How to Create Accessible Content from PDFs for Visually Impaired Users

TL;DR

• PDFs are everywhere, but many aren’t accessible to visually impaired readers who rely on assistive technology like screen readers.
• The core elements of accessibility in PDFs are proper tagging, correct reading order, descriptive alt text for images, and good contrast.
• You can create accessible PDFs from source documents (Word/PowerPoint), use OCR for scans, and validate with dedicated tools and assistive tech.
• An inclusive design mindset, aided by accessibility ai where appropriate, helps you deliver documents that work for everyone—consistently.

Introduction

If you’ve ever shared a PDF with a colleague or client and heard crickets when you asked if they could read it with a screen reader, you know the problem firsthand: a lot of PDFs simply aren’t usable by visually impaired users. This isn’t just a UX concern; it’s a accessibility ai and inclusive design issue with real-world impact. Globally, roughly 15% of people live with some form of disability, and in the United States alone, about 61 million adults have a disability. When your PDFs aren’t accessible, you’re excluding a big chunk of your audience—from students and employees to customers and partners.

The good news is that creating accessible PDFs is not just a compliance checkbox—it’s a practical, repeatable process that can be integrated into your existing content workflows. In this article, I’ll walk you through what makes a PDF accessible, how to prepare source documents for accessibility, how to handle scanned PDFs through OCR, and how to validate your work using both automated tools and real assistive technologies. I’ll share practical examples, common gotchas, and actionable steps you can apply today. Pro tip: start incorporating accessibility ai thoughtfully—AI can help with tasks like alt text generation or consistency checks, but human review remains essential to ensure accuracy and nuance.

From my experience working with teams across different industries, the most effective approach combines strong foundational practices (tagging, reading order, and alt text) with a robust validation routine that includes real-world testing with screen readers. It’s not about perfecting every edge case on day one; it’s about building scalable processes that gradually raise the bar for every document you publish.

Main Content Sections

1) What makes a PDF accessible? The essentials you need to know

Accessibility in PDFs is about enabling assistive technology to interpret and present content in a meaningful way. At the core, you’re building a document that can be navigated and read aloud by screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, or TalkBack, and can be browsed using keyboard navigation.

Key concepts to master:

• Tags: A tagged PDF has a logical structure (document part, headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures). Tags are like the skeleton that screen readers follow.
• Reading order: The logical order should match how a sighted reader would consume the content. If the reading order is off, screen readers can produce garbled or confusing output.
• Alt text for images: Images, charts, and diagrams should have concise, descriptive alternative text that conveys meaning or function.
• Tables: Tables must be tagged with proper headers (row and column headers) and a clear reading order. Complex tables should be broken into simpler structures or described in text.
• Headings and lists: Use semantic headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and properly structured lists. This helps users skim and navigate.
• Metadata and accessibility properties: Title, author, subject, and language properties, plus descriptive document properties, improve discoverability and assistive tech interpretation.
• Color and contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background, and avoid color-only cues to convey information.
• Fonts and embedding: Use readable fonts and embed fonts when possible to ensure glyphs render consistently across devices.

Practical example:

• A company report has a title, a few sections with headings, a table of quarterly results, an image illustrating revenue growth, and a note about methodology. To make this accessible:
  • Tag the document structure: Title (H1), Section headings (H2/H3), and the table with header rows.
  • Add alt text to the revenue image: “Line chart showing revenue growth from Q1 to Q4 with a steady rise.”
  • Ensure the table has header rows for each column and properly nested header cells for readability.
  • Verify reading order by using the “Reading Order” tool (in Acrobat) and fixing any misordered content.

Pro tip: If you’re starting with a complex PDF that wasn’t created with accessibility in mind, you’ll spend more time on tagging and structure than you would if you began with an accessible authoring workflow. The payoff is worth it, though—the document becomes usable to a much broader audience.

Quick note: Accessibility is not only a legal or moral obligation; it’s also good business sense. Accessible documents tend to be more searchable, easier to repurpose, and friendlier to all users, including those with temporary impairments.

From my experience: the most persistent issues I encounter are reading order problems and images without alt text. Once you fix those two areas, you’ll see a big improvement quickly.

