from Word

• Using Windows, click on the Acrobat menu and select preferences.
• Ensure that 'Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF' is checked.
• Publishing the PDF document needs to be dont via the 'Acrobat' menu by clicking on the 'Create PDF' button
• Documents can also be saved by clicking on 'File' and then 'Save as PDF or XPS'. You will need to click on 'Options' and ensure that 'Document structure tags for accessibility is checked.

PDF Readers

• AGIMO maintains a List of PDF Readers.

PDF FAQ

• Can users with vision impairments access PDF documents?

  Yes, some users with vision impairments actually prefer PDF. The problem is that some other users can't access them at all. Hence the call for documents to be provided in an alternative accessible format.

• If I publish my document in something other than PDF can't users change them?

  Anything that is published on the web can be changed, including PDF files. Source documents should be archived locally, not stored on the web.

• Can't we ask users who are having problems to contact us?

  Users with disabilities will rarely contact publishers about problems that they are having because, like everyone else they have other things to do, and often they don't know where the problem lies, they just know they can't get the information.

Help

For assistance please contact Andrew Normand, Web Accessibility Program Leader
Email: anormand@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 9035 4867