What makes a PDF accessible?

An accessible PDF is one that assistive technology can read and navigate correctly. It comes down to a handful of concrete properties, not vague good intentions.

The essentials

• Tags that mark headings, paragraphs, lists and tables.
• A correct reading order so content is spoken logically.
• Alt text on meaningful images.
• A declared document language.

Why it matters

Beyond being the right thing to do, accessibility is a legal requirement for many organisations. It also improves search indexing and text reuse.

Start at the source

The easiest accessible PDF comes from a well-structured source document with real headings and alt text, exported with tagging enabled.