1. What is a PDF and how do I know if it’s accessible?
2. What do I do if my PDF is not digitally accessible?
3. The “Link, Swap, Remake, Convert, Fix” Workflow
   1. Link to an alternative resource.
   2. Swap your PDF with a new version.
   3. Remake your PDF using common software.
   4. Convert your PDF automatically, with caution.
   5. Fix your PDF manually.
4. Help and Additional Resources

What is a PDF?

A Portable Document Format (PDF) is a common file type used for read-only files that require easy sharing and printing. PDFs have traditionally been used for documents where a fixed layout is a requirement—like interactive forms and proofs for professional printing.

Common Types of PDFs

PDFs can be created with a range of programs, including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Adobe Acrobat (which is the standard for creating complex PDFs). Digitally-created PDFs should contain machine-encoded, searchable text.

Scans of printed materials are often distributed as PDFs. Unlike the documents created in Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word, PDF scans are just images of the printed material, and likely require Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanning to convert the image-based content into machine-readable text. They also may lack structure and tagging.

Fillable Forms are PDFs usually created in Adobe Acrobat Pro that include interactive fields for users to enter information. Fillable forms require additional steps to ensure accessibility using Acrobat’s built in tools. (Forms present additional accessibility challenges. For more information, read WebAIM’s PDF Accessibility Guide).

Downsides of PDF Documents

While PDFs are a common file type, and you may use them regularly, they’re not the ideal way to share all information.

• Information in a PDF is often less accessible to visually impaired or blind web users than when it is presented directly as text on a webpage.
• PDFs are not mobile-friendly and do not resize well on smaller screens, making them difficult to read on phone and tablet screens.
• PDFs are designed to be read-only. It’s often difficult or impossible to edit PDFs without access to the original source file used to create them (like a Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign file).
• Users with limited internet bandwidth may struggle to load embedded PDFs.

Do you need to use a PDF file?

If you drafted Microsoft Word or PowerPoint document, instead of exporting a PDF, consider whether a different format might be more accessible and user-friendly:

• Publish a Webpage: Present content directly on web pages, like Canvas “pages”, for better readability and mobile access. Web content is typically more accessible and easier to navigate than a PDF. Also, this type of page is responsive—it adapts to different screen sizes, browsers, devices, and the viewing settings of your readers.
  • To share course materials, post content as a Canvas page instead of uploading a PDF, and make sure to use the built-in Canvas Accessibility Checker before publishing content.
  • To share with other UW-Superior staff, post to your team or department’s SharePoint page.
  • To share with a public audience, consider posting content as a web page through University Marketing and Communications.
• Share the Original Document as a Read-Only File: If your goal is to share an document that can’t be edited, a Microsoft Word (.docx) file is often a more accessible option than a PDF. If you want to share a Word document, but need to prevent other users from changing it, you can make the document read-only in Word.
• Download Link: If you must include a PDF, offer a clear link to download it, rather than embedding it on the page.

Are PDF documents accessible?

PDFs are not always accessible to users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers. Accessible PDFs require proper structure and tagging, which is easiest to do when designing a PDF, before it’s been distributed to readers.

Structure in a PDF refers to the organization of content in a logical, hierarchical way, such as headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and how text flows between each section. This helps users navigate and understand the document.

Tagging involves embedding metadata into a PDF to label elements like headings, images, and links. Tags guide assistive technologies, such as screen readers, on how to accurately present the content to users.

What do I do if my PDF is not digitally accessible?

Decide if the item needs to be accessible.

First, decide if your PDF needs to be accessible. Depending on how you use the file, you may be able to continue using it as is. For more information, review our Digital Accessibility Troubleshooting Guide:

It Needs to be Accessible. Now what?

