Accessible Documents Training Recap

The Accessible Document Workflow

The recommended workflow has four stages. First, create your content in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint using built-in accessibility features: use Heading styles for document structure, write descriptive alt text for all images and charts, use proper list formatting, use descriptive hyperlink text instead of "click here," and define header rows in any data tables.

Second, run Review > Check Accessibility within your Office application and fix all errors and warnings before you export. Third, save to PDF using File > Save a Copy and selecting PDF from the format dropdown—this uses Microsoft's PDF conversion engine and preserves alt text and structure tags. Verify that "Document structure tags for accessibility" is checked in the options dialog. Fourth, open the exported PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro, run the Accessibility Check under All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility, and address any remaining issues: set the document title, verify reading order, and confirm color contrast.

Why Not Everything Needs to Be a PDF

Many documents are converted to PDF out of habit, with the assumption that it "locks" the format. However, PDFs are inherently more difficult to make accessible than the source Office documents from which they are created. If your audience has access to Microsoft Office, consider distributing the original Word document directly. Word files created with proper heading styles, alt text, and accessible formatting are already well-suited for assistive technology users and require no additional conversion steps.

Reserve PDF conversion for situations where format stability is genuinely required, such as printed forms, official communications, or documents intended for wide public distribution. For course materials and internal resources, the original Office format is often preferable.

Heading Styles and Document Structure

Screen readers and other assistive technologies rely on heading styles to navigate documents. Use the built-in Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles from the Styles gallery in Word—do not simulate headings by making text bold or increasing its font size. Heading 1 describes what the document is about, Heading 2 breaks the document into major sections, and Heading 3 breaks those into subsections. Do not skip heading levels (for example, jumping from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3).

In PowerPoint, every slide must have a unique, descriptive title. Even if you want the title hidden visually, it must be present for assistive technology navigation. Use the Accessibility ribbon or the Selection Pane to add a title to any slide that is missing one.

Alt Text for Images and Complex Graphics

Right-click any image, shape, chart, or SmartArt in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and select Edit Alt Text. Write a brief description of the image and its purpose in context. If an image is purely decorative, mark it as decorative rather than leaving the alt text field blank. Do not begin alt text with "Image of…" or "Photo of…" as screen readers already announce the element as an image.

For complex visuals such as org charts, flowcharts, and data charts, a short alt text alone is insufficient—a sighted user's understanding of the full graphic cannot be replicated in a brief phrase. Provide a short alt text identifying the image type and subject, and then include a full long description either on the same slide (as body text) or on the immediately following slide. Reference the long description in the alt text itself, for example: "IT Organizational Chart — see long description on the following slide." For data charts, including the underlying data table as an adjacent slide provides equivalent access to the information. See the Alt Text Decision Tree for step-by-step guidance on choosing the right approach for any image type.

Exporting to PDF: Save a Copy vs. Save As

A known issue in the Adobe PDF plugin causes alt text added in Word or PowerPoint to be dropped when using the standard File > Save As > PDF or File > Export > Create PDF/XPS options. To preserve alt text, use File > Save a Copy and select PDF from the format dropdown. This routes the conversion through Microsoft's PDF engine instead of the Adobe plugin, and alt text is correctly carried into the output file.

In the Save dialog, click More Options to access the PDF options panel. Confirm that "Document structure tags for accessibility" is checked—this setting ensures your headings, lists, alt text, and other structural elements are preserved as PDF tags. This setting is enabled by default, but it is worth verifying.

Never use Print to PDF. This creates a flat image file with no tags, no text layer, and no structural information. It is the least accessible output possible and should only be used when creating a document intended exclusively for physical printing.

Using Acrobat Pro: The Accessibility Check

After opening your exported PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro, navigate to All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility and select Accessibility Check. Run the check with the default settings. The results pane categorizes issues as Passed, Failed, or Needs Manual Check. Right-clicking any failed item reveals a Fix option for issues that can be corrected automatically, and an Explain option for issues that require manual review.

Three items that almost always require attention are: the document Title (right-click the failed item and select Fix, then type a descriptive title); Logical Reading Order (a manual check—use the Reading Order tool to verify that the numbered content regions flow in a logical sequence); and Color Contrast (a manual check—use a color contrast checker tool to verify that text meets the 4.5:1 ratio required for normal text under WCAG 2.1 AA).

The Automatically Tag PDF option under Prepare for Accessibility is reserved for legacy PDFs that have no tags at all—for example, image-only scanned documents or old files that were never properly exported. If your PDF was exported from an accessible Office document using the recommended workflow, it already has tags and should not be auto-tagged again.

Reading Order in PowerPoint and PDF

In PowerPoint, the reading order is the sequence in which a screen reader announces the elements on each slide. Open the Selection Pane (Home > Arrange > Selection Pane, or via the Accessibility ribbon's Reading Order pane) to review and reorder elements. Items are read from bottom to top in the Selection Pane list, so the first thing you want announced should appear at the bottom of the list.

In PDF, the Reading Order tool (found under Prepare for Accessibility) displays numbered content regions on each page. Verify that the numbers follow the logical visual sequence of the page. If elements are out of order, use the Order panel in the left sidebar to drag and reorder them. Select any content region in the Reading Order tool and use the dialog buttons to reassign its tag type if it has been incorrectly identified.

Table Accessibility Across Applications

Tables must have defined header rows so that screen readers can identify column and row labels when reading cell data. In Word and Excel, select your header row and check Header Row in the Table Design tab. In PowerPoint, select the header row, navigate to Table Design, and check the Header Row option. In Acrobat Pro, use the Reading Order tool > Table Editor to right-click header cells and assign them as Table Header Cells, then add scope attributes (Column or Row) to indicate the direction the header applies.

Keep table structures simple. Avoid merged cells, split cells, and nested tables, as these disrupt the reading order and make it impossible for screen readers to accurately report cell location. If you have a table with both column headers across the top and row headers along the left side, both sets of headers must be scoped and tagged appropriately.

Managing a Large PDF Backlog

If you have a large volume of existing PDFs to review, triage by priority rather than trying to remediate everything at once. Start with your most actively used documents: current course materials, active forms, primary public-facing resources. Work through those first. For large archives of older documents, use the PDF Curation Decision Tree (linked in the Classroom Resources above) to decide whether each document should be remediated, moved to a clearly identified archive, or simply deleted.

For documents that may qualify for archival exemption—created before April 24, 2026, maintained exclusively for reference or recordkeeping, and not used in active instruction or employee knowledge bases—contact Digital Accessibility for guidance. Documents that do qualify for archival must not be modified, must be stored in a clearly labeled dedicated archive location, and must still be available for individual remediation upon request from a user with an assistive technology need.

A batch PDF remediation tool is currently under evaluation by the Digital Accessibility team. When that tool is selected and deployed, a dedicated training will be provided. In the meantime, focus manual remediation effort on your highest-priority content.