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Accessibility: PDFs

A Guide from the Accessibility Advocate

Creating a PDF from a Microsoft Document

Steps to Create a Tagged PDF

A key part of making PDFs accessible is ensuring the document is “tagged.” A “tagged PDF” is a type of PDF that includes an underlying tag tree, similar to HTML, that defines the structure of the document.

  1. Make sure to use all available accessibility features in your Word / PowerPoint document.
  2. Click File > Save As and choose the designated drive and folder for your file to be saved.
  3. In the File Name line, give your file the appropriate name.
  4. In the Save As Type line, select PDF from the drop-down menu.
  5. Click the options box and make sure Document structure tabs for accessibility is checked.
  6. Click OK and your tagged PDF is saved.

Watch a Video: PDF from Word

Testing PDFs for Accessibility

Accessibility Checks

  • A PDF that is not tagged will be extremely difficult for a screen reader user to decipher. (Hear example of Untagged PDF being read by Screen Reader.) If you do not have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro, there is a quick check in Adobe Reader to see if the PDF is tagged:

  1. Download the PDF to your computer.
  2. Open the PDF in Acrobat Reader.
  3. Click the keyboard shortcut CTRL-D and this will open the Document Properties window.
  4. Go to the Description tab on the Document Properties window and in the bottom left-hand corner you will see Tagged PDF - either Yes or No.

  • If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can do an extensive accessibility check with the features provided in this program. To learn more about accessibility and Adobe Acrobat read, Using Acrobat Pro DC Accessibility Checker.