Overcoming Challenges in PDF Remediation: Tips and Strategies

A Portable Document Format (PDF), an Adobe Acrobat product is a commonly used file type for sharing documents in the modern-day digital world. It is exceptionally portable, easily viewable, and navigable on a variety of devices and is used by businesses globally to share information online. However, it has certain limitations, and people using assistive technology find it difficult to read.

Difference Between a Regular PDF and an Accessible PDF

A regular PDF lacks semantic structure, misses alternative text for images, has poor color contrast, and various other things, making it difficult for people who rely on assistive technologies to access digital content. Whereas, an accessible PDF is one that can be retrieved easily with the help of assistive software.

These barriers can prevent users with cognitive disabilities or visual impairments from accessing content and can significantly impact their ability to participate fully in work, education, or other important aspects of life—creating the need for document remediation.

PDF remediation refers to the process of making PDF documents accessible to individuals with disabilities, particularly those who use assistive technologies such as screen readers. It involves converting PDFs into a format that is compatible with assistive technologies, ensuring that the content is perceivable and navigable for all users. The goal is to ensure that people, irrespective of their abilities or disabilities can access the information contained within a document.

Significance of PDF Accessibility Remediation

Accessible PDFs can be read and understood by individuals, regardless of their disabilities. For instance, individuals with visual impairments or other cognitive disabilities can leverage assistive technology to access the information. This includes braille displays, screen readers, and other such tools that convert written text into speech or tactile feedback. Hence, you can create an environment that fosters inclusivity and diversity.

Accessible PDFs also help in complying with accessibility laws and regulations such as the ADA and WCAG, which require digital content to be accessible to all users. Other than helping you stay legally compliant, accessible documents also improve the user experience for all readers, not just individuals with disabilities. Well-structured and tagged docs with clear language are easier to read and navigate, becoming more user-friendly.

Furthermore, accessible documents also enhance search engine optimization (SEO) organically and make sure that content is discoverable and easy to find online. Overall, ensuring accessibility in documents significantly impacts your discoverability, usability, and overall user-friendliness of digital content.

Addressing Challenges in PDF Remediation Process

Remediation is necessary to ensure that all users can access the content equally. PDF remediation is more than tagging, which is just one aspect of it. The process includes making changes to the PDF file to enhance its accessibility, such as providing alternative text descriptions for images, adding tags to establish a logical reading order, and adjusting the color contrast ratio.

Overcoming challenges in PDF remediation requires careful attention to accessibility guidelines and the use of appropriate tools and techniques. Here are some tips and strategies to help you with PDF remediation:

• Familiarize Yourself With Accessibility Guidelines

Understand accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 or 2.2. These guidelines mention specific criteria and techniques for making content digitally accessible. Pay attention to criteria related to logical document structure, text alternatives, keyboard accessibility, color contrast, and more.

• Use Accessible Document Creation Tools

You can use accessible document creation tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro when creating PDFs as they have in-built features and options specifically designed to adhere to accessibility standards. These tools let you create proper headings and document structure, add alternative text to images, and include appropriate tags and metadata.

• Ensure Proper Document Structure

A properly structured document is imperative for accessibility. You can use heading styles like Heading 1 and Heading 2 to create a hierarchical structure to ensure easy navigation and logical organization. Well-labeled tables, lists, graphs, and other elements contribute to a well-structured document.

• Insert Alternate Text to Images

Images and other visual data should have alternative text, which describes the content and purpose of those elements. Alt text assists individuals using screen readers to understand visual information. Be concise and descriptive while conveying the essential information provided by the image.

• Provide Accessible Links

Ensure that hyperlinks in the document have descriptive and meaningful text. Refrain from using generic phrases such as ‘read more’ or ‘click here.’ Rather, use descriptive text that conveys the purpose of the link like ‘Download the PDF accessibility guide.’

• Meet Color Contrast Requirements

Make sure that the color contrast between the text and background meets accessibility standards. Do not use one color for text and background. Leverage tools like the WCAG Color Contrast Analyzer or browser extensions to evaluate and adjust color combinations for readability.

• Include Proper Metadata

Metadata provides additional information about the contents of the document, improving its usability and accessibility. You can further enhance its accessibility by adding appropriate document titles, language information, author names, and other relevant descriptions.

• Perform Accessibility Audits

Use screen readers, screen magnifiers, and other assistive software to test the accessibility of the PDF document. Make sure that the content is read in a logical order, interactive elements are accessible through keyboard navigation, and all images and links are announced correctly.

• Add a Text-Based alternative

In some cases, certain PDF content might be challenging to be made fully accessible. In such situations, adding a text alternative alongside those elements helps ensure that individuals with disabilities can easily access the information using assistive technology.

Conclusion

However, document redressal can be a time-consuming and expensive process, which requires specialized knowledge and tools. It can be a challenging process, particularly for documents with complex structures or heavy graphical content. Therefore, it is beneficial to consult accessibility experts or avail of accessibility remediation services for guidance and support. They stay updated with the latest accessibility guidelines, new techniques, tools, and best practices to continually improve their PDF remediation skills.