In today’s digital-first world, content should be accessible not only by law but also by duty. PDFs are one of the most used ways to distribute information, particularly in government, education, and corporate environments. However, many PDFs are produced without any thought about accessibility and are difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to use. This article highlights common PDF Accessibility Mistakes and provides simple guidelines to prevent them.
10 Common PDF Accessibility Mistakes to Avoid
1. Missing or Improper Tagging Structure
The mistake: Many PDFs do not have a logical structure or are improperly tagged. Tags are critical because they indicate all the necessary content of a page, such as headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables, when screen readers are reading it.
How to prevent it:
Make sure your document is appropriately tagged. Apply a logical reading order and appropriate tags by using tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro. Use the headings, the and H2>, but do not create a visual style (and use bold or font size) as a head for each title.
2. Images Without Alternative Text (Alt Text)
The mistake: Visual media, including images, charts, and infographics, can be rendered inaccessible to users with visual impairments who rely on screen readers if visual content has not been provided with alt text.
How to prevent it:
All informational images must have meaningful (valid) alt text describing their content and purpose. Decorative images should be designated as artifacts so the screen reader may skip over them. Use the feature in all PDF editors that allow it. You can also use Adobe Acrobat’s accessibility checker.
3. Incorrect Reading Order
The mistake: Even with tags, there might still be a reading order issue that confuses the user, as the screen reader is skipping around the page.
How to prevent it:
Use the “Order” panel in Adobe Acrobat to manually check the flow and adjust as needed. Ensure the content flows logically from top to bottom and left to right in multi-column layouts or complex documents.
4. Lack of Document Title and Metadata
The mistake: A missing or generic document title (for example, “Microsoft Word – Document1”) is confusing and unprofessional for assistive technologies.
How to prevent it:
Specify the document title and extra metadata (author, subject, keywords) in the document properties. This will help you improve accessibility and enhance searchability.
5. Color-Dependent Information
The mistake: Relying solely on color to convey meaning (red for error, green for success) excludes color-blind users.
How to prevent it:
In addition to color, include text labels, patterns, or shapes. For example, an Approved (Green checkmark) is better than just a green icon. In addition, check the color contrast using a color contrast checker tool such as the WCAG contrast checker to ensure minimum accessibility requirements are met.
6. Improper Use of Tables
The mistake: Complex tables that either have no headers or have merged/split cells can be completely inaccessible to screen readers.
How to prevent it:
Use simple tables with headers and header rows and/or columns. Add a scope attribute (row, column) to the headers so that the screen reader can recognize relationships between the cells. Do not use tables for layout or design.
7. Scanned Documents Without OCR
The mistake: PDF files created from scanned physical documents may be just images with no text to read. This makes the document completely inaccessible.
How to prevent it:
Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools to change scanned images to text. Adobe Acrobat and other PDF editing programs include OCR capabilities to convert text and then tag it.
8. Unlabeled Form Fields
The mistake: Forms in PDFs sometimes have fields without labels, such as check boxes or text entry fields, so the user does not know what information was requested.
How to prevent it:
These are the cases where form tools can help to add clear labels for all fields, make sure that tabbing order is set logically, and you could even add tooltips or help text to assist users.
9. Failure to Run Accessibility Checks
The mistake: Failure to properly assess the accessibility process will likely leave issues unnoticed in the document.
How to prevent it:
There are automated accessibility checkers, such as Adobe Acrobat’s “Full Check” and PAC 2021 (PDF Accessibility Checker) to help you find, and remediate common problems. You should conduct a supplemental manual review for any problems that the automated tools would be unable to assess.
10. Ignoring Language Settings
The mistake: If the language isn’t set in the document, a screen reader might mispronounce the text. This can be problematic if multiple languages are present in the document.
How to avoid it:
First, you should set the primary document language in the file properties. If the document is in multiple languages, you can tag certain sections in the correct languages to help screen readers explicitly switch languages.
Consider using an AI PDF summarizer to make your PDFs accessible and user-friendly. It can help readers quickly understand key content, especially in long documents. This ensures your information remains inclusive and easy to digest for all users.
Conclusion
Accessible PDFs aren’t just a compliance checkbox but a commitment to inclusive communication. By avoiding these common mistakes and using accessibility tools during document creation and editing, you can ensure your content is readable, navigable, and usable for everyone.
Start by integrating accessibility into your workflow from the beginning. Train your team, adopt accessible templates, and use software that supports accessibility standards. Small adjustments now can make a massive difference in the reach and usability of your content.