PDFs are generally intended to be read-only. If they’re not designed to be accessible, fixing any issues can be complex and time consuming; the process usually requires Adobe Acrobat Pro, can be time-intensive, and doesn’t always result in a completely accessible PDF. Recreating the PDF in a different form is almost always a more efficient and reliable approach. That’s why we recommend you:

1. Link: Work with the library to find a resource in our available databases and link out to it. If the library can’t provide an acceptable resource…
2. Swap: Replace the PDF with an updated version from the original source. If an updated version isn’t available or the original creator won’t distribute a new one…
3. Remake: Recreate the content in a different format. For example, use Microsoft Word to create a new document with heading styles applied that recreates the content of the PDF. If you, your team, a student worker, your Digital Accessibility Liaison, or the Canvas Team aren’t able to remake the item…
4. Convert: UDOIT can attempt to automatically replace all instances of a file in a course with a Canvas page (or other alternative formats). This automatic conversion can work very well, depending on the legibility and layout of the PDF. If UDOIT can’t create a workable new version…
5. Fix: Attempt to remediate the PDF with Acrobat Pro.

Each of these steps is described in more detail below.

Options One and Two: Replace the PDF with a Digitally Accessible Option

If you’re using a PDF that’s impacted by digital accessibility errors, consider replacing it with an up to date and accessible version of that same content.

Link to Library Resources

The easiest solution is to locate an acceptable replacement in the Jim Dan Hill Library catalog or databases and link out to it. This is a great way to support the library by increasing library resources usage, remind students of the database access provided by the library, and retire the old PDF.

Also, please use the permalink provided in the library catalog or database rather than downloading and sharing the content. While it may seem easier to share a file, databases have accessibility tools embedded in their user interface, so you don’t need to download, edit, and store database resources in an accessible manner. Using permalinks also ensures that the library can track usage and justify subscription use. (Remember to use a succinct descriptive link.)

All students should have off-campus access to library resources through the library catalog and Databases A–Z page. If a student reports trouble accessing something, please encourage them to troubleshoot or contact the library—we’re happy to help.

Swap With an Alternative

If your PDF content isn’t located in a library database, you can still replace it with an alternative version that doesn’t include accessibility errors. Try requesting a new version from the publisher or search the web for an alternative format. Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and HTML content on the web can all be made accessible more easily than PDFs.

Option Three: Remake the Content

Unfortunately, you might not be able to locate an alternative in our library databases or the creator of your current PDF may not distribute the content in an accessible manner. This may be a good opportunity to recreate the content in a format you can easily update as needed.

Web Content is a Good Default

Like we mentioned earlier in this guide, consider creating a web page if this content doesn’t need to be distributed as a document. Properly formatted web content is both digitally accessible and responsive to various browsers and devices. If you copy/paste text from your PDF into Canvas or SharePoint, take the time to remove any formatting after you copy and before you paste, to prevent any problematic formatting from being unintentionally added to your web content. A simple way to do this is to paste into either a plain text editor like Apple TextEdit or Windows Notepad and then copy and paste from there.

Use Microsoft Word to Create New Documents

If web content won’t work for your use case and you need to distribute a digitally accessible document, try recreating the PDF with Microsoft Word. Simple .DOCX documents will be accessible if you format headings with the Styles Gallery and use the Paragraph dialogue box to manage layout options like line spacing. Microsoft Word also has a built-in digital accessibility checker. For more information, visit Microsoft Support's Make your Word documents accessible guide.

Option Four: Convert the PDF to a New Format

If you’re not able to recreate a PDF yourself or need to save some time, you can try an automatic conversation tool. For example, UDOIT can attempt to automatically replace all instances of a file in a Canvas course with an alternative format. Options include auto-tagged PDF, a Canvas page (HTML), or plain text (which you can use to create a formatted Canvas page or Word document).

