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Create ADA-Accessible PDF Documents

Portable Document Format

Portable document format, or PDF, is a document format that allows the sharing of information across all browsers and operating systems.  The only requirement for reading a PDF is the use of a PDF reader such as Adobe's Acrobat Reader or any similar program.  All PDFs can be made accessible and the following information will assist you in the process.

Importance of Accessibility

Your department's information is very important to our users and making your PDFs accessible will ensure that all users will be able to access the same information easily. Without the implementation of accessibility in your department's PDFs some users will not have the same unfettered access as everyone else and this practice does not comply with the City's ADA Web Policy and Accessibility Statement or the Website Governance Policy.

Implementing Accessibility with Adobe Acrobat

For those who have access to it, Adobe Acrobat offers very robust tools that assist in creating accessible PDFs.  There are many versions of Adobe Acrobat so adding instructions for each version here would be difficult.  Each currently supported version of Acrobat is listed below with a link to documentation from Adobe that will guide you in the proper method for creating accessible PDFs.
Acrobat XI Accessibility Guide
Acrobat X Accessibility Guide
Acrobat 9 Accessibility Guide
Acrobat 8 Accessibility Guide

Implementing Accessibility with Office 2010

Microsoft has a very useful guide to creating accessible documents within the Office 2010 suite.  Using this guide will ensure that all Office 2010 documents created will be accessible.

Word 2010

The list below is a summary of the topics to address while creating an accessible Word 2010 document.  For more details read Microsoft's Word 2010 accessibility guide.

  • Add alternative text for all objects and images (images, tables, charts, clip art, shapes, SmartArt graphics, groups, embedded objects, ink, video, and audio.
  • Specify column header rows in tables.
  • Use styles in long documents.
  • Use short titles in headings.
  • Use heading styles in the correct order.
  • Use meaningful and descriptive hyperlink text.  Web URLs are acceptable if the document is meant to be printed.
  • Use a simple table structure.
  • Do not use blank table cells for formatting.
  • Avoid using repeated blank characters.
  • Avoid image watermarks.
  • Use closed captions for any audio or video.

Excel 2010

The list below is a summary of the topics to address while creating an accessible Excel 2010 document.  For more details read Microsoft's Excel 2010 accessibility guide.

  • Add alternative text for all objects and images (images, tables, charts, clip art, shapes, SmartArt graphics, groups, embedded objects, ink, video, and audio.
  • Specify column header information in tables.
  • Use meaningful and descriptive hyperlink text.  Web URLs are acceptable if the document is meant to be printed.
  • Avoid using blank cells, rows, or columns for formatting.
  • Give all sheet tabs unique names.
  • Include closed captions for all audio and video.

PowerPoint 2010

The list below is a summary of the topics to address while creating an accessible PowerPoint 2010 document.  For more details read Microsoft's PowerPoint 2010 accessibility guide.

  • Add alternative text for all objects and images (images, tables, charts, clip art, shapes, SmartArt graphics, groups, embedded objects, ink, video, and audio.
  • Specify column header information in tables.
  • Ensure that all slides have unique titles.
  • Use simple table structure.
  • Use meaningful and descriptive hyperlink text.  Web URLs are acceptable if the document is meant to be printed.
  • Avoid using blank cells for formatting.
  • Include closed captions for all audio and video.
  • Increase visibility for colorblind viewers.
  • Ensure the reading order of each slide is logical.

Check Office 2010 Documents for Accessibility

Before saving your Office 2010 document as a PDF, you may also check its current accessibility status.  From within Word 2010, Excel 2010, or PowerPoint 2010: 

  1. Click File.
  2. Click Info.
  3. Click Check for Issues.
  4. Click Check for Accessibility.
  5. Use the menu on the right to navigate through and correct any accessibility issues.

Saving an Accessible Office 2010 Document as a PDF

To save an accessible PowerPoint document as a PDF from within PowerPoint 2010:

  1. Click the File tab.
  2. Click Save As.
  3. Select PDF from the Save as type dropdown.
  4. Click Options.
  5. Check the box for Document structure tags for accessibility.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Save.

Questions

The Media and Communications Office is here to help. If at any point you need assistance with the content of your pages, feel free to contact Dan Heisel at (253) 573-2506 or via email.

Last update: Thursday, April 3, 2014 9:03 AM


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