PDF accessibility

Does it need to be a PDF?

PDF inaccessibility presents significant challenges and access barriers for people with disabilities. Before creating or uploading a PDF, consider whether the document needs to be a PDF. Whenever possible, web pages (HTML) are recommended over PDFs. Explore the PDF Decision Tree.

If a PDF is necessary, all PDF accessibility barriers should be addressed.

PDFs have long been the standard for document sharing, but they present several challenges in digital education:

  • Accessibility: Making PDFs accessible requires Adobe Acrobat Pro, which is costly and difficult to use. Creating accessible PDFs is more complex and time-consuming than making accessible Word, PowerPoint or Canvas documents. Even exporting accessible documents to PDF can result in lost accessibility features, requiring additional work.
  • Editing difficulties: Editing PDFs is cumbersome; changes often must be made in the original file and then re-exported.
  • Mobile usability: PDFs are hard to read on mobile devices, which is significant since nearly all students use smartphones for coursework.

Alternatives to PDFs

  • For Canvas: Use the Canvas Rich Content Editor for online materials, entering content directly into assignments or Canvas Pages instead of attaching PDFs.
  • Share original Word or PowerPoint files rather than converting them to PDF.
  • Link directly to online articles instead of uploading PDF copies, as HTML pages are more accessible and respect copyright. Keep a PDF as a backup if necessary, ensuring it is accessible, and use library resources for paywalled content.

The overall recommendation is to minimize or eliminate PDFs in courses to improve accessibility, ease of editing, and mobile usability.

PDF Accessibility

It is vital to understand and apply accessibility principles when preparing digital files or source documents for sharing or uploading online. These principles include using proper heading levels, ensuring adequate color contrast, and providing clear, concise alternative format for informative images. Adhering to the Web PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 helps to ensure PDF accessibility. Additionally, please keep the following tips and resources in mind.

  • Not all applications are able to create accessible PDFs.
  • Starting with an accessible source document is critical. Accessibility for PDFs begins with the creation of a new document or digital source file. If you are using Microsoft 365, you can improve accessibility by using the built-in Accessibility Checker.
  • Refer to WebAim’s step-by-step instructions for converting your source document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat Professional or the Microsoft PDF option.
    • If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Professional contact IT for pricing and licensing information.
    • DO NOT use the “Print to PDF” or Scan to PDF options to convert files to PDF.
  • Before uploading a PDF to your website, always check your final PDF document for accessibility to ensure it is properly tagged to support accessibility. Keep in mind that accessible documents converted to PDF might lose some of their accessible design in the conversion. Lost design elements will need to be recreated in the PDF.
  • Older PDFs are often inaccessible and should be recreated to ensure accessibility. If you only have the PDF version, consider creating a new source document.
  • Refer to PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 for further information.

Additional Resources

For faculty seeking information on tools to assist in creating accessible course materials, please visit the Missouri Online website.