Accessibility Guide and Toolkit

Although PDFs present text in an attractive static format, static formats have several accessibility issues. Unlike responsive websites or ePubs, which allow content to resize and reflow in response to display specs, a PDF is not designed to be flexible in layout. Consequently, when we read a PDF on smaller devices we are often frustrated with zooming and additional scrolling (both horizontal and vertical) disrupting our reading flow. 

PDFs are also harder than Word documents or HTML to make accessible and difficult to access with assistive technology. Even with a fully accessible PDF (properly structured and tagged with alt text and so on), it’s still possible that the PDF will not meet the accessibility needs of all users and the assistive technologies that they use. Providing HTML content in Moodle, for example, allows readers to interact with text more easily. Users with low vision would be able to adjust text size and colour contrast in their browser settings to make content easier to read.

PDF Considerations

Before choosing to distribute your content as a PDF, consider your audience and how they will use the content:

1. Will they be downloading and printing or using the PDF file for offline use only? If so, a PDF file may be a viable option but consider using a Microsoft Word document instead for superior accessibility.
2. Do you need to track how people use the content? If so, it may be easier to provide your content on Moodle in HTML.
3. Is the content robust and does it require special training to make the PDF accessible? It may be best to provide the content in multiple formats, in addition to PDF, to make it easier for users to read and use.

After you have created an accessible Word document with appropriate heading structure and alt text,  you can save a Word document as an accessible PDF.

Before saving the file in PDF format, open the Options menu, and under Include non-printing information, select the options for Create bookmarks using: Headings, Document Properties, and Document structure tags for accessibility. These three options preserve the accessibility features through conversion.