Topics Covered
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Our Accessibility Standard(s)
Standard 2: Image placement does not hinder learner navigation and includes meaningful alternative text to enhance learner understanding.
Standard 3: Color contrast is distinguishable but not essential to consume content.
Standard 4: Tables are simple, meaningful through alternative text, and logical for all learners.
Standard 5: Hyperlinks are simple, meaningful, and intuitive for all learners.
Standard 9: Documents include indicators allowing learners to navigate content seamlessly.
Do You Have Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?
To complete any of the following tasks you must download Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. UTSA has a campus-wide license to Adobe Creative Cloud where you can download this tool. Head over to TLDT Adobe Creative Cloud to download Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, then return to make your PDFs accessible.
Evaluate PDFs for Accessibility
Step 1: Manually Evaluate
Step 2: Use Accessibility Checker
Add a Title and Language to a PDF
To Update the Document Title:
- Open the PDF file
- Select file on the menu
- Select Properties
- Once in the Properties window, select the Description tab
- Under the Description tab, go to Description and add a title in the Title field
- After adding the title, press the OK button
- Save the file
To Set a Document Language:
- Select file on the menu
- Select Properties
- Once in the Properties window, select the Advanced tab
- Under the Advanced tab, go to Reading Options and select the appropriate language
- After selecting the language, press the OK button
- Save the file
Fix a PDF with Reading Order or Tagging Issues
You may opt to keep PDFs in your course. When that is the case, you must make them accessible.
If you have not done so, review our Evaluate PDFs for Accessibility videos found on this page.
If tagging or reading order issues are present, follow along with our video on Touch Up PDF Reading Order to improve your content.
Exchange PDF for an Alternative
Why Exchange PDFs for an Alternative?
PDFs are often cumbersome to tag and fix the reading order. Using an alternative format can sometimes be easier to make accessible.
Options for Alternatives
- Microsoft Word
- Softchalk
- Adobe Express
- Blackboard Learning Module Tool
Steps to Exchange PDF
- Ensure the text in the PDF is searchable then convert the PDF to text
- Paste the content into the alternative of your choice
- Add headings and other accessible features available
Refer to video for additional guidance.