萝莉研究所

馃搵 Quick-Fix Checklist for Level AA Compliance

When reviewing your content, focus on these high-impact areas to meet the most common Level AA requirements:

• Text Alternatives: Provide descriptive alt-text for all functional and informative images. If an image is purely decorative, mark it as such so screen readers can skip it.

• Contrast Ratios: Ensure a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text against its background. This is crucial for users with low vision or color blindness.

• Logical Hierarchy: Use headings (H1, H2, H3) in a sequential order. Never skip a heading level (e.g., jumping from H2 to H4) as this disrupts the navigation for screen reader users.

• Descriptive Links: Avoid using "Click Here" or "Read More." Instead, use text that describes the destination, such as "Download the 2026 Faculty Handbook."

• Keyboard Navigability: Ensure that all interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) can be accessed and operated using only a keyboard.

• No Color-Only Cues: Do not use color as the only way to convey information (e.g., "required fields are in red"). Use an additional indicator like an asterisk or text label.

馃洜锔� Essential Accessibility Tools

These tools are often provided system-wide or at no cost to 萝莉研究所 employees to help scan and fix digital content.

• : WAVE is a suite of evaluation tools that helps authors make their web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

• (Canvas Accessibility): An integrated tool within Canvas that allows instructors to scan their course pages for accessibility errors and fix them in real-time. It also provides dashboards for department heads to monitor accessibility health.

• Equidox: A web-based application specifically for PDF remediation. It simplifies the process of converting inaccessible PDFs into accessible versions or HTML. You can typically request access through the 萝莉研究所 Disability Resource Center office or the .

• : Provides media storage and, more importantly, automated and manual captioning services for videos used in the classroom.

• : The AIMHub project is a system that allows colleges to share already-remediated instructional materials, preventing faculty from having to "reinvent the wheel" for common textbooks or OER.

馃搫 PDF Accessibility

PDF stands for Portable Document File. It is a file format designed to look the same on any device. It preserves the exact layout and fonts of a document regardless of the software used to open it.

These qualities made PDFs popular in the early days of the internet because they were easy to share, easy to print, and could be opened by most users without specialized software. However, PDFs are no longer the best choice for most online course materials. They create accessibility barriers, they are harder to update and maintain than web pages, and they are not a reliable way to prevent copying or editing.

Modern web pages are more accessible, mobile-friendly, and easier to keep current. For these reasons, we recommend moving away from PDFs when a Canvas page, Word document, or other accessible format can meet the same need.

When a PDF is necessary, this page explains how to review it for accessibility issues and how to make common accessibility fixes.

This page will be updated periodically. PDFs pose complex accessibility issues, so this resource page will grow as time allows.

 

When To Use And When to Avoid PDF

Use a PDF when you need formal documents like legal forms requiring signatures or files intended for professional printing.

Avoid using PDFs for general course materials or readings. They present more barriers for students using assistive technology. PDFs are considered inherently inaccessible. Explore the next section to understand why. The resolution is to use a standard web page or a Word document instead where possible.

In a format compatibility comparison, HTML (Canvas) Pages are by far the most accessible, followed by Word. PowerPoint poses several accessibility challenges (there will be a guidance page on slide decks), and PDF is the least accessible.

Can I Send My PDFs Somewhere To Be Fixed?

 

District Distance Education Options

District Distance Education had a "Document Repair" service as a COVID measure that we tried to extend beyond COVID, but discovered that it was unsustainable given our resources.

PDFs can be time-intensive to repair. In Fall 2025鈥檚 5581 published and active Canvas courses, there were 44,172 PDF files and 12,643 PPTx files. Average repair times from past services have ranged from thirty minutes to over ten hours to remediate a single file. 

PDF repairs result in a flawed final product. We must reconsider the value of budgeting so much time to create a less accessible format. Additionally, remediated files will look completely different from the original. There is an expectation that chosen formats, layouts, colors, and placements can stay the same, but this is not the case because these visual elements are often the criteria that cause accessibility challenges. Images must be inline, columns may have to be removed, and fonts, colors, styles, and images may have to be completely changed. All this work takes an enormous amount of time, and it results in less accessible documents that faculty do not like as much as their originals, so remediation is often not as effective as conversion.

What About Accommodations?

Accommodations are an important support for students, but they are not a substitute for accessible course design. They provide a pathway for students to request accessible versions of inaccessible materials through DRC