Unfortunately, automatic tools are rarely 100% successful and often are unable to create a workable result. Additionally, the more complicated the PDF you need to convert, the more likely it is that UDOIT will create incorrect results. This is particularly true for PDF scans of printed materials; text distortion and non-linear print layouts will be more difficult for UDOIT to convert correctly. This is also true for other conversion tools outside of Canvas and UDOIT. Always:

• Double-check any automatically converted content with a digital accessibility scanner.
• Review the results in detail for accuracy and to make sure the text flows correctly.

For more information about using UDOIT’s conversion functions, visit the UDOIT User Guide.

Option Five: Fix the PDF Using Acrobat Pro

If you’ve exhausted all other alternatives and still need to use your PDF in its current form, you can attempt to fix any accessibility issues using Adobe Acrobat Pro. This process focuses on recognizing all text in the document, establishing a correct reading order, defining the outlined structure of the document, and tagging for assistive devices.

This process requires access to the correct software, is technical in nature, requires many steps, and often doesn’t resolve all accessibility issues.

What is Adobe Acrobat Pro?

Adobe Acrobat Pro can be used for viewing, editing, enhancing, and remediating PDFs. Acrobat Pro includes advanced features not available in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, and it is particularly useful for accessibility remediation, especially if:

• The PDF contains complex layouts, images, or other elements requiring refinement for compatibility with assistive technologies.
• You need to modify, add content to, or fix accessibility issues within a PDF because the original source file is unavailable.
• You are creating a PDF from scratch without a source file. 

UW-Superior staff have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro on their work computers, while students have access on lab computers on campus.

Accessibility Tools in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Once in Adobe Acrobat Pro, select and use the Prepare for accessibility feature from the “All tools” list. The tools you can use are listed below along with links to more information about how to use each one.

• Automatically Tag PDF: Adds structure to a PDF by defining headings, reading order, and sections. You can also edit any tags that may need manual fixing.
• Check for Accessibility: Scans a PDF for potential issues and provides guidance on necessary fixes.
• Open Accessibility Report: Summarizes findings from the check and links to tools for remediation.
• Fix Reading Order: Allows manual adjustment of the document’s logical reading order.

Other accessibility features in Adobe Acrobat Pro can be found in “Document Properties”, where you can set metadata (title, description, and fonts), adjust reading options and language, and modify security settings to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies. Restrictive Settings like preventing copying or editing can interfere with screen readers—adjust these carefully.

Some issues, like logical reading order and color contrast, will require manual correction. Additionally, Adobe Acrobat Pro’s accessibility checker does not verify alternate text accuracy or proper hyperlink usage, so review those separately.

Watch the following video to see examples of how to make an accessible PDF and use the accessibility checker.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Scans

OCR in Adobe Acrobat Pro converts scanned images of printed media into digital files that include text readers can search and select. This feature enhances compatibility with assistive technologies, but it is not always perfect. 

If you use the OCR process in Acrobat to analyze a scanned document, always check the results for accuracy. You will probably need to fix some errors after the OCR process is completed. Depending on the quality of the original scan, the OCR may misinterpret characters or struggle with formatting, especially if the scan had poor scan lighting, if the text is set with historical typography, or if the text is handwritten. OCR can also fail when scanning certain fonts and layouts. In some cases, scanned materials may be impossible to remediate with an OCR scan.

How to OCR Scan a PDF

OCR can be useful when a PDF lacks selectable text, there is not an electronic version of the document, or you need to improve the scan’s compatibility with accessibility tools. Follow these steps using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Open the file.
2. Select Scan & OCR from the All Tools list.
3. Under Recognize Text, select In This File and and choose the pages and language you want set, and then click Recognize Text to begin the process.
4. After it is done recognizing text, manually check for inaccuracies, and correct the OCR text in the PDF, if necessary.
5. Run Adobe Acrobat’s “Accessibility Checker”.
6. Save as a PDF.

Need help?

Please reach out to your department’s UW-Superior Digital Accessibility Liaison. They can help you assess the digital accessibility of your PDF, consider alternatives if it’s not accessible, and work through the remediation process if needed.