================= PDF Accessibility ================= Adobe Acrobat Pro comes with an accessibility checker that tests whether a PDF is accessible according to their standards. ----------------- Acrobat Pro Tests ----------------- PDF Accessibility Tests ======================= +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Test | Definition | Not ADA Title 2 | If not ADA Title 2, Why? | If ADA Title 2, Why? | +===========================+=======================================================================+==================+=========================================================================+======================================================================+ | Title | A title is in the title bar. | | | WCAG 2.4.2 requires a descriptive title. | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Figures alternate text | Images in the document either have alternate text or are marked as | | | WCAG 1.1.1 requires alt text for non-text content. | | | artifacts. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Other elements alternate | Content other than figures have required alternate text (such as | | | Also part of WCAG 1.1.1. | | text | multimedia, annotation, or 3D model) | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Image-only PDF | The document contains non-text content that is not accessible. If | | | WCAG 1.1.1 requires a text alternative for all content. | | | the document appears to contain text, but doesn't contain fonts, | | | | | | it could be an image-only PDF file. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tagged PDF | Document is tagged to specify the correct reading order | | | Needed for programmatic structure (1.3.1, 1.3.2). | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tab order | The tab order parallels the document structure. | | | WCAG 2.4.3 requires logical navigation order. | | | | | | ``_. | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Nested alternate text | Screen readers don't read the alternate text for nested elements. | X | PDF/UA-specific; WCAG only cares that alt text is present and | | | | Therefore, don't apply alternate text to nested elements. | | meaningful. | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Associated with Context | Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation | | | WCAG 1.1.1 requires alt text be correctly tied to the object. | | | of content on the page. If an element has alternate text but does | | | | | | not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which | | | | | | page it is on. If the Screen Reader Option in the Reading | | | | | | preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen | | | | | | readers never read the alternate text. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Hides annotation | Alternate text can't hide an annotation. If an annotation is nested | X | Only an issue for WCAG if it hides meaningful content from assistive | | | | under a parent element with alternate text, then screen readers | | tech. | | | | don't see it. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Rows | This rule checks whether each TR in a table is a child of Table, | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires table structure. | | | THead, TBody, or TFoot. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | TH and TD | In a proper table structure, TH and TD are children of TR. | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires header and data cell association. | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Headers | For accessibility, it's necessary that all tables in the PDF have | | | Applies to both table headers (1.3.1) and document headings | | | a header. | | | (2.4.6). | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Regularity | To be accessible, tables must contain the same number of columns in | X | A PDF/UA check for consistent table column widths; WCAG doesn't | | | | each row, and rows in each column. | | require this. | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | List items | The check reports whether each List Item (LI) is a child of List | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires lists to be programmatically determined. | | | (L). When this rule check fails, the structure of this list is | | | | | | incorrect. Lists must have the following structure: A List element | | | | | | must contain List Item Elements. And, List Item Elements can only | | | | | | contain Label Elements and List Item Body Elements. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Lbl and LBody | Lists must have the following structure: A List element must contain | | | Part of proper list semantics (1.3.1). | | | List Item Elements. And, List Item Elements can only contain Label | | | | | | Elements and List Item Body Elements. When this rule check fails, | | | | | | the structure of this list is incorrect. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Appropriate nesting | This rule checks nested headings. When this check fails, headings | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires correct hierarchy. | | | are not nested properly. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Primary Language | Setting the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers | | | WCAG 3.1.1 requires language to be specified. | | | to switch to the appropriate language. This check determines whether | | | | | | the primary text language for the PDF is specified. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bookmarks | This check fails when the document has 21 or more pages, but doesn't | X | Helpful for navigation but not required by WCAG. | | | | have bookmarks that parallel the document structure. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tagged Content | This check reports whether all content in the document is tagged. | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires semantic structure. | | | Ensure that all content in the document is either included in the | | | | | | Tags tree, or marked as an artifact. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tagged Annotations | This rule checks whether all annotations are tagged. Ensure that | | | WCAG 1.3.1 requires annotations be available to assistive tech. | | | annotations such as comments and editorial marks (insert and | | | | | | highlight) are either included in the Tags tree or marked as | | | | | | artifacts. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Character encoding | Specifying the encoding helps PDF viewers' present users with | | | Needed so text can be programmatically determined and read | | | readable text. However, some character-encoding issues aren't | | | correctly (affects 3.1.1, 4.1.2). | | | repairable within Acrobat. | | | | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+