Info on PDF Accessibility

Are you a state worker? Maybe you have heard of the upcoming deadlines for state agencies to meet accessibility standards, which you can learn more about on our Digital Accessibility page. Here are some resources on using Accessibility Checkers.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

You will need Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to remediate PDFs (make them accessible).

• Create and verify PDF accessibility, Acrobat Pro
• Acrobat Preflight tool
• How to Create or Fix Adobe PDF Link Tags

Microsoft Word Document

We typically recommend that you make changes to what is called the "source document," a.k.a. the document in the app you created it in. For example, before you exported something to PDF, you likely edited it in Word or PowerPoint. Maximize the tools in the source document.

Additionally, some fixes can only be done in the source document itself. If you did not make the document, ask whomever created the document for the file.

• Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities - Microsoft Support
• How to Change Language in Microsoft Word
  • In the section about proofing, learn how to change a document's language setting.
• How To Change the Language of a Word Document | Indeed.com
• Accessibility at Penn State | Foreign Languages and Accessibility

Note on Tools

If you are a state employee, and therefore using a state-owned laptop, you may need admin credentials to download the necessary language packs and Preflight. If you are unable to get access to these, use the accessibility features in the applications you already have access to, such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.