Document Accessibility

All documents must undergo accessibility compliance reviews before they are uploaded to websites.

Many of the same accessibility requirements that apply to websites also apply to documents.

Best Practices

  • Use built-in headings and a logical heading structure.
  • Provide alternate text for all visuals, including images and charts. Avoid displaying text as part of images.
  • Provide an appropriate color contrast between text and page background.
  • Use a simple table structure and specify column header information. Avoid split cells, merge cells and nested tables.
  • Add meaningful hyperlink text. For example, instead of linking to the text “click here”, include the full title of the destination page. Also, link descriptive text phrases instead of listing long URLs since they are read aloud by screen readers.
  • Use bulleted and numbered lists.

The newest versions of Microsoft Office have a built-in accessibility checker. Adobe Acrobat DC, the professional version of Adobe Acrobat, also comes with a built-in accessibility checker and accessibility reporting.

If you plan to export PDF files from Microsoft applications or graphic design applications like Adobe Indesign or Quark, it is strongly recommended that you also understand Adobe Acrobat DC's accessibility checker, accessibility reporting and remediation tools.

Microsoft Office Applications

When your Office documents are accessible, you unlock your content to everyone and people with differing abilities can read your content and work with your files.

Check your Office documents for accessibility compliance using the built-in accessibility checker that locates elements that might cause problems for people with disabilities.

Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe InDesign

The links below cover how to address accessibility within InDesign documents, rather than having to make major changes in Adobe Acrobat DC after exporting to PDF.

With InDesign, designers have the capability to add PDF tags, alt tags, and specify content order in files which stay with the document as you revise it. Used in combination with Adobe Acrobat DC for touch-up of exported PDF files, designers can achieve maximum accessibility for exported content.

It is highly recommended that you also familiarize yourself with PDF accessibility and complete the Adobe Acrobat DC training linked above that covers the Adobe Acrobat DC accessibility checker, accessibility reporting tools, accessibility workflow and the LinkedIn Learning accessible PDFs training.

Accessibility Checklists