Making PDFs Accessible
Creating an accessible PDF is a complex subject with many different paths to success. Read our tips below, and reach out to our Web Accessibility Specialist if you have any specific questions.
Author: Jerra Strong, Web Accessibility Specialist
Choosing the Right Software
Some software is better prepared to create an accessible PDF than others. You may find that a design software cannot produce an accessible PDF, and you’ll have to fix a number of issues in the result or start over.
To save you extra work, here are some tools we recommend:
- Microsoft Word
- Google Docs or Slides (with help from an extension called Grackle Docs)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (for slide presentations or single-page documents)
- Adobe InDesign
Meanwhile, here are some tools that are not recommended:
- Canva
- Microsoft Excel
- Print to PDF (from Word or web browser)
- Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator (migrate designs or elements to InDesign)
Tip: There are often workarounds or recommendations we can make. Reach out to the Web Accessibility Specialist for more information.
Exporting from Microsoft Word
It can be frustrating to spend time making a Word document accessible, only to have the resulting PDF fail multiple accessibility checks. Make sure to export using File > Save As, then change the file type to PDF.
Save As window on Windows
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