PDF Accessibility

PDF Accessibility Introduction

PDFs are widely used, but they are also one of the most challenging formats to make accessible. Unlike Word or Canvas content, PDFs often lack the structure and flexibility needed for assistive technologies to interpret them correctly. This can create significant barriers for anyone who relies on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or text-to-speech tools.

Testing PDFs for Accessibility

As an institution, we are strongly encouraging the transition away from PDFs whenever possible. While widely used, PDFs are among the least accessible file formats and often require significant time and technical expertise to remediate. For many types of content, alternative formats such as web pages, view only Word documents, or Canvas pages are more accessible, easier to update, and better supported by assistive technology.

The positive aspect of a PDF - it's fixed visual format - is also what makes it more challenging to meet document accessibility standards.

If we're sharing a file as a PDF we need it to be accessible - and that is only determined by a combination of manual and automated testing. Below is a summary of the key checks and tools commonly used to evaluate PDF accessibility.

Confirm the PDF contains real text and is not just a scanned image.

Many PDFs are created from scanned pages and are technically only an image of text rather than actual readable text content. A quick way to check if your PDF is a flat scanned image is to try highlighting or selecting individual words in the document. If text cannot be selected, the file likely needs to be corrected before accessibility testing can continue.

Run Acrobat’s and/or FOXIT’s Accessibility Checker if you have access to either tool.

Adobe Acrobat Pro AND FOXIT PDF Editor include a built-in accessibility checker that can identify common issues such as missing tags, improper reading order, missing alternative text, or unlabeled form fields.

This automated check is an important first step in the accessibility review process. Manual testing and additional validation are necessary to 'pass' the automated checkers. This is our first true goal for all published PDFs, though it should be noted that passing the adobe and FOXIT checker does not identify every issue required for full WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.

Run PAC 206 Accessibility Checker.

PAC 2026 is a free, widely trusted PDF accessibility testing tool that provides a more detailed review of document structure, tagging, reading order, and standards compliance. It is commonly used as the final verification step to confirm whether a PDF meets formal accessibility requirements.

Creating Accessible PDFs

Source Documents

The most effective way to create accessible PDFs is to start with an accessible source document. If you design your Word, PowerPoint, or other source files using accessibility best practices those features carry over when the file is exported to PDF.

If you do not have access to the original source file, you may be able to convert the PDF into Word using Adobe Acrobat/FOXIT, then make the necessary accessibility fixes there before re-exporting to PDF. This approach reduces the need for intensive remediation within Acrobat/FOXIT, which can be more complex and time-consuming.

Assistance and Other Resources Available

We do recognize that PDFs will continue to be used in many areas of instruction and administration. When PDFs are the chosen format, it's important to understand that accessibility is not achieved through a single step but rather through a series of tasks that build on one another.

Accessible PDFs require thoughtful creation, consistent tagging, and thorough testing. This includes adding the content structure so that it can be interpreted appropriately and ensuring that elements such as charts, graphs, and tables are presented in a way that is communicated to all readers.

If you do not have access to a PDF Editor like FOXIT or Adobe Acrobat, you can reach out to Accessibility Services. You can send your documents to accessibility@cumberland.edu, where the graduate assistant and director will work to make your PDFs accessible. Please understand that this is likely to be a slow process, as there will only be two people remediating content. If you are interested in having access to FOXIT PDF Editor, please reach out to our IT Department.

Alternative Solutions to PDFs

It’s become common practice to default to sharing information as a PDF, often simply out of habit. In many cases, however, a PDF is not the most accessible or flexible format for sharing content with students or the public.

The information below outlines some of the most common situations where PDFs are used and offers alternative approaches that may be more accessible and sustainable. Choosing the right format from the start can make content easier to maintain over time while also better ensuring digital accessibility of the content.

General List of Alternative Solutions

The options below highlight common alternatives that are often faster to implement, easier to maintain, and more accessible. Which option makes the most sense will depend on whether you created the content (and can edit it) or whether the material comes from another source and cannot be modified.

When you have access to the original content (and can edit it), it is often easier to share or update the source file rather than fix the PDF version.

Common solutions if you created or can edit the file include:

Convert the PDF back to a view-only Microsoft Word or PowerPoint 365 link so the content remains accessible without distributing the file itself

Provide the Word or PowerPoint document directly, ensuring it follows accessible document practices

Create a Canvas page or webpage that includes the text and key information from the document

Turn instructional content into a structured Canvas activity rather than a static document

Create a short instructional video to review or explain the material when appropriate

If you did not create the content or cannot edit it - If the document comes from a publisher, vendor, organization, or another department, you may not have permission to modify the file. In these cases, it is often better to locate or request an accessible version rather than attempting to fix the PDF.

Possible solutions if you do not have permission to modify the file include:

Contact the original creator or publisher and request an accessible version of the document. This should be a contract deliverable for any paid marketing materials.

Look for similar or equivalent Open Educational Resources (OER) that are already available in an accessible format

Check the library’s databases to see if an accessible version of the content is available, or work with our campus librarian to request one from the publisher

Replace the PDF with an accessible alternative, such as a webpage, article link, or other resource that provides the same information

Syllabi

Consider the following best-practice options for sharing your syllabus in ways that are flexible and accessible for students:

Share as a Word document or as a view-only Word 365 link

Post in the Canvas Syllabus tool

Create Canvas Pages (e.g. one for course info, one for schedule, one for policies)

Add a short video walking students through the syllabus

Handwritten Notes

Create a Canvas page with the image of the notes file and full text included in the notes typed out.

If this is math content, it may be easier to create the document again using Microsoft Word's accessible math feature and download it as a PDF from Word.

Prior Student Work Examples

If you do not have access to the original non-PDF version, consider turning one example into an accessible instructional video that verbally reviews all components of the text and adds instructor commentary/annotations to the audio.

Forms or Worksheets

Where possible use Microsoft Forms or Google Forms to create fillable, accessible forms that collect responses automatically