How to make PDFs accessible

This guide tells you how to make sure your PDF is accessible. Check who is responsible for making web content accessible. If you want to find out more about accessibility or why digital content needs to be accessible, go to our about accessible content page.

You must do manual checks to see how accessible your PDF is. Government Digital Service (GDS) estimate that automated checks only find around 40% of accessibility issues.

You can choose whether to check your source document or your PDF, but you must check at least one of them.

Check the source document

Most PDFs on our website were created using a Microsoft Office application. The easiest way to make sure your PDF is accessible is to check and edit (if you need to) the source document (eg. Word).

Follow our guides on:

• How to make Word documents accessible
• How to make Excel spreadsheets accessible
• Accessible PowerPoint files
• Accessible forms

InDesign resources

• Adobe's guide on creating accessible PDFs using InDesign
• Accessible PDFs basics articles(go to the InDesign specific tutorials section)
• University of Sussex guide on creating accessible InDesign documents

Check the PDF

To check your PDF, you will need:

• To follow the advice in this guide
• Adobe Acrobat Pro

You can also use the automated Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Check. If you do, you must still follow the advice in this guide. This is because the automated check can be difficult to use and does not find all accessibility issues.

If you run the automated check and it tells you your PDF has lots of accessibility issues, check that you have converted your source document to PDF correctly before you try to fix any issues.

To do this:

1. Go to the 'View' menu in Acrobat Pro, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'
2. Select 'Tags'
3. If you can see tags in the tags panel, you have converted your source document to PDF correctly. If the tags panel says 'No tags available', this means you haven't converted it correctly

To reconvert your source document to PDF correctly:

• Follow our advice onhow to convert a Word document to an accessible PDF
• Follow the export instructions in Adobe's guide on creating accessible PDFs using InDesign

If you need to fix any issues, you can edit the PDF. You should only do this if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF 

Need help?

How NCC staff can get help to publish accessible content. 

Document titles and file names are not the same thing, but both are important. Neither are the main text heading on the first page of the document.

Your document title, file name and the main text heading in your document are likely to be the same or very similar. This is because they should all concisely describe what the document is about.

Document title

A document title describes what your document is about to the user. It's the first thing a screen reader will read out to the user. It appears in search engines so someone can decide if the document is relevant to them.

The document title must clearly describe what your document is about and be in the same language as the document's contents.

Good document title example: Guide to creating accessible documents

Bad document title example: 2019-09-24-doc-accessibility-v1.5

To check a PDF's document title using Adobe Acrobat, select 'File', then 'Properties'. Make sure you are on the 'Description' tab and review the document title text in the 'Title' field.

If you need to change the document title text, edit the text in the 'Title' field. Then select 'Ok'.

File name

The file name is the name that will appear in a folder structure such as your desktop, documents, downloads, SharePoint folder etc.

Try to avoid putting punctuation in your file name, as this will need to be stripped out before publishing the document on our websites.

You'll be asked to add a file name when you save your document.

The document's language must be set correctly. It must be the same language as the document title and the document's contents.

To check a PDF's language using Adobe Acrobat, select 'File', then 'Properties'. Navigate to the 'Advanced' tab and review the language set in the 'Reading Options' section. The language for English language documents should be 'EN-GB' or 'English'.

If you need to change it, select the correct language from the drop-down menu in the language field. If the language is not in the drop-down menu, manually type in the correct ISO language code.

Text headings help people understand what your document is about and how it's organised. They also help people find specific information in your document.

Most people navigate documents using headings. People looking at documents rarely read all the text in order. Instead, they skim the document and use headings to help them find the information they're most interested in.

People who use screen readers often read documents by asking their screen reader to read out all the headings. They then pick and jump to specific headings to find the information they're most interested in.

This means that the headings in your PDF are very important and must be accessible. They must:

• Give your document a clear, logical structure
• Have the correct heading tag
• Describe the content that comes after them
• Have appropriate visual formatting

Download our accessible PDF (PDF) [970KB] to see an example of accessible headings.

How to check heading accessibility

Structure and heading tags

Headings split your PDF into sections. A clear, logical heading structure will help people understand how it's organised.

All headings in your PDF must have the correct heading tag. This helps people who use screen readers to find headings and understand your heading structure.

To check the heading tags in your PDF:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Tags'.
3. Highlight the text you want to check
4. Select the 'Options' menu within the tags panel and select 'Find tag from selection'.

Heading levels

All documents should have a heading level 1, which tells the user what the document is about. This is the most important heading in your document and it's usually at the top of page 1. There is almost always only one heading level 1 in a document.

The heading level 1 in your PDF must have a H1 tag.

For example, the heading level 1 in our PDF example (PDF) [970KB] is 'Vegetable guide'.

The headings for the main sections in your document should be heading level 2s. Think of these like the names of chapters in a book. They are the second most important headings in your document.

The heading level 2s in your PDF must have a H2 tag.

For example, our PDF example is split into eight main sections - one for each main type of vegetable. The heading for each of these sections is a heading level 2. For example, 'Root vegetables'.

Sections within these main sections should start with a heading level 3. And sections within those sub-sections should start with a heading level 4.

The heading level 3s in your PDF must have a H3 tag and the heading level 4s must have a h4 tag.

In our PDF example, 'Carrots' and 'Turnips' are heading level 3s. 'Chantenay carrots' and 'Nantes carrots' are heading level 4s below the 'Carrots' heading level 3. 'How to grow turnips' is a heading level 4 below the 'Turnips' heading level 3.

We recommend that your PDF does not use more than six levels of headings in your document. If it does, it's a sign that your heading structure is too complicated.

Descriptive wording

Your heading wording should briefly describe the information following it. This helps people use the headings to work out what sections of your document are about.

For example, the heading 'Root vegetables' in our PDF example (PDF) [970KB] is descriptive because all the information in that section is about root vegetables.

Visual formatting

All headings in your PDF must have appropriate visual formatting. This helps people looking at your document find headings and understand your heading structure.

Your PDF must use formatting like text size and bolding to make your headings stand out and show how important they are:

• The more important your heading is, the bigger it should be. For example, your heading level 1 should be bigger than your heading level 2s.
• All headings with the same heading level should look the same
• Non-heading (normal) text should look less prominent than heading text. This usually means that it's smaller and/or not bold.

We recommend avoiding using italics and block capitals to format headings because they can be hard for some people to read. We also recommend avoiding underlining text, as this can make the text look like a link.

You must make sure that the heading text colour and the background colour have good colour contrast.

For example, our PDF example (PDF) [970KB] has the following visual formatting:

• Heading level 1: black, size 28, bold
• All heading level 2s: black, size 20, bold
• All heading level 3s: black, size 14, bold
• All heading level 4s: black, size 12, bold
• Non-heading (normal) text: black, size 12, not bold

How to make headings accessible

If you find that any headings in your PDF aren't accessible, you must fix them.

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make headings in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guide on headings in Word. You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF

How to edit a PDF

• Watch a video on how to change tags in your PDF using Acrobat Pro
• Follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files

You must make sure that the text in your PDF is easy for people to read and understand.

How to check your written content is accessible

Plain English

Check your PDF is written in plain English. Plain English uses simple wording and does not contain jargon.

Plain English benefits everyone. This includes:

• People with low literacy skills. 16.4% of adults in England, or 7.1 million people, have 'very poor literacy skills' (Source - National Literacy Trust)
• Specialists and people with mid to high literacy skills. Government Digital Service (GDS) advice on writing content says 'research shows that higher literacy people prefer plain English because it allows them to understand the information as quickly as possible'

Technical terms and abbreviations

Check that any technical terms and abbreviations in your PDF are explained the first time they're used.

For example, the first time an abbreviation like 'NCC' is used in your PDF, it should say 'Norfolk County Council (NCC)'.

Instructions

Your document might contain instructions that users need to follow.

Check that any instructions in your PDF do not rely on the user being able to see the page. This includes referring to things only by colour, size, position or shape.

Instructions that rely on people being able to see your document to understand them make it hard or impossible for people with visual impairments to follow them.

For example:

• Don't write: 'Use the red text in the square box to help you complete the form'
• Do write: 'Follow our advice on how to complete the form'

How to make written content accessible

If you find that any written content in your PDF isn't accessible, you must fix it.

There are lots of resources to help you rewrite your PDF:

• GDS guide on how to write well for your audience
• The Writer's free readability checker (opens new window) (opens in a new window) - a readability checker that will assess the reading age someone needs to be to understand your writing
• Nielsen Norman Group article on why plain language is for everyone, even experts

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make the written content in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF

Follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files.

You must check that any link text in your PDF describes where the link is taking the user.

This helps users understand where a link will take them and decide whether they want to click on it. It also helps people using screen readers in particular - they might skip straight to the links rather than reading all the text in your PDF. So, the link text needs to make sense out of context.

You should try to avoid:

• Linking to untrustworthy sites. Or sites where a user must pay or register to see the information
• Using images or icons as links

How to write accessible link text

If you find any inaccessible link text in your PDF, you must rewrite it:

• Consider starting with an action like download, visit, how to, go to, find out, read...
• Then use either:
  • The title of the web page you're linking to
  • A description of the web page you're linking to

Good link text examples:

• 'How to create accessible content'
• 'Go to GOV.UK's working, jobs and pensions page'
• 'NHS heatwave guidance'
• 'What happens next when you contact us'

Bad link text examples:

• 'Click here' - it is too vague and not everyone can see where 'here' is
• 'Read this link' - 'this' is not descriptive, and you don't need to tell users it's a link
• 'Learn more - 'more' is not descriptive

You can include urls in your PDF if they are descriptive and don't include 'https://'.

Good URL link text examples:

• www.norfolk.gov.uk/digital
• www.norfolk.gov.uk/contactus

Bad URL link text examples:

• https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/digital/
• www.bit.ly/49rYKgx

We recommend writing email addresses out in full - like 'email@example.com' rather than 'email us'. This is because:

• Email addresses are usually short and descriptive
• This allows users to find out the email address without clicking the link. Clicking the link may open an application the user doesn't want to use

Read GOV.UK's guidance on how to write link text.  

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make the written content in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF

Follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files.

There are two main types of list: 

• Bulleted lists - also known as unordered lists 
• Ordered lists - these are usually numbered 

Using bulleted or ordered lists to format any lists in your PDF will make it easier to read. This is because they can break up long sentences and make the information easier to scan. 

Using bulleted or ordered lists can also help people using assistive technology. They will help them understand your PDF. 

For example, when screen readers come to a bulleted or ordered list, they will tell the user there is a list and how many items are in it. This helps users orientate themselves and understand the information. 

Good example: 

'To receive support from the Client Hardship Service you must: 

• Be 16 years old or over 
• Live in Norfolk 
• Be claiming a means tested benefit' 

Good example: 

1. 'Press the "Borrow" button on the screen  
2. Scan your library card, by holding it with the barcode facing up underneath the bottom of the screen 
3. Place the item(s) on top of the shelf' 

Bad example: 

'To receive support from the Client Hardship Service you must be 16 years old or over, live in Norfolk and be claiming a means tested benefit.' 

How to create accessible lists 

You must make sure that any bulleted or ordered lists in your PDF are formatted correctly. This will: 

• Help you format lists consistently 
• Mean assistive technology correctly identifies the content as a list 

Edit the source document 

The easiest way to make the written content in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF. 

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally. Go to our advice on how to create accessible lists in Word. 

If you used InDesign to create your PDF, the easiest way to create accessible lists is to use the 'Bulleted List' or 'Numbered List' tools in InDesign. 

If you want to use custom bullets, follow the instructions in this video on how to make lists with custom bullets accessible in InDesign. 

Edit the PDF 

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because: 

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF 
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document 
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF 

Follow the instructions in this video on how to apply accessible tags to PDF lists in Adobe Acrobat Pro. 

Colour contrast is the difference between two colours. Colours with good contrast stand out from each other. Colours with poor contrast look similar and can be difficult to tell apart.

Factors like tiredness, screen displays, light levels, age and visual impairments can all affect how difficult it is to tell colours with poor contrast apart.

Using good colour contrast means more people can understand and navigate your PDF.

Go to YouTube to watch a video on the importance of colour contrast.

What to check

Colour contrast ratio measures the difference between two colours using numbers. You should use colour contrast ratio to check that colour combinations in certain parts of your PDF have accessible contrast.

Text

Normal text is unbolded text under 18 point/24px and bolded text under 14 point/18.5px. Normal text colour and the colour behind it must have a colour contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.

Large text is unbolded text that is 18 point/24px and above and bolded text that is 14 point/18.5px and above. Large text colour and the colour behind it must have a colour contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

Links

Links include linked text and images. Link colour and the colour behind it must have a colour contrast ratio of at least 3:1

Non-text content in informative images

Colours that are next to each other in informative images must have a colour contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

For example, if you had a pie chart in your PDF, you'd need to make sure that:

• The pie chart's segment colours and the PDF's background colour have good colour contrast
• The colours of segments next to each other have good colour contrast

Our images accessibility page has advice on how to decide if an image is informative or decorative.

Decorative images and logos do not have to have accessible colour contrast.

How to check colour contrast

WebAIM's Contrast Checker (opens new window) (opens in a new window) helps you check how accessible any colour combination is. To use this tool, you'll need to know the hex codes for your colours. A hex code is a hash (#) followed by 6 numbers that references a specific colour.

To get a colour's hex code, take a screenshot of the colour you're checking in the PDF. Then upload it to an online image colour picker, like the Image Color Picker tool (opens new window) (opens in a new window), to get the hex code.

How to correct colour contrast

If you find that any colour combinations you use don't have accessible contrast, you must fix them.

The easiest way to fix them is to edit your source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guide on colour contrast in Word. You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Read more

• The Who Can Use tool (opens new window) (opens in a new window) shows you how colour contrast can affect different people with visual impairments
• Minimum colour contrast ratio for text (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) website)
• Minimum colour contrast ratio for non-text elements (WCAG website)

To make sure images in your PDF are accessible, start by deciding if each one is informative or decorative:

• Informative images include information that helps people understand your document. For example, charts, graphs, diagrams, maps and visual instructions
• Decorative images do not include information, they are just included to visually enhance your document.

If an image is informative, it must have a text description. This helps make sure people who can't see the image don't miss out on the information it shows.

We have specific advice on how to make certain types of informative image accessible:

• Graphs and charts
• Maps
• Diagrams

If an image is decorative, it must be marked as decorative. This means that it's not tagged in your PDF, so screen readers will ignore it.

To check whether an image in your PDF is marked as decorative:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Tags'.
3. Select the 'Options' menu within the tags panel and make sure 'Highlight content' is selected. This means that when you select a tag, the content in the PDF it applies to will be outlined
4. Navigate through the tags panel to check whether the image has a tag applied.

This screenshot of our accessible PDF example (PDF) [970KB] shows that the decorative image on page 1 does not have a tag. The tag for the text before the image is directly followed by the tag for the heading after the image.

Consider whether you need to use decorative images at all - they can distract people from the information in your document.

If you're unsure whether your image is informative or decorative, try reading your document out loud. If you need to explain the image to understand the document, it's probably an informative image. If you don't need to explain the image, it's decorative.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) website explains the difference between informative and decorative images in more detail.

How to provide a text description or mark an image as decorative

If you find that any images in your PDF aren't accessible, you must fix them.

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make images in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guides on:

• How to make images accessible in Word
• How to make maps accessible in Word
• How to make graphs and charts accessible in Word
• Colour contrast in Word document

You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF

Mark as decorative

You can mark images as decorative in your PDF using Acrobat Pro:

1. Follow the instructions on this page to find the image tag
2. Expand the image tag (it will usually be a <Figure>)
3. Right click on the item within it (it will usually start with 'Image')
4. Select 'Change Tag to Artifact'
5. Select Ok. The item should disappear
6. Right click on the empty image tag and select 'Delete tag'

Add or edit a text description

Read the information on how to provide a text description on our images in Word documents page first to make sure you provide a text description in an effective way.

If you need to add or edit image alternative (alt) text in your PDF using Acrobat Pro:

1. Follow the instructions on this page to find the image tag
2. Right click on the image tag (it will usually be a <Figure>) and select 'Properties'
3. Make sure the 'Tag' tab is selected and navigate to the 'Alternative text' field
4. Add or edit the alt text
5. Select 'Close'

If you need to add or edit page text, follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files.

More guidance

Download our accessible PDF example (PDF) [970KB] to see how to present a range of images in an accessible way.

You must follow our other PDF advice before you finalise your images:

• How to make maps in PDFs accessible
• How to make graphs and charts in PDFs accessible
• How to make diagrams in PDFs accessible
• Colour contrast in PDFs

A map is a drawing that shows something in a specific location or geographic area. For example:

• A specific road, town or area of countryside
• The layout of a room or rooms in a specific building

Drawings that don't relate to a specific location or geographic area are not maps. Our images accessibility page tells you how to make sure images like drawings are accessible.

How to check map accessibility

Any maps in your PDF must be formatted as a flat image. The map image must also be good quality, so it remains clear and easy to use when a user zooms in up to 400%.

Next, decide whether the map is intended for navigational use.

Maps for navigational use

Examples of maps that are intended for navigational use are:

• The map on the Find your local recycling centre page - it shows people where the centres are to help them decide if they want to go to them based on their location, and work out how to get there
• Maps showing road diversions (like the ones in public information notices)

If the map is for navigational use, it must have a text description. This must include all the navigational information the map shows - for example, an address or a route description.

The text description doesn't need to include any information the map shows that wouldn't help someone navigate - for example, the location of field boundaries.

Example of an accessible navigational map:

The screenshot shows that the address of the farm is in the document text before the map image. The map image has alt text, which says 'Figure 5: Map showing the location of White House Farm in relation to Norwich city centre. The address is included in text before Figure 5.'

Maps not for navigational use

Examples of maps that aren't intended for navigational use are:

• Maps showing planned developments (eg. Building(s), roads, other types of infrastructure etc.) - their primary purpose is to show people where the development will be and its constituent parts. Their main purpose is not to tell people how to navigate to or around the development because it doesn't exist yet
• Maps showing specific features in a certain geographical area (eg. Survey areas, hedgerows, B roads etc.) primarily for reference. Their main purpose is not to tell people how to navigate to or around them

If the map is not for navigational use, it must have alternative (alt) text that:

• Identifies it as a map
• Includes its name if it has one - for example, 'Figure 1'
• Summarises what the map shows
• Is no longer than about 150 characters or two sentences

For example, good alt text for a map that is not for navigational use could be:

'Figure 1: map showing the 2015 and 2018 survey locations within the study area'

Unlike navigational maps, you do not need to include all the information the map shows in text.

Example of an accessible map that is not for navigational use:

The map image has alt text, which says 'Figure 3: Map showing the yield of cauliflowers and broccoli in 2022 across the world.'

How to make maps accessible

If you find that any maps in your PDF aren't accessible, you must fix them.

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally. The easiest way to make maps in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guide on how to make maps accessible in Word

You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

You must make sure that any graphs or charts in your PDF are accessible, so no one misses out on important information.

How to check graph and chart accessibility

If you include a graph or chart in your PDF, it must:

• Have a title - visible text positioned above the image
• Have a legend/key - this should explain what any colours or patterns mean
• Have axis labels - if the image has axis, they must have visible text labels
• Have data labels - visible text showing the data type and volume
• Have a text description
• Be formatted as a single, flat image

All text must be horizontal. The graph or chart image must also be good quality, so it remains clear and easy to use when a user zooms in up to 400%.

Using colour in graphs/charts

If you use colour to convey meaning (for example, by using a key), you must use patterns and/or text to ensure that people who find it difficult to see or differentiate between colours can still understand it.

You must also make sure any colour combinations you use meet colour contrast requirements.

Example of an accessible graph:

Example of an accessible pie chart:

How to make graphs and charts accessible

If you find that any graphs or charts in your PDF aren't accessible, you must fix them.

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally. The easiest way to make graphs and charts in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document:

• For help formatting your graph or chart as a single, flat image, go to our advice on how to make graphs and charts accessible in Word
• For help providing a text description for your graph or chart, go to the 'How to provide a text description' section in our advice on how to make images accessible in Word

You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Edit the PDF

Visit our PDF images accessibility page to find out how to provide a text description in a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Diagrams include flowcharts, process maps, structure charts and infographics. They use images and text to show how things work or are organised.

Diagrams often use layout, colour, lines and arrows to convey meaning. Doing this in a logical and consistent way can help people engage with and understand complex information.

However, you must make your diagram accessible so people with visual impairments don't miss out on the important information it shows.

Government Digital Service (GDS) advice on diagrams says:

'Only use a diagram if it makes the content clearer, or summarises a large amount of information. Diagrams need to be clear and easy to understand.'

How to check diagram accessibility

Design

If you include a diagram in your PDF, it must:

• Be simple - try to stick to one idea per diagram
• Have horizontal text only
• Have a reading order that is left to right and top to bottom
• Make it clear where the starting point is if it has one
• Avoid overlapping arrows or lines
• Use simple shapes - and as few different types as possible

Colour

If colour is used to convey meaning, text, shapes or patterns must also be used to ensure that people who find it difficult to see or differentiate between colours can still understand it.

Any colour combinations must meet colour contrast requirements.

Formatting

Text and decorative images

Simple diagrams with a clear left to right and top to bottom reading order can be formatted using:

• Text - this must be formatted as text rather than text in an image
• Decorative images only (no informative images)

For example, the 'How to grow turnips' diagram in our accessible PDF example (PDF) [970KB] is formatted using text and arrow images. It has a left to right and top to bottom reading order. The arrow images correspond with the reading order, so they don't add information to the diagram and are marked as decorative.

This screenshot shows that the diagram text is tagged and in the correct order. The arrow images don't have tags because they have been marked as decorative.

• You must use Adobe Acrobat Pro to check the reading order is correct - follow our PDF programmatic reading order advice
• Visit our PDF images accessibility page to find out how to decide if an image is informative or decorative and how to check if an image is marked as decorative

However, consider whether you need to use a simple diagram like this at all. The information would be more accessible to some users as a numbered list.

A single, flat image with a text description

All other diagrams must be formatted as a single, flat image. The image must be good quality, so it remains clear and easy to use when a user zooms in up to 400%.

The diagram must also have a text description, so all the information the diagram image shows is available in text format.

How to make diagrams accessible

If you find that any diagrams in your PDF aren't accessible, you must fix them.

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally. The easiest way to make diagrams in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document:

• For help formatting your graph or chart as a single, flat image, go to our advice on how to make diagrams accessible in Word
• For help marking an image as decorative or providing a text description for your diagram, go to our advice on how to make images accessible in Word

You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Edit the PDF

Visit our PDF images accessibility page to find out how to provide a text description or mark an image as decorative in a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Diagram alternatives

If you find it difficult to make your diagram accessible, consider these alternatives:

• Present information using clear structured text, including things like headings and bullet points etc. For example, like the text under the diagram on this accessible procurement flowchart page
• Present ordered information or instructions as a numbered list
• Present visual information using video - follow our video and audio accessibility guide

Any tables in your PDF must be accessible. This is because inaccessible tables can be hard to view or understand for people using:

• A mobile or tablet - over 60% of our website users use these devices
• Screen readers - they need tables set out in a certain way to understand them
• Only a keyboard - some people do not use a mouse and only use a keyboard to navigate

How to check table accessibility

Government Digital Service (GDS) advice on tables says:

'Tables should only be used to present data. Do not use tables for cosmetic changes to layout, for example to present a list because you think it looks better that way'.

Check that any tables in your PDF are only used to present data. If there are any tables that present data, they must have:

• No split, merged, or empty cells
• A formatted header row. This should automatically repeat at the top of all pages the table is on.
• Rows that do not split across pages
• Accessible colour use - If you use colour in your table to convey meaning (colour-coding), you must also use text to ensure that people who find it difficult to see or differentiate between colours can still understand it. Any colour combinations used must meet colour contrast requirements.

How to make tables accessible

If any tables in your PDF aren't accessible, you must remove or fix them. The easiest way to do this is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guide on how to create accessible tables in Word. You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your document.

You must make sure your PDF has a clear layout and intuitive visual reading order. This will help people engage with and understand the information in your document.

PDFs that are cluttered or have an unclear reading order can be frustrating and difficult for people to read. This may cause people to miss out on important information.

PDFs in English are read from left to right and top to bottom. Make sure you layout your document so the content makes sense when read in this order.

The only time your PDF should have a different reading order is if some or all of it is in a language that is read from right to left, like Arabic.

How to check layout and visual reading order accessibility

Page orientation

We recommend publishing PDFs in portrait orientation by default. This is because:

• Around 60% of people visit our websites using mobile. Providing portrait PDFs makes it less likely that users will need to zoom in or change the way they normally hold their phone to view them.
• The longer a line of text is, the harder it is for people to move easily to the start of the next line - especially if you need to scroll to see it. Line length is typically shorter in portrait documents than landscape documents.

If your PDF is landscape orientation, check that there is a good reason for doing this. For example, to layout an image or table that would be hard to view or navigate in portrait orientation.

Text orientation and formatting

Check that all text in your PDF is horizontal. This makes it easier to read for as many people as possible.

We also recommend you:

• Use a common font, like Arial, and avoid overly decorative fonts
• Format text no smaller than size 12
• Avoid using italics or block capitals - some people find them hard to read
• Avoid underlining text (unless it's a link)

Headings must be formatted following our headings advice for PDFs.

If colour is used to convey meaning (colour coding), the information must be provided in text too.

If text has been hidden or redacted, make sure it has been removed from the PDF. Text that is still on the page but has been visually hidden using colour can still be accessed by screen reader users.

Watermarks

A watermark is an image that appears behind the main text of the PDF. It is usually a light colour or transparent. People usually use watermarks to mark documents as a draft or confidential.

We recommend avoiding using watermarks because they are usually difficult to see. Instead, state that the document is a draft or confidential in the page text at the beginning of your document instead.

If your PDF includes a watermark, you must check it:

• Meets colour contrast requirements
• Has a good text description that explains what it means. Check this by following our PDF images accessibility advice

Headers and footers

PDF headers and footers typically include document information, like title, author, creation date and page number.

Including information in a header and footer in your PDF can help people looking at your document to navigate and understand it. However, screen readers often can't detect and read out header and footer content.

This means that, if there is header and/or footer in your PDF, you must check that:

• The content in your header and/or footer is consistent - it should include the same or similar information on every page it appears on
• Page numbers in your header or footer match the page numbers of the actual PDF. For example, the third page of your document should be marked as page 3. We recommend avoiding using roman numerals as page numbers, as most people find them harder to read and understand than numbers.
• The content in your header and/or footer is tagged. If it isn't, any information in the header and/or footer must be repeated in the main page text (apart from page numbers)

To check if content is tagged in your PDF:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Accessibility tags'.
3. Highlight the text you want to check
4. Select the 'Options' menu within the tags panel and select 'Find tag from selection'.
5. If the content is tagged, it will be highlighted in the tags panel. If it isn't, you will receive a message that says 'The selection was not found'

Columns

You must check that any columns in your PDF are formatted correctly.

Check that columns are not laid out using a table. This can make the information in your document difficult for screen reader users to access and understand.

To check whether a table has been used in your PDF:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Accessibility tags'.
3. Highlight the first line of text in the column
4. Select the 'Options' menu within the tags panel and select 'Find tag from selection'. This will highlight the tag applied to the text in the tags panel (it will usually be a <P> or <H>)
5. Check above the tag in the tags panel to see if it is positioned within a 'Table' tag

Footnotes and endnotes

You must check that any footnotes or endnotes in your PDF are formatted correctly.

• They must have reference and note tags correctly applied
• Any links they include must follow our links advice

To check the tags in your PDF:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Accessibility tags'.
3. Highlight the text you want to check
4. Select the 'Options' menu within the tags panel and select 'Find tag from selection'. This will highlight the tag applied to the text in the tags panel.

Use this process to check that:

• All references (the small number or symbol in the main page text) have a 'Reference' tag. If the reference is hyperlinked, there should also be a 'Link' tag within it, and a 'Link-OBJR' tag within that.
• All notes (the text at the end of the page or document) have a 'Note' tag.

How to make layout and visual reading order accessible

If you find that the layout or visual reading order of your PDF isn't accessible, you must fix it.

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make the layout and visual reading order of your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

If you need to go back to your original Word document, read our guide on layout and visual reading order in Word. You may find our Word accessibility advice useful even if you used a different application to create your PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF.

How to edit a PDF

• Watch a video on how to change tags in your PDF using Acrobat Pro
• Follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files

PDFs designed to be printed and folded do not usually have an accessible layout and visual reading order when published online. For example:

• Leaflets typically include some upside-down text, which is hard to read. It's not always clear where one page stops and another begins, and the pages are usually out of order
• Booklets typically include two pages side by side. This can cause people to try to read left to right across both pages, instead of reading the first one from top to bottom, then the second one

If you have information you want to publish online, make sure you publish it in a web-optimised format. This could be as accessible web page content, or in an accessible PDF.

If you want to publish an inaccessible document designed for print, you must:

• Be able to show that publishing it will benefit people. For example, provide evidence that there's demand for a version of the content that people can print.
• Make it available alongside the web-optimised, accessible version
• Make it clear that the print version is designed to be printed and is a copy of the web-optimised, accessible version. For example, use link text that says 'Download a leaflet version of the information on this page to print'.

The programmatic reading order of your PDF is the order that screen readers and other software will read out its content.

Your PDF must have the correct programmatic reading order so the information in it is accessible to people who use software to understand digital content.

How to check programmatic reading order

You should only check the programmatic reading order after making all other edits to your PDF. If you edit your PDF after checking the programmatic reading order, you'll need to do it again. This is because editing your PDF can cause changes to the programmatic reading order.

You need to check the content panel first and then the accessibility tags panel.

Content panel

To check the programmatic reading order of your PDF using the content panel:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Content'.
3. Select the 'Options' menu within the content panel and make sure 'Highlight content' is selected. This means that when you select an item in the content panel, the content in the PDF it applies to will be outlined
4. Select each item in the content panel one by one to check whether the content is in the correct order. You may need to expand some items to see them all.

Accessibility tags panel

To check the programmatic reading order of your PDF using the Accessibility tags panel:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to the 'View' menu, then 'Show/Hide', then 'Navigation Panes'. Select 'Accessibility tags'.
3. Select the 'Options' menu within the accessibility tags panel and make sure 'Highlight content' is selected. This means that when you select an item in the accessibility tags panel, the content in the PDF it applies to will be outlined
4. Select each item in the accessibility tags panel one by one to check whether the items are in the correct order. You may need to expand some items to see them all.

How to correct programmatic reading order

If you find that the programmatic reading order of your PDF isn't right, you must correct it.

If you find any issues when checking the content or tags panels, fix them by dragging and dropping the panel items into the correct order.

You should check and fix the content panel before checking and fixing the tags panel.

Watch a video showing why it's important to make sure that both the content panel and the tags panel are in the correct order.

Norfolk County Council staff can contact the Digital Customer Experience Team (opens new window) (opens in new window) for help checking or fixing PDF programmatic reading order in Acrobat Pro.