Creating accessible PDFs is crucial for ensuring that your documents can be accessed easily by everyone.
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In this quick guide, we’ll walk through some simple steps to make PDFs more accessible using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a powerful tool for checking and improving the accessibility of PDFs. If you don’t have it installed, you can request a copy from ITP.software@hud.ac.uk.
- Open the PDF:
• Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and open the PDF document you want to check for accessibility.
- Run the Accessibility Checker:
• In Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, navigate to the Tools pane on the right-hand side.
• Under the Accessibility section, select Full Check.
• A dialog box will appear. Ensure that Accessibility is selected in the Checking options. Click the Start Checking button.
- Review the Accessibility Report:
• Adobe Acrobat will analyse the PDF and generate an Accessibility Report. This report will highlight any issues or areas that need attention.
• Review the report to identify and address accessibility errors and warnings.
- Address Issues:
• Go through the issues listed in the Accessibility Report one by one.
• Common issues include missing alternative text for images, incorrect reading order, and untagged elements.
• Use the tools in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to fix the identified issues. For example, you can add alt text to images, adjust reading order, and tag elements properly.
- Re-run the Accessibility Checker:
• After making corrections, run the Accessibility Checker again to ensure that all issues have been resolved.
- Verify Reading Order:
• Use the Touch Up Reading Order tool in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to verify and adjust the reading order of the document. This ensures that the content is presented in a logical sequence.
- Check Colour Contrast:
• Use the built-in colour contrast checker to ensure that text and images have sufficient contrast for readability.
- Save the PDF document after making all necessary accessibility improvements.
- Test with Assistive Technologies:
• For a comprehensive check, consider testing the accessible PDF with screen reader software or other assistive technologies to ensure a positive user experience.
By following these steps, you can assess and enhance the accessibility of your PDF documents, making them more inclusive for a diverse audience.
Remember that creating accessible content is an ongoing process, and regular checks are recommended, especially when making updates to the document.
Please note: All information is accurate at the time of posting but the Brightspace / Teams layout may have updated.
For more help or information on this tool, check out the iPark website for handy how-to guides; or Brightspace Bytes on Brightspace for helpful screencast tutorials.