PDF Accessibility

Creating Inclusive Documents for All

PDFs are widely used across Elon University for sharing forms, reports, event materials and other resources. However, many PDFs are not accessible, creating barriers for users who rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers, or who need alternative formats. Ensuring that your PDFs are accessible is essential for creating an inclusive experience and meeting legal accessibility requirements.

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Overview of PDF Accessibility

Accessible PDFs are designed to be navigable, readable and usable by all individuals, regardless of their abilities or the tools they use to interact with digital content. This involves:

• Readable Text: Ensuring that text is searchable and selectable, not embedded as an image.
• Proper Document Structure: Using headings, lists and other semantic elements to create a logical reading order.
• Alternative Text for Images: Providing alt text for all images to describe their purpose.
• Accessible Tables: Formatting tables with proper headers and structure for screen readers.
• Sufficient Color Contrast: Ensuring text and graphical elements meet WCAG contrast ratios (e.g., 4.5:1 for normal text) so that all users, including those with low vision or color blindness, can read your content.

Accessible PDFs are not only required by law but also reflect Elon University’s commitment to equity and effective communication.

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Common Accessibility Challenges with PDFs

At Elon University, inaccessible PDFs often arise from these issues:

• Text Embedded in Images: Scanned documents or PDFs exported as flat images cannot be interpreted by screen readers.
• Improper or Missing Tags: PDFs without proper tags lack the structure needed for navigation by assistive technologies.
• Incorrect Reading Order: Content presented out of sequence in the PDF makes it confusing or impossible to follow.
• Uncaptioned Images or Graphics: Images without alt text exclude users with visual impairments.
• Poor Color Contrast: Text or graphical elements with insufficient contrast can be unreadable for users with low vision or color blindness, making critical information inaccessible.

Addressing these challenges ensures that all recipients can access and understand your documents.

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Responsibilities & Best Practices for PDF Accessibility

Ensuring PDF accessibility is a shared responsibility across the university. Whether you’re creating PDFs in Microsoft Word, Google Docs or Adobe InDesign, you play a vital role in making sure the final document is accessible. This includes:

• Starting with Accessibility in Mind: Build your document accessibly in the source tool before exporting it as a PDF.
• Using Proper Tags and Structure: Add headings, lists and semantic elements to create a clear, logical structure.
• Ensuring Color Contrast Compliance: Verify that text, graphics and other visual elements meet WCAG contrast ratios. Avoid using light text on light backgrounds or overly bright colors.
• Testing the PDF: Use tools like Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker to verify compliance with WCAG standards.
• Avoiding Workarounds: Do not embed important text in images or skip tagging steps, as these will render the document inaccessible.

If you are unsure how to make your PDF accessible, consider using a professional PDF remediation service. This ensures compliance and inclusivity without requiring extensive expertise.

To guide you in creating accessible PDFs, this section of the toolkit includes detailed resources on the following topics:

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Start Your Accessibility Journey

Creating accessible PDFs ensures that everyone can benefit from the resources, forms and information Elon University provides. By following the guidance in this toolkit, you can contribute to a more inclusive campus and meet accessibility requirements.

If you’re not confident in your ability to make a PDF accessible, we recommend using a professional PDF accessibility remediation service. These services can ensure your documents meet compliance standards and are fully accessible.