Contents
Check for Accessibility Issues
When working in Office 2016 or older versions like Office 2013 and Office 2010, you can check for accessibility issues before saving your document to PDF. Of course, an automated checker will not catch every issue, so you should also do some manual checking when possible. For example, it will be able to tell if you included ALT text for a graphic, but it cannot tell you if the ALT text is meaningful unless you inspect the text.
To use the accessibility checker (see graphic below for visual of the following steps):
- Select the FILE tab.
- Select “Info“.
- Select the “Check for Issues” item.
- Select “Check for Accessibility“.
This will produce a results panel in Word showing Errors, Warnings, and TIPS. The errors must be addressed and it is a good idea to check out all warnings. If you click on one of the results, additional information will appear to tell you why you should fix the item and how to fix it (see graphic to the right).
Creating Accessible PDFs in Word
Important: The information below refers to Windows O/S only. There are issues saving from Word for MAC in an accessible format.
Word 2013 (Windows version)
Now that your Word document has been checked, you are ready to save it as a PDF. Keep in mind that there are different paths you can use to save as a PDF and this is one way for Word 2013 in Windows (see steps and graphic below):
- Select the File tab.
- Select “Save as Adobe PDF“, which will open the window on your computer to browse for a location to save the file.
- Choose the Options panel at the bottom to open the PDF options.
- Make sure that the following option is checked: Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF.
- Select “OK” to save and close the options window.
- Select “Save” to save the file.
Word 2016 (Windows version)
To save a file as a PDF in Word 2016 in Windows, follow the steps listed below.
- Select the File tab. Next, select Save As and choose the location where you want the file to be saved on your computer.
- In the Save As dialog box, choose PDF in the Save as type list.
- Select the Options button.
- Make sure the Document structure tags for accessibility check box is selected.
- Select “OK” to save and close the options window.
This method will help ensure that some of the basic accessibility features are carried over to your PDF document. You can do further work directly in the PDF if you have Adobe Acrobat Pro (not just Reader).
Some good resources are provided below.
Resources for creating accessible PDF files
- Creating Accessible PDF Documents in Acrobat XI (video, 5:11 minutes) from The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE)
- Making Files Accessible from HHS.gov, this page includes many good resources for creating accessible documents in PDF, Word, and other formats
- PDF File 508 Checklist: From HHS.gov, this is a comprehensive checklist for people with advanced skills
- Free Accessibility Webinars and recordings from ADA Online. There are several excellent recordings of webinars about creating accessible PDFs on this website. You can also sign up to attend upcoming webinars at no cost.