Making accessible PDFs and fixing problems related to the accessibility of existing PDFs can be a complicated process. What we usually witness is that PDFs are often created from source document files such as Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign or Microsoft PowerPoint and are then exported to the PDF format. Many PDF files are also images of text that are again exported to the PDF format by scanning the hard copies of the document. 

But when it comes to these PDFs, created through images, the PDF becomes completely inaccessible. This is because it requires conversion into text using the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software before it becomes accessible.

Further, document remediation becomes important to make digital content, especially PDFs, easier to grasp for people with disabilities. However, testing PDFs for accessibility and going about the remediation process can come with certain bumps and issues. But if you know what these issues are, there are quick fixes available too. In fact, you can entirely avoid these mistakes as well, provided you know what they are. 

So, let us take a look at 7 PDF accessibility errors which can be easily fixed. 

1. Missing Alternative Text

Missing an image ALT text is quite common. Alternative texts are quite intricate and handling them can get tricky. In order to comply with WCAG 2.0, every image must have an ALT text. This is done to make reading easier for disabled persons. So, if you make an error in adding ALT text or skip them, reading will get extremely difficult for screen readers as they won’t know what to interpret of the image. 

2. Errors in the Heading Structure

One of the common mistakes a lot of users face while working on a large document is losing track of the heading level. To avoid this mistake, you need to get it right and understand when the heading structure is illogical. 

You can also undertake PDF accessibility training to understand the significance of creating accessible documents and learn how to easily create accessible documents.

Further, such PDF training will equip you with the right knowledge about advanced tools and guidelines for creating accessible PDF documents.

3. Failure to Embed Fonts

We know how significant the remediation process is for interpreting the PDF. Embedding fonts is one of the most crucial steps which cannot be avoided when you’re going about the remediation process. For instance, if you skip this step in the beginning or perform it at the end of the remediation process, it can heavily corrupt your document and make it inaccessible and difficult to interpret.

4. Auto-tagging

A logically tagged PDF is intelligible as readers can understand it well, without difficulties. For example, when we talk about programs such as text-to-voice, such programs require accuracy in documents that are structured and follow a logical reading order. Further, tagging documents accurately is vital for people who depend on the keyboard rather than the mouse to navigate through tagged PDFs. However, auto-tagging software, like the one Adobe offers may often work well, but also risks corrupting your document. Therefore, relying on the auto-tag feature isn’t always recommended.

5. Keeping the Pages Untagged

With the intention of offering ease to the screen readers, an ideally structured document means the proper division of the content into meaningful and logical sections. This way, screen readers can conveniently navigate through the document without any issues. But when the document is not tagged, it causes several accessibility issues. Further, a blank page within a document must also be remediated, ideally using a tool meant for PDF remediation. 

6. Disappearing Content and Long PDFs 

If you’ve ever faced a problem regarding the disappearance of content, it was probably because the content was tagged in the wrong format. So, tagging the content in the wrong format causes it to disappear. In other words, this disappearance occurs when the PDF gets hidden within several layers. To fix this issue, one needs to rearrange these layers, find the hidden content and rearrange it to bring back its visibility. Therefore, tagging the content in the right format is extremely important.

Furthermore, another significant issue is when a PDF is too long or has a lot of pages. This can cause problems. It becomes challenging for screen readers to navigate through such PDFs and find relevant content. So, to mitigate this problem, what one can do is, add bookmarks to the PDF, which will help screen readers navigate through the document effectively. 

7. Undefined PDF language

For the purpose of creating accessible PDFs, setting a default language is crucial and thus, should be the first thing on your mind. When you define the language of a PDF, it helps screen readers to convey the true message of the document to its users. They can easily load accurate pronunciations. Further, it also helps visual browsers display proper characters and scripts. And lastly, having a defined, default language can help media players display the right captions for screen readers to comprehend the content better.

Conclusion

So, to conclude, one must try and avoid having features in PDFs that only focus on some sensory characteristics for conveying messages to the users. Making a PDF accessible will make it available to a wider population, including persons with cognitive disabilities; if you don’t rely merely on colors, images, and audio to communicate with users. 

Hence, fixing these accessibility errors is of the utmost importance. 

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