Why
Since your audience may include people whose vision, hearing, mobility, or cognition is impaired, your document must support assistive technology like:
- Screen readers
- Text-to-speech programs
- Braille displays
- And more
The more accessible your PDF is, for example, the easier it is to hear on a mobile device. Or view it with a screen magnifier. Or fill it out without a keyboard. Actually, this increased ease of use benefits everyone in your audience, regardless of their various abilities.
How
Accessible PDFs, as opposed to regular PDFs, prioritise inclusivity and provide a better user experience for individuals with disabilities. Here are the key differences:
- Structure. Accessible PDFs have a proper organization with headings, paragraphs, and tables, aiding screen readers in understanding the content flow. Regular PDFs lack this structure.
- Textual accessibility. Accessible PDFs ensure the text is accessible using techniques like text recognition and alternative text for images. Regular PDFs may consist of static images or scanned documents.
- Navigation. Accessible PDFs include bookmarks, a table of contents, and descriptive hyperlinks for easy navigation. Regular PDFs can be challenging to navigate with screen readers.
- Colour and contrast. Accessible PDFs prioritise colour contrast and provide alternatives for colour-coded information. Regular PDFs may have low contrast or rely solely on color.
- Forms and interactive elements. Accessible PDFs have properly labeled and accessible form fields and interactive elements. Regular PDFs often lack proper labeling.
- Metadata and language specification. Accessible PDFs include accurate metadata and specify the document’s language. Regular PDFs may lack metadata or language specification.
NOTE: Adobe can provide the necessary software to create accessible pdf's but the same can be done using Microsoft Word >>>>>>
