What Is PDF Accessibility Remediation?
PDFs are used for reports, policies, applications, forms and public information. However, a PDF that looks readable on screen can still create barriers for people who use screen readers and other assistive technologies.
PDF accessibility remediation is the process of identifying and correcting accessibility issues in a PDF so people with disabilities can more effectively read, understand and navigate the document.
For organizations with hundreds or thousands of PDFs, remediation can become a significant operational challenge. Understanding what happens during remediation is an important first step.
What Makes a PDF Accessible?
A sighted reader can visually recognize a title, heading, paragraph, list, image or table. Assistive technologies need underlying information to understand that structure.
One of the foundations of PDF accessibility is tagging. Tags identify document elements such as:
- Headings
- Paragraphs
- Lists
- Tables
- Figures and images
- Links
- Form fields
Accessible PDFs may also require logical reading order, meaningful alternative text, bookmarks, searchable text, properly structured tables, clear form labels, document language and an accurate document title.
For someone unfamiliar with accessibility, tags can be understood as the structure behind what appears visually on the page.
What Happens During PDF Remediation?
The work varies by document, but PDF accessibility remediation can include:
- Evaluating the original PDF
- Applying or correcting document tags
- Establishing a logical reading order
- Adding alternative text to meaningful images
- Applying optical character recognition, or OCR, to scanned pages
- Correcting headings, lists and tables
- Reviewing links and bookmarks
- Addressing interactive forms where applicable
- Running accessibility checks
- Performing final quality assurance
Checking a PDF and remediating a PDF are not the same thing. An accessibility checker can identify certain potential problems. Remediation involves correcting those problems and reviewing the final document.
What Are Common PDF Accessibility Problems?
Missing or Incorrect Tags
A PDF may contain readable text but lack the structure assistive technologies need to identify headings, lists, tables and other elements.
Incorrect Reading Order
A document can look correct visually while a screen reader encounters its content in the wrong sequence. This is especially common in multi-column or complex layouts.
Scanned PDFs
Some PDFs are images of printed pages rather than documents containing searchable text. OCR can create machine-readable text so the document can undergo further accessibility work.
Missing Alternative Text
Meaningful images may require alternative text so their purpose or information can be communicated without relying solely on the visual.
Complex Tables and Forms
Tables and interactive forms may require additional structure, labels and review to work effectively with assistive technologies.
Can PDF Remediation Be Automated?
Yes. Significant portions of PDF remediation can be automated, but automation does not eliminate the need for human review.
Our PDF Accessibility Remediation solution, PAR, uses Adobe PDF Services APIs as part of the automated remediation process. PAR can reduce approximately 90% of the effort required to make PDF documents accessible by automating work such as OCR, structural tagging, AI-generated alternative text and bookmark creation.
Issues involving complex tables, forms, reading order, color contrast and image context may still require manual attention. Automated remediation should therefore be followed by the appropriate review and quality-assurance process.
How Does AFTIA PAR Work?
1. Upload
PDF documents are submitted for processing through the PAR environment.
2. Automated Remediation
PAR performs the bulk of remediation, including OCR, structural tagging, AI-generated alternative text and bookmark creation.
3. Review and Reporting
Remediated files and accessibility reports help teams understand what changed and identify issues that may still require attention.
4. Manual Review
The customer’s team or AFTIA’s accessibility specialists can address remaining items based on the selected service model and document requirements.
5. Quality Assurance
Documents receive the appropriate level of review before final publication or distribution.
Flexible Ways to Use PAR
PAR Self-Service
PAR Self-Service gives organizations platform access, training and support. Teams can upload files, create remediation jobs, track progress and retrieve remediated documents and reports.
PAR Blitz
PAR Blitz is our fully managed option for one agreed batch of up to 1,000 PDF documents. We manage intake, validation, remediation, quality assurance, final delivery and closeout.
Expert Manual Remediation
Documents with complex layouts, forms, tables or other advanced elements can receive additional expert remediation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is adding tags enough to make a PDF accessible?
Not necessarily. Tags are essential, but their structure, reading order, alternative text, tables and other elements must also be appropriate.
Is OCR the same as PDF remediation?
No. OCR makes scanned text machine-readable. It can be one step within a larger remediation process.
Can PDF remediation be automated?
Many tasks can be automated, but human review remains important for issues requiring context, interpretation and quality assurance.
Make PDF Accessibility More Manageable
PDF remediation does not have to mean correcting every document element manually from scratch.
By combining automation, reporting, human expertise and quality assurance, organizations can create a more scalable approach to document accessibility.
AFTIA PAR is designed to reduce repetitive remediation effort while giving organizations flexible self-service, managed and expert-remediation options.