2) Best practices for authoring and exporting to accessible PDFs

If you’re starting from scratch with a source document (Word, PowerPoint, or another format), build accessibility in from the ground up, then export to PDF with accessibility in mind.

What to do in the source document:

• Use proper heading styles: Apply Word heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) rather than manually bolded text to create a logical structure that can be translated into PDF tags.
• Add alt text for images and diagrams: Every image should have alternative text. For simple visuals, a short description suffices; for complex visuals (like charts), a brief summary plus a longer description in the document may be required.
• Create accessible tables: Use the table tool to designate header rows, and avoid merging cells in a way that obscures reading order. If a table is too complex, consider providing a descriptive paragraph in addition to the table.
• Use descriptive link text: Avoid “click here” as link text. Describe the destination or action, e.g., “Annual Report 2024 (PDF).”
• Use color thoughtfully: Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning. Include text labels or patterns to convey information in addition to color cues.
• Add metadata: Include a meaningful title, author, subject, and language (e.g., “Language: en-US”). This improves navigability and discoverability.

Exporting to PDF with accessibility in mind:

• Use “Save As” or “Export” and choose PDF options that preserve structure and accessibility. In Word, use the built-in Accessibility Checker before exporting.
• Ensure tagging is enabled: The export process should generate a tagged PDF. In Word, this is typically automatic when using the built-in accessibility features.
• Check fonts and embedding: Ensure fonts are embedded to prevent font substitution during reading. This helps with consistency across devices.
• Run an initial accessibility check: Most word processors offer an accessibility checker. If issues are flagged, fix them before exporting.
• Quick note: If your document contains mathematical notation, use MathML or accessible math tagging. Simple equations can be tagged with alternate representations; more complex math may need specialized tagging.

Pro tip: Treat the export as the final stage of your authoring workflow, not a last-minute task. If you plan ahead, you’ll save a lot of time later in remediation.

From my experience: Word-to-PDF workflows with accessibility features tend to be the most time-efficient for big teams. It keeps the source content accessible and makes the final PDF more reliable for readers relying on assistive technology.

3) OCR and scanned PDFs: turning scans into accessible content

Many PDFs you encounter are scans of printed documents. These need OCR (optical character recognition) to convert images of text into actual text that screen readers can read.

Key steps for OCR-enabled PDFs:

• Start with the best scan possible: A clean, high-resolution scan (300 dpi or higher) reduces recognition errors.
• Choose the right OCR language and options: Set the document language accurately and enable layout preservation if possible (to retain headings, column structure, etc.).
• Run OCR on the entire document or per page: Some tools let you apply OCR to select regions; others process entire pages at once.
• Review and correct errors: OCR isn’t perfect—common mistakes include misread characters, hyphenation, and broken lines. Proofreading is essential.
• Tag after OCR: After OCR, apply tags and reading order. Ensure that headings, lists, and tables are correctly tagged.
• Add or refine alt text for images: If the OCR process introduces images or if images remain, make sure they have meaningful alt text.

Tools to consider:

• Adobe Acrobat Pro DC: Robust OCR with tagging and accessibility checks; good for remediation after scanning.
• ABBYY FineReader: Known for strong OCR accuracy and built-in accessibility features, including document structure awareness.
• Free tools and open-source options: Some free viewers offer basic OCR, but you’ll often need a separate workflow to add tags and ensure proper reading order.

Pro tip: OCR quality can be the bottleneck in making a scanned PDF accessible. Invest in a high-quality OCR tool or service, especially for lengthy materials like manuals or academic papers.

Quick note: After OCR, always run the accessibility checker and test with a screen reader. OCR text can sometimes be misrecognized as a nearby glyph or line breaks that create confusing reading order if not corrected.

From my experience: The combination of high-quality OCR and careful post-OCR tagging is where most projects gain the biggest accessibility payoff. A rough OCR pass followed by a thorough tagging pass is far more effective than trying to fix issues after you’ve created a tagged PDF.

4) Validation, testing, and maintenance: ensure it actually works in the real world

Validation is where you confirm that your PDF is usable by people relying on assistive technology, and it’s also where you catch issues you might not anticipate in theory alone.

Validation steps you should adopt:

• Run a built-in accessibility check (tools vary by platform):
  • In Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, use the Accessibility > Accessibility Checker to run a Full Check. It will highlight issues like missing alt text, reading order problems, and tagging gaps.
  • In Word/PowerPoint prior to export, use the built-in Accessibility Checker to fix issues before you create the PDF.
• Validate conformance to standards:
  • PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) is the standard for accessible PDFs. Aim for conformance when you can; it’s a reliable signal that the document is usable with assistive tech.
  • If you’re in a regulated industry, your clients may require WAI-ARIA alignment or WCAG-related considerations in the document’s content and structure.
• Test with assistive technology:
  • Screen readers: NVDA (free on Windows), JAWS (paid on Windows), VoiceOver (built into macOS and iOS).
  • Keyboard navigation: Ensure you can tab through the document in a logical order and access all controls and links.
  • Magnification and zoom: Ensure text remains legible as you magnify content.
• Verify readability with color and contrast checks:
  • Use contrast analyzers to ensure text-to-background contrast meets WCAG guidelines (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text).
• Validate and maintain:
  • Establish a routine for re-checking PDFs after updates or revisions.
  • Keep a “PDF Accessibility checklist” document that your team signs off on with each release.
  • Consider a quarterly or biannual accessibility audit for high-traffic documents.

Pro tip: Accessibility ai can assist here by flagging potential issues in bulk (e.g., missing alt text across a batch of PDFs, inconsistent heading usage). However, human review remains essential for nuanced content, like long descriptions or scientific diagrams.

Quick note: Real-world testing matters. A PDF might pass a machine check but still yield awkward or confusing output when read by a specific screen reader. Testing with at least one real assistive tech setup is worth the effort.

From my experience: A well-structured validation workflow reduces support tickets and makes updates smoother. It’s far easier to fix a tag structure error at the source than scrambling to locate broken reading order in a finished document.

5) Accessibility ai, inclusive design, and the future of PDF accessibility

A lot of teams are curious about how AI can help with pdf accessibility. The short answer: AI can streamline repetitive tasks and help with consistency, but it isn’t a silver bullet.

Ways AI can help:

• Alt text generation for images and charts: AI can propose initial alt text, which a human editor can refine to ensure accuracy and nuance.
• Language and readability checks: AI can offer simplifications or clarifications without changing content.
• Consistency checks across multiple PDFs: AI can scan a batch of documents for recurring accessibility issues (e.g., missing alternate text, inconsistent heading levels).
• OCR quality improvement: Advanced OCR models powered by AI can improve recognition in noisy scans, though they still require human review.

Limitations:

• AI-generated descriptions may miss context or nuance, particularly for specialized diagrams or datasets.
• Accessibility is about structure, semantics, and user experience, not just text content. AI should augment human work, not replace it.

Inclusive design mindset:

• Accessibility ai fits within an inclusive design approach: think about diverse users from the start, not as an afterthought.
• Design content with keyboard accessibility, screen reader workflows, and cognitive load in mind.
• Consider language variety, internationalization, and variations in assistive technologies used by audiences.

From my experience: AI helps speed up remediation and provides a good first pass, but you’ll still want a human reviewer for critical content, such as legal documents, medical materials, or technical diagrams.

Comparison Table (tools and workflows)

Below is a practical snapshot of common workflows and tools for creating accessible PDFs. Prices are indicative and can vary by edition, region, and licensing.

Notes:

• The best approach in many organizations is to start with accessible source documents (Word/PowerPoint), export to PDF, then use Acrobat Pro DC or a similar tool for tagging and conformance checks. If you’re dealing with scanned legacy documents, add a robust OCR workflow (e.g., ABBYY FineReader) before tagging.
• The “best” toolset depends on your team size, budget, and how many PDFs you publish monthly. For regulated industries, conformance testing (PDF/UA) becomes non-negotiable.

Pro tip: Create an in-house “PDF Accessibility Playbook” that documents your standard workflow, tagging conventions, and a quick-start checklist. This reduces the learning curve for new editors and ensures consistency across teams.

FAQ Section

1. What is PDF accessibility, exactly?

• PDF accessibility means that a PDF is designed and structured so that people who use assistive technologies, like screen readers or braille displays, can access and understand the content. It involves tagging, reading order, alt text for images, accessible tables, proper headings, metadata, and good color contrast.

2. How can I tell if a PDF is accessible?

• Run an accessibility check with a tool like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Accessibility Checker) or PAC 3. Look for missing alt text, improper reading order, untagged content, inaccessible tables, and color contrast issues. Then test with at least one assistive technology (NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver) to validate real-world usability.

3. How do I add alt text to images in a PDF?

• In Acrobat Pro DC, select an image, open the Accessibility tools, and choose “Set Alternate Text.” Enter a concise description of the image’s meaning or function. For complex graphs, provide both a short alt text and a longer description nearby or in a caption.

4. What’s the difference between a PDF that’s been OCR’d and one that’s not?

• A scanned PDF without OCR contains images of text, not actual text. Screen readers can’t read it. OCR converts the image text into searchable, selectable text, which is a prerequisite for tagging and accessibility. After OCR, you still need to apply tags and fix any recognition errors.

5. What does PDF/UA conformance mean for my PDFs?

• PDF/UA (PDF/Universal Accessibility) is a standards-based level of accessibility that ensures PDFs have a proper logical structure and tagging, making them reliably accessible with assistive tech. Conformance reduces accessibility risk and improves compatibility across readers and devices.

6. Can AI help me make PDFs accessible?

• Yes, AI can assist with initial alt text generation, consistency checks, and OCR quality improvement. But AI isn’t perfect for nuanced descriptions or complex content. Use AI as a helper and rely on human editors for final verification, especially for technical or domain-specific content.

7. How should I test PDFs on different assistive technologies?

• Test on at least one screen reader (NVDA or VoiceOver are good starting points) and, if possible, JAWS. Check keyboard navigation, reading order, link usability, and the ability to access all controls. Also verify that long documents are navigable via headings and that complex elements (tables, equations, charts) are accessible.

8. How do I maintain accessibility over time?

• Treat accessibility as an ongoing practice, not a one-time task. Integrate accessibility checks into content creation workflows, train authors and editors on tagging and structure, maintain a living checklist, and schedule periodic audits for high-visibility documents. When updates happen, re-run the checks and re-test with assistive tech.

Conclusion

Creating accessible content from PDFs for visually impaired users is a practical, repeatable process that benefits everyone—even beyond accessibility ai. By focusing on structure, semantics, and readability, you enable screen readers to do their job effectively, improve searchability, and future-proof your documents against evolving accessibility standards.

Key takeaways:

• Start with accessible source documents (Word/PowerPoint) when possible; export to PDF with tagging in mind.
• For scanned content, don’t skip OCR—choose a robust OCR tool and verify text accuracy before tagging.
• Build a validation workflow that combines automated checks (tagging, reading order, alt text) with real-world testing in at least one assistive technology.
• Use color and layout wisely, avoid relying on color alone for meaning, and provide descriptive alt text for all non-text content.
• Leverage AI thoughtfully to speed up repetitive tasks, but always have a human review critical content for accuracy and nuance.

If you’re building or maintaining a library of PDFs for users with visual impairments, consider this approach as a foundation. It won’t just keep you compliant; it’ll improve the experience for every reader who relies on assistive technology, and that’s the essence of inclusive design.

Pro tip: Treat accessibility as a collaborative discipline—designers, writers, QA, and accessibility specialists should work together from the outset. Quick wins, like tagging a few high-traffic PDFs and validating them with screen readers, can set the tone for broader improvements.

Quick note: Don’t underestimate the power of a well-maintained accessibility checklist. It makes it easier to scale your efforts across dozens or hundreds of PDFs, and it helps ensure consistency as your organization grows.

From my experience, a simple, repeatable process beats ad-hoc fixes every time. With the right tools, a clear workflow, and a commitment to inclusive design, you can transform PDFs into accessible content that serves everyone—efficiently, reliably, and with dignity.