How to use this checklist: Work through each section. Items you cannot check off represent accessibility failures that need remediation. Automated tools can detect some issues; others require manual review with a real screen reader.
1Document Basics
Metadata & Properties
- Document Title is set
File → Properties → Description tab. Title should describe the document, not the filename.
- Document Language is set
File → Properties → Advanced tab. Select the correct primary language.
- PDF is not a scanned image
Text must be real, selectable text—not a photograph of a page.
- Security settings allow assistive technology
Document security must not restrict screen reader access (File → Properties → Security tab).
- Document is not encrypted in a way that blocks AT
Some encryption modes prevent screen readers from reading content.
2Document Structure & Tags
Tag Tree
- Document is tagged
Check Accessibility panel or Document Properties → Description tab to confirm "Tagged PDF: Yes".
- All content is within the tag tree
No real content exists outside of tags. Use Accessibility Checker to verify.
- Decorative content is marked as Artifacts
Page numbers, headers/footers, decorative lines/images are artifacts so screen readers skip them.
- No empty tags
Tags with no content attached to them can confuse assistive technology.
Headings
- Document has a single H1 (document title)
The document title within the content should be tagged H1.
- Heading levels do not skip
No jumping from H1 to H3—hierarchy must be sequential.
- Headings describe the section that follows
Heading text meaningful out of context (screen reader users navigate by headings).
- Visual headings are tagged as headings
Content that looks like a heading but is tagged as a paragraph fails this check.
Lists & Tables
- Lists use List (L), List Item (LI), and Label (Lbl) / Body (LBody) tags
Visually bulleted or numbered text must be marked up as a list, not as paragraphs.
- Data tables have Table, TR, TH, and TD tags
Not just visual columns—actual tagged table structure.
- Table header cells are tagged TH with appropriate scope
ColSpan/RowSpan headers need correct scope attribute (Row, Column, Both).
- Tables have a Summary or Caption if needed
Complex tables benefit from a summary that describes the table's purpose.
3Text & Reading Order
Text Readability
- Reading order is logical
Check the Tags panel order. In multi-column documents, the tag order must follow reading order, not column position.
- Text contrast meets 4.5:1 minimum
Use a color contrast analyzer. Body text needs 4.5:1; large text (18pt+) needs 3:1.
- Language changes are marked
If a passage is in a different language than the document, its tag must have a Lang attribute.
- Text is not conveyed by color alone
Any information communicated through color must also be communicated through text or shape.
- Font encodes correctly to Unicode
Special characters, ligatures, and symbols must map to correct Unicode values so screen readers read them correctly.
4Images & Graphics
Alternative Text
- All informative images have alternative text
Photos, diagrams, charts, and illustrations that convey information must have descriptive alt text in the tag's Alternate Text property.
- Alt text is descriptive and meaningful
Not just the filename or "image." Describe what the image shows or conveys.
- Decorative images are marked as Artifacts
Purely decorative images (borders, stock photos that add no information) should be tagged as Artifacts so screen readers skip them.
- Complex images have extended descriptions
Charts and graphs with complex data should have a summary of the data in the alt text or adjacent in the document.
- Images of text have the text as alt text
If a graphic contains text (e.g., a logo, a callout), the alt text should include that text.
5Forms (if applicable)
Interactive Form Fields
- All form fields have a Tooltip (label)
Set via field Properties → General → Tooltip. This is what screen readers announce when focus lands on the field.
- Tab order follows visual reading order
Screen reader users tab through fields. The tab sequence must be logical.
- Required fields are identified
Required fields must be marked as required programmatically, not just visually.
- Error messages are accessible
Validation errors must be accessible to screen readers, not just visual.
- Radio buttons and checkboxes have group labels
The group context must be communicated (e.g., "Gender: Male / Female") not just "Male / Female".
6Links & Navigation
Hyperlinks
- Link text is descriptive
No "click here" or "read more." Link text should describe the destination out of context.
- URLs as link text have a description
If a raw URL is displayed, screen readers will read every character. Add a description or shorten the URL.
- Links open in expected contexts
Documents that open external links should not do so without warning.
- Bookmark navigation (if present) is accurate
Bookmarks/table of contents should link to the correct location in the document.
Found Failures?
Any unchecked item is an accessibility failure. PDFally's expert remediators can fix every issue on this checklist and return a verified-compliant document with a full remediation report.
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