ADA Compliance & Resources

Initial Setup & Autotagging:

• Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Go to Tools – Accessibility – Autotag Document.
• Note: For better results, enable “Use cloud-based auto-tagging” in Preferences > Accessibility.

Verify and Fix the Tag Tree:

• Open the Tags panel (View – Show/Hide – Navigation Panes – Tags).
• Ensure all content is tagged correctly. The structure should follow a logical, reading-order hierarchy.
• Use the Reading Order tool to fix tagging errors (e.g., re-tagging paragraphs, headings, and lists).

Refine Tag Elements:

• Headings: Use proper for titles, H1 followed by H2 – H6 for subheadings without skipping levels.
• Images: Tag images as

  and add descriptive alt text via the Tag Properties.

• Artifacts: Mark decorative images, page numbers, or headers/footers as “Artifact” to hide them from screen readers.
• Lists/Tables: Ensure lists and tables are structured correctly.

Accessibility Checker:

• Run the Accessibility Check in Acrobat to identify remaining issues.

Set Document Properties:

• Set the document language (File – Properties – Advanced).
• Set the title and ensure “Display Title” is checked.

How to create PDF/UA compliant documents

See website

You can follow these best practices when creating an accessible PDF:

1. Start with an accessible source document
   If possible, it’s best to start with an accessible source document and export it to an accessible PDF. This ensures that your content is properly tagged and structured from the beginning. When you convert the source document into a PDF, it should retain its accessibility features
2. Use proper headings and structure
   Organize your content with proper headings and create a logical reading order. Readers benefit from this as they can navigate the document and understand the content more easily
3. Include alternative text for non-text elements
   All meaningful images, charts, and non-text elements should have alternative text descriptions. This helps people who rely on screen readers comprehend important information
4. Tag tables and forms properly
   Properly-tagged tables and forms make a PDF more accessible. For tables, include header rows and columns to help people navigate your content. It is important to note that there are specific tags used for tables. When tagging a table as a whole, one should use the tage <Table>. Conversely, when tagging a specific row within a table, the <TR> tag should be applied
5. Ensure proper color contrast
   Use sufficient color contrast between your text and the background. This makes your content accessible to all readers, including those with vision impairments like color blindness. To learn more about this topic, we recommend you read our guide on choosing ADA-compliant colors
6. Use accessible fonts and formatting
   Fonts and formatting are often overlooked, yet they can impact a person’s experience engaging with and consuming information appearing in a PDF. Avoid using fonts that are too small or difficult to read, and make sure your formatting is consistent throughout the document. To learn more about this topic, we recommend you read our guide on choosing ADA-compliant fonts
7. Identify all link destinations
   Links appearing within a PDF should have concise, meaningful, and descriptive text that clearly indicates their destination. This helps readers using assistive technology quickly navigate content and determine which resources to explore further
8. Define the PDF’s language
   PDFs must be properly tagged and identified in the correct language. Without the right language identification, screen readers may misinterpret the text, leading to confusionYou can follow these steps to define a language in Adobe Acrobat Pro XI

An alt text (short for alternative text) describes a non-text element, like an image or a graphic. The invisible text can be read and displayed by software, especially AT. In this post we’re looking how to add such alt texts in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat.

An alt text (short for alternative text) describes a non-text element, like an image or a graphic. The invisible text can be read and displayed by software, especially AT. In the glossary you can learn more about the meaning of an alt text and what it should look like.

In this post we’re looking how to add such alt texts in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat.

The possible ways to add an alt text in Word depend on which version you’re using and whether you are in compatibility mode (if you are working with the old .doc format). No matter which version you have, right clicking on the image will always get you there.

1. Right click on the image.
2. Choose “Format Picture” or, if available, a direct command “Edit Alt Text”.
3. The last step can now look like this:
   • If a new area “Format Picture” opens on the right, click on the third tab “Layout & Properties” and write your alt text in “Alt text” → “Description”.
   • Another possible variation is that a window “Format Picture” opens, in which you have to change to the tab “Alt Text”.
   • A further possibility is the opening of a window in which the alt text can be entered directly.

The alternative texts are now delivered with the PDF export and do not have to be added again in Acrobat.

The alt text is added to a <Figure> tag. Therefore the points in “Defining PDF tags in Word” must be observed.

1. Click on the image.
2. Select “Object” → “Object Export Options”.
3. The “Alternative text” tab is displayed.
4. Select the option “Custom” in the dropdown “Alt Text Source” if you have not already stored the alt text in an XML structure or in metadata of the image.

Note: If multiple images need to be edited, you can leave the “Object Export Options” window open and click from one to another image. The contents of the “Object Export Options” window will change depending on which image is clicked.

The alt text is added to a <Figure> tag. Therefore the points in “Defining PDF tags in InDesign” must be observed.

Add an alt text in Adobe InDesign with MadeToTag

Using the MadeToTag plugin, you can view all the images in one window and give them an alt text. Click on “Show overview” in task 3 called “Alternative text”.

In addition, an overview of all metadata and alt texts can be generated in a new InDesign document.

As it is generally the case for tagging documents, the process of adding alt texts is better done in the source document. The reason for this is that all work in Acrobat must be repeated when the PDF is created again.

The following solutions assume that the images have already been tagged. If you need more information about this, have a look at the following articles:

• Defining PDF tags in Word
• Defining PDF tags in InDesign
• Create and modify PDF tags in Acrobat

Solution 1

1. Open the navigation pane “Tags”.
2. Navigate to the affected <Figure> tag.
3. Right click on this tag and select “Properties”.
4. Add the alt text in the tab “Tag” and the column “Alternate text”.

Solution 2

1. Click on “Reading Order” within the “Accessibility” tools.
2. A new window “Reading Order” opens and the contents are displayed in different grey areas.
3. Right-click on the grey area in which your image is located.
4. Select “Edit Alternate Text” and write your alt text into the newly opened “Alternate Text” window.

 

To add alt text in Canva,

select an image or element, click the three-dot “More” menu, choose Alternative text,” and type a concise description in the box, or use the “Suggest for me” AI feature. For decorative images, tick “Mark as decorative”. This ensures accessibility for screen readers and improves SEO.

Steps to Apply Alt Tags in Canva:

1. Select the Image: Click on the image, graphic, or element you want to describe.
2. Open Menu: Click the three-dot (…) icon (More) that appears above the element or in the top toolbar.
3. Add Alternative Text: Select Alternative text from the menu.
4. Enter Description:Type a clear, concise description (up to 250 characters) in the text box.
5. Click Save to apply the tag.

This video demonstrates how to add alternative text to images in Canva:

Key Tips for Effective Alt Tags:

• Be Concise and Accurate: Describe the image using a few words.
• Use Keywords Wisely: Include relevant keywords for SEO, but do not stuff them.
• Mark as Decorative: If the image is purely for aesthetic purposes (e.g., a background line), check “Mark as decorative” to inform screen readers to skip it.
• Utilize AI: Use the “Suggest for me” option within the text box to generate descriptions automatically.
• Use the Accessibility Checker: Go to File > View settings > Check design accessibility to review your document for missing alt text.

https://www.canva.com/help/using-alt-text/