PDF Accessibility Decision Tree Image by Rochak Shukla on Freepik Last month, TeLS recommended using UDOIT to craft an accessibility strategy unique to your course. If you've tried that, you may have encoun…

Image by Rochak Shukla on Freepik

Last month, TeLS recommended using UDOIT to craft an accessibility strategy unique to your course. If you've tried that, you may have encountered an inaccessible PDF (Portable Document Format) file in one or more Canvas courses.

This month, we have a decision tree you can follow for remediating inaccessible PDFs. View below, or visit a zoomable, interactive version (bold and yellow items link to a resource).

Decision Tree: What to Do with an Inaccessible PDF File

TL;DR (too long, didn't read): Just Give Me the Resource Links

• Inaccessible PDF Decision Tree
• UDOIT's ULEARN Accessibility Guide Files Overview
• Making Files Accessible in Canvas with UDOIT (video, 10:54, closed captions available)
• Adobe Creative Cloud access for Yavapai College faculty
• Guide to creating Accessible PDFs (scroll to Making Accessible PDFs heading)

Overview of the Decision Tree

First, ask yourself: Do my students need this PDF file? If not, delete it from your course. Problem solved.

If students need the information, does it need to be in PDF format? Sometimes, the answer will be yes. Particularly if you are distributing a form that students are expected to complete, and you don't want the layout to change if they open the file in different software than what was used to create it.

However, PDF is one of the most difficult file formats to make accessible. If the information could be presented in a Canvas page, use UDOIT to request a Canvas page. It's much easier to remediate a Canvas page than a PDF document. You'll be able to edit the result in the Canvas rich content editor. The Canvas accessibility checker and UDOIT will be available to check and fix the results right inside of your Canvas course. 

If the information must be distributed as a PDF, then consider the file source. Did it come from another department at Yavapai College? Did it come from a textbook vendor? If yes, reach out and find out if there is an updated, accessible version available. If there isn't, or if you created the file, then you'll need to go ahead with remediation. 

Use UDOIT to request an autotagged PDF. You should still download the new version and check it for accessibility using Acrobat, but starting with UDOIT is usually faster than trying to remediate the full document with Acrobat.

Understanding the Issues UDOIT Identifies

For help understanding what UDOIT is looking for, use their Files Overview in the ULEARN Accessibility Guide. This page is divided by file type. It highlights each issue UDOIT can detect within files uploaded to Canvas. For each issue, there is a link that explains how the issue affects students, with guidance on how to fix the issue with UDOIT. 

If you would prefer a screencast demonstration, access Making Files Accessible in Canvas with UDOIT (video, 10:54, closed captions available).

An important point: UDOIT may improve a PDF's accessibility. But there are still a few things you need to manually verify, such as the title attribute, alternative text for images, and reading order. UDOIT recommends you download the PDF and perform an accessibility check using Acrobat. 

The Final Accessibility Check with Acrobat

The free Acrobat Reader doesn't have an accessibility checker, but the subscription version of Acrobat does. Acrobat comes with Adobe Creative Cloud access. Read our companion article about Adobe Creative Cloud access for Yavapai College faculty.

Once you have access to Acrobat, use this guide on how to create an accessible PDF (scroll to Making Accessible PDFs heading). It's part of our Accessibility Handbook for Teaching and Learning.