Plan Your PDF Strategy

1. Consider Alternative Formats to PDFs and use original documents 

We recommend using fewer PDFs because it is challenging and time-consuming to remediate them to make them accessible for people with disabilities, especially people using assistive technology like screen reading software (watch Untagged PDF Being Read by a Screen Reader (00:29)). Remediating a PDF incorrectly can introduce barriers and confusion to some of your students. This is why the first step to making PDFs accessible is to look for opportunities to replace them with other formats. 

Documents you create in Word, PowerPoint, or similar programs are typically easier to remediate for accessibility so we recommend keeping them in the the original file format. Although these can be edited by students, PDFs can also be copied and edited by students using a multitude of freely available tools. Additionally, the student can only edit their own copy of any document; anything you have posted on Canvas will remain in its original form, and a student’s document will contain a record of who has edited it. If a student prefers a PDF version of one of these documents, they can use Ally’s alternative formats feature to create one themselves in seconds. 

Journal articles and other resources that are available through the libraries often have either an HTML version or a more accessible PDF version available. Instructors can search for a DOI link, check the library card catalog, or work with a subject specialist librarian to find a more accessible version of their current document. 

2. Use resources and training to remediate documents  

We encourage instructors to learn how to make PDFs accessible with Adobe Acrobat Pro to ensure they can continue to create accessible content in the future and make decisions that require discipline-specific knowledge. Instructors can use Adobe Acrobat Pro to check the accessibility of a PDF and add or correct accessibility features such as title, language, and correct tagging structure. 

Resources

• Bulletin: New Adobe Acrobat licenses allow for creating accessible PDFs 
• Accessibility in 5: Making PDFs Accessible with Adobe Acrobat Pro 
• Creating Accessible Documents and Recordings 
• 8 Steps to Course Accessibility 
• Linkedin Learning: Creating Accessible PDFs 
• Video Archive of Accessibility in 5 
• UF Software Licensing Services: Adobe Acrobat Pro 

3. Request Help 

If you’re worried you will not be able to make some of your PDFs accessible on your own, CITT offers assistance. You can schedule a meeting with someone who is experienced in PDF remediation to see if they can help you figure out your next steps. If you still don’t feel confident at the end of the meeting, you can submit PDFs to our office and we will remediate them as time permits. We will ask for metadata like alternative text for all figures and formulas to ensure that your subject matter expertise is reflected in the final PDF.