A PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file type developed by Adobe, widely used for sharing and viewing documents. It is specifically designed to preserve a document's layout, formatting, and content across different devices and operating systems. This makes it a dependable choice for distributing documents without worrying about how they will appear to the recipient. These same features, however, can cause accessibility problems since preserving appearance limits the flexibility that many people who use assistive technology need for equitable access.
Considerations for Creating PDFs
Before creating or converting documents to PDF format, it's important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages to ensure it suits your needs.
Advantages
- Universal Compatibility: PDFs look the same on all devices and operating systems.
- Preserves Formatting: Layout, fonts, images, and styles remain intact, regardless of software used.
- Compact File Size: Can be compressed while maintaining quality, ideal for sharing large documents.
- Print-Ready: Often used for professional printing because of high fidelity.
Disadvantages
- Difficult to Edit: Not as easily editable as Word documents without special software (Adobe Pro).
- Can Be Software-Dependent: Some advanced features (like forms or multimedia) require specific PDF readers.
- Accessibility Issues: Not all PDFs are screen reader-friendly unless designed with accessibility in mind.
- Large File Sizes (Sometimes): If not properly optimized, PDFs with high-resolution images can be large.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
- Is preserving the exact layout and formatting of the document important?
PDFs are ideal when you want the document to look the same on all devices.
- Does the document need to be edited/updated by others?
If frequent collaboration or revisions are expected, a more editable format like Microsoft Word might be better. Microsoft Word also has the accessibility advantage of being far easier to edit and adapt.
- Do I have the resources to remediate accessibility issues? (ie. software, knowledge, vendor support)
PDFs are not accessible by default; extra steps may be needed to ensure usability for all users. Adobe Acrobat Pro is required to remediate existing PDF documents, especially when the original source document is no longer available.
How to Create Accessible PDF Documents
The steps you need to follow will depend on the original file format. Use the following guides to create accessible PDFs from different sources:
Adobe Acrobat Pro:
While other free software offers minimal editing capabilities, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the most robust tool for reviewing and remediate accessibility issues in PDF documents.
IMPORTANT: Adobe Acrobat Pro is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud software suite. Information about purchasing licenses for Adobe Creative Cloud is available on JMU IT's Enterprise Software Agreements page. There are also locations on campus with Creative Cloud software.
HOW TO: Check Accessibility in Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Go to "Tools" > "Accessibility" to access accessibility features.
- Click "Accessibility Check" to run an automated scan for common issues such as missing alt text, improper reading order, or lacking document structure.
- Review the results in the Accessibility Checker panel and address any flagged issues.
Coming soon - Remediating Accessibility Issues in PDF - a detailed guidance for existing PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro for accessibility is under development.