Create an Accessible PDF

Overview

PDFs need to be accessible before they are made public - including before they are added to a website. Plan before you start making them.

PDFs are best used for printing and not for sharing information digitally. As always, HTML text on a webpage will always be the most accessible and easiest to update. 

As of 2025, there are more than 12,000 PDFs on the cabq.gov website alone.

99% of current PDFs are unusable to anyone using an assistive device.

Note: Canva is a dead end for graphics and they have to be remediated in Adobe Acrobat after they are saved as a PDF.

Every current PDF will need to be updated or converted to:

• Text on Page
• Fillable Form
• Accessible PDF by updating in Adobe Acrobat

Every new PDF will need to be made to meet requirements:

• Start in Word & Follow guide below
• Use Template

Create Accessible Documents

As of April 2026, all documents (word processor, slide show, spread sheet, pdf) will need to meet the standards for WCAG 2.1 A, AA . This standard needs to be met no matter where the document is being shared, what program is used to create the document, how large the document is, or if we contract with someone else to make the document. If the City is sharing a document it has to be accessible. Keep this in mind when you have large reports. Making them accessible on the front end will save you hours of remediation time when the PDF is created.

The Web Team will not have the bandwidth to remediate all current, or new documents so you will need to familiarize yourselves with the process. We are also not experts in every application that can be used to create documents. It is the responsibility of the inpiduals creating documents to ensure they are accessible.

Inaccessible documents posted to the website will be removed and you will be sent a request to remediate before readding them.

A few important things that will make things much easier are:

• If there is a tool in Microsoft Word to do something be sure to use it (columns, table of contents, bullets, headings, tables, etc.).
• Only use tools for their intended use (e.g., Use tables to present data, never just for alignment of content, don’t use headings to style normal text, etc.).

The Adobe Accessibility series shows how to make changes once a document is a PDF. PDFs identify document structure with tags. Each part of the document has to have the correct tag to be accessible. Every type of formatting has its own tag structure that must be done correctly.

That being said the easiest way to make a mostly accessible document that needs less remediation as a PDF is to build the source document in an accessible way so that it translates to a well tagged PDF. Below are some guidelines to help with that.

Creating a PDF from Microsoft Word

Start in word and use the functions outlined below. Remember, to use the Word tools for all of the functions and only use them for their intended use.

If you are using something besides a Microsoft product (Google Docs, Canva, etc.) you will need to make sure you use whatever accessibility features they have, and check your document after. Different products will require more remediation on the final PDF using a paid version of Adobe. All PDFs should be checked for accessibility after being created.

Headings

• Ensure that everything that visually looks like a heading has the correct style chosen from the styles menu. (e.g., First heading is a heading 1, second is a heading 2, etc.)
  • Only use one Heading 1 per page, that will be the document title.
  • If your heading is on more than one line press Shift+Enter to go to the next line. This will keep all rows in 1 header tag. If you only press Enter each line will be given a separate heading tag on the pdf.
  • Bolding and/or using a large font does not make text a heading. You must use the correct heading style.
• Once you select the correct style you can change the font, size, color, and alignment of the text.
• Headings are hierarchical, your Heading 2s will be subcategories of your heading 1, your header 3s will be subcategories of your heading 2s.
  • You can use as many of each type of heading (except for heading 1) that you need.
• Headings need to be used in order (heading 1, heading 2, etc.), and visually need to look like they are decreasing in size for each number of heading (heading 2 is smaller than heading 1, heading 4 is smaller than heading 3, etc.).
• Text that is not a heading should not be styled as one. Heading styles should only be used for headings.

Table of Contents

• After adding headings to your document click to move the cursor where you want the table of contents.
  • Usually the top of a new page
• Click the references menu
• Choose Table of Contents drop down on the top left                  
• Select one of the options
• If you update your document after adding the table of contents, be sure to update your table of contents.
  • Click on your table of contents
  • Click the update table icon
  • Select either “Update page numbers only” if you only added content
  • Select “Update entire table” if you have added, removed, or changed any headings

Lists

• All lists need to be identified as lists by using the build in list features on Microsoft Word (bullets, numbered lists, etc.)
  • You cannot just type out numbers or roman numerals in front of text without using one of these options. Some lists will auto format if you type a number then period and press the spacebar. If the list does not auto format, you are responsible for highlighting your text, choosing the list option you want, then editing the page to make it look how you want.
  • If you have an image in your list (like the ones in this document) you will need to edit your tag structure when you save it as a PDF. Your PDF will most likely have broken your list into 2 lists with an image between them.
    • You will need to copy and paste, or drag and drop the <Figure> tag into the correct spot, nested under the list item it goes with.
    • You will then need to move all list items from the bottom list and nest them equally with the list items from the top list so that you only have one list.
    • You can then delete or artifact the empty list tag.

Images

Images cannot be the only way information is presented. This includes maps and screenshots. Think of images as extra. If you remove the image what content is lost? This needs to be in the alternative text (alt text) or on the page as text. Alt text is the only information users of accessibility devices get about an image. They cannot pull text or context from the image.

All images must have appropriate alt text.

1. Right click your image
2. Select “Edit Alt Text”
1. On some versions of Word you may need to select "Format Image" then click on the box with 4 arrows.                                                                                       
3. Type a good description of the image (City of Albuquerque Seal, 1709)
   1. Remember that the alt text must be concise but descriptive of what you see. Follow the guidelines given above the text box if you are unsure of how to do this.
   2. Any text in the image needs to be on the page or in the alt text.
   3. If all of the context or content of an image is already on the page, or if the image is only for decoration (lines, boxes, etc.), you can check the “Mark as decorative” box.

Never use an image of text instead of text on the page (e.g., an infographic, or a picture of a bulleted list).

Maps need to be described thoroughly on the page, not in the alt text. The alt text will be a brief overview of what the map is. This includes all important info given on the map. Boundaries, directionality, locations, etc. that a sighted user can get from looking at the map.

Tables

Tables should only ever be used to present data. They should never be used to format your page (line things up). If you use tables incorrectly the reading order will be off and every cell will be identified as a table cell by a screen reader.

Row and column header cells need to be identified as headers, not just bold text.

1. Click on your table>table design
2. In the top left corner check header row to make the top row of cells as column headers, and First Column to make the first column of cells as row headers.
   1. If there is an association between a cell in the far-left column and the cells to the right of them they must be identified as headers.

Plain Writing

• Use clear, concise language that is easy to understand.
  • Avoid large words, or phrasing that could be ambiguous (have more than 1 meaning)
• If acronyms are used you must spell out the entire thing the first time you use it, then put the acronym in parenthesis. [e.g., Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI)]. You can then use the acronym throughout the rest of the document.
• Do not use Jargon (language that people outside of a specific field are unlikely to know).

Colors

• Text and background colors need to have a contrast ration of 4.5:1 or better.
• Color cannot be used as the only way to distinguish something. (e.g., “Items in Red are sold out.” Should be replaced with something like, “Items in Red* with an asterisk* are sold out.”).
  • The same icon in different colors should not be used to distinguish between things. There should be a different shape, icon image, texture, etc. to distinguish between them.

Document Title

Every document needs to have a title assigned in its properties. To do this:

1. Select File
2. Info
3. Enter your title on the right side under the Properties dropdown.

Document Language

The language that the document is written in has to be specified.

1. Select Review
2. Click the Language drop down button
3. Click Choose Proofing Language
4. Choose the language the document is written in

If there are parts of the document in different languages you will need to assign the main document language, then highlight the specific text that is in a different language and follow the directions above.

Create PDF

There are a few ways you can do this that may get different tag structures in a PDF.

1. If you have a paid version of Adobe, you can click the Create Adobe PDF button.
2. You can Export the document as a PDF.
   1. Save your Word document.
   2. Click File
   3. Choose Export
      1. You may need to click “More” if you don’t see the Export option.
   4. Select Create PDF/XPS Document
   5. Click the Create PDF button
   6. Enter the name you want the PDF to have in the File Name field
   7. Click the Publish button.
3. You may also save as a PDF.
   1. Click file
   2. Click save as
   3. Find the dropdown menu that says “Save as Type” under the file name field.
   4. Select PDF
   5. Click save

Do not create the pdf by using the Print to PDF option. This will create a PDF with no tags, which is inaccessible.

If you follow the instructions above and your PDF does not have any tags try using a different method.

Checking the Tag Structure of Your PDF

This is a brief overview. For further explanation on how to do this we recommend watching the Adobe Accessibility series.

When your document is opened as a PDF the tag structure of your document should be checked. You can do this with a paid version of Adobe by clicking the luggage tag icon on the right.

If you do not see the luggage tag icon on the side panel you can add it by going to the Menu>View>Show/Hide>Side Panel>Accessibility Tags.

You will want to click down each of the tags to make sure that each of your document’s elements is identified correctly. When you click on a tag it will outline the element on the document in pink.

The tags should be in the order that your document should be read in. If they are not, you can click and drag, or cut and paste them into the correct order.

If you notice that you have extra tags that are on nothing you will background/artifact them in the reading order panel by following the steps below.

1. Right click on a tag
2. Select Reading Order
   1. This opens a pop up
3. Click on the number of the extra tag to select it
4. Click the Background/Artifact button on the reading order pop up.
   1. The tag will be removed from your tag structure and the reading order.

Common Tags

Tags have to be exact or they do not count. For example, <H1> is the correct tag for a heading 1, <h1> is incorrect. If you are not sure what the correct tag is you can select a tag in Adobe by opening the Reading Order pop up tool, clicking on the tag you want to change, and selecting the correct option on the pop up, or you can google common PDF tags to make sure you have them correct. If you know the correct tag you can double click the tag and type in the correct one.

• <P> Regular text
• <H1> <H2> <H3> <H4> Headings
• <L> List
  • <LI> List item nested inside an <L> tag
  • <LBody> List body text for each list item nested in <LI> tags
• <Figure> Images
• <Link> Links nested inside of a <P> tag and must have a Link-OBJR (object reference) tag.
• <Table> will include the table tags below nested
  • <TR>Table row
  • <TH> Table Header
  • <TD> Table data cell
• <TOC> Table of contents
  • <TOCI> Table of contents item
• <Reference> The link text for the table of contents item

Resources

How to Test and Remediate PDFs for Accessibility Using Adobe Acrobat DC Video Training