By:
Grace Williamson 
Accessibility is essential to creating digital content, and PDFs are a widely used format for sharing information, especially in the professional landscape. Automated tools have made it easier to ensure that PDFs are accessible to everyone. Though they are useful in identifying and fixing many accessibility issues on PDFs, they are not foolproof.
There are still several common accessibility issues that automated tools often miss. In this blog, we will be exploring and discussing some most common accessibility issues that may be overlooked by automated tools when creating PDFs.
By understanding these issues, creators can ensure that their PDFs are accessible to all, including those with disabilities. We have curated a list of 10 common issues in PDF accessibility that automated tools may overlook and some tips on how to fix them.
The first and foremost issue many automated tools miss is an Alt Text. It is simply a description that defines an image that allows screen readers to convey its content to visually impaired users.
Automated tools may overlook this issue, but creators must manually add alt text to all images in their PDFs. Alt text can also make images more accessible to search engines, helping to increase the visibility of the content.
Failing to include alt text can make PDFs inaccessible and lead to incorrect content indexing. While automated tools may miss some issues, they are still useful in identifying and fixing many issues.
Another important aspect of PDF accessibility is the reading order. It refers to the order in which the content is read by assistive technologies such as screen readers. Developers must ensure that the reading order follows a logical sequence, starting from the top left corner and moving across and down the page.
Failure to do so can result in confusion and frustration for visually impaired users who rely on assistive technologies to access the content. Employ pdf accessibility services where experts can check and ensure the accessibility issues.
In addition to ensuring a logical reading order, another issue is repetitive content. Developers can achieve this by using clear and concise language, avoiding unnecessary repetition of information, and providing alternative ways of presenting the same information.
For an innovative accessibility issue, developers can use headings and subheadings instead of repeating the same instructions multiple times to break up the content. It will make navigation easier. By avoiding redundancy and repetition, developers can create more accessible and user-friendly content for all users, regardless of their abilities or preferences.
Another significant aspect of creating accessible content is the language and heading structure utilized. It is critical to use clear and concise language that is easy to understand, avoiding technical or jargon terms that may be unfamiliar to some users.
Moreover, using proper heading structure can help users navigate the content easier. Headings should be descriptive and hierarchical, with main headings indicating the overall topic and subheadings providing more specific information. By following these guidelines, developers can create inclusive and easy-to-use content for everyone.
Link context refers to the information provided with the link, such as the link title, link text, and the link's destination. This information needs to be clear and descriptive so that users can understand the intent of the link and where it will take them.
To ensure that link context issues are not missed, it is important to review links to ensure they are clear and descriptive manually. It can help minimize confusion while ensuring the users have a positive experience when navigating your website. It is also imperative to test links to make sure they work properly for which you can opt for accessibility testing services expert.
Another common PDF accessibility issue is the use of color to convey information. It can be problematic for individuals with visual impairments who may be unable to distinguish between colors.
Providing alternative text or descriptions for any content that relies on color to convey meaning is mandatory. For instance, if a graph is used to compare the success rates of two groups, instead of using blue and red colors to differentiate the two, provide a descriptive legend or text label to explain the meaning of each color.
Interesting Read: Basics of Color Contrast in Web Accessibility
Another solution to color reliance is tooltips for forms. Tooltips are small pop-up boxes that appear when a user hovers over or clicks on an element. These boxes can provide additional information about the element, including its purpose and relevant instructions.
By using tooltips in conjunction with color, developers can ensure all users can understand and interact with their content. Additionally, tooltips can be helpful for users who may not have visual impairments but are still unfamiliar with a particular interface or process.
They can serve as a helpful guide to ensure users can complete tasks accurately and efficiently.
Lists are a common way to organize information, but they can also present challenges for accessibility. It is important to use clear and descriptive headings and bullet points or numbered lists to make the content easier to navigate. Further, providing alternative formats, such as tables or charts, can be helpful for individuals who may have difficulty reading lists.
Structuring the content in lists is akin to creating a road map: while it may show the route to reach your destination, it can not be very clear to follow if the directions are not written. For instance, a numbered list of instructions for a recipe would be easier to follow than a paragraph of text, even if the content is the same.
Automated tools often overlook tables, but they are crucial for accessibility. To ensure that tables are accessible, creators should use table headers and caption tags to provide context and information about the data in the table.
Furthermore, tables should be properly formatted with clear borders and cell spacing to make it more manageable for users to navigate and understand the information. For instance, if there are multiple columns in the table, the table header should include a tag that identifies each column so that users can quickly and easily determine which values belong to which column.
It will help ensure that all information is organized and presented intuitively, allowing users to easily interpret the data in the table.
In addition to properly formatted tables, creators must structure and organize their documents. It involves using headings and subheadings to break up content into manageable sections and utilizing lists and bullet points to highlight important information.
A well-structured document with clear formatting and accessible content will enhance the user experience and ensure all users can easily access and understand the information presented. Furthermore, using bold or italic font to emphasize key points can help draw attention to important concepts and make the text more engaging.
You could waste your PDF's potential by making these 10 accessibility-related issues. When automated tools fail to find them, how do you know if you have issues? Don't worry, you can do it manually, and it's super easy. Read on to find out how.
In the modern digitalized world, PDF documents have become a ubiquitous part of our work. Ensuring that these documents are accurate, complete, and meet the required standards is essential. Therefore, it is crucial to have proper inspection techniques in place to ensure that these documents are issue-free. Let’s discuss a few of them.
Bonus Read: PDF Remediation Guide
We have noted that automated tools can be initially helpful for identifying accessibility issues in PDFs. However, they should not be relied on exclusively. A human review is always necessary to ensure that all accessibility issues and issues have been identified and corrected.
Accessibility auditing can be long and tedious; keeping up with accessibility norms and standards is a big task. To make your dreams come true, you must find assistance from a accessibility audit services providers dealing with various accessibility standards, including ADA, WCAG, etc.
Our 508 remediation services have an extensive range of practices, including those listed above. Connect with us today to grow your business with an accessible user experience.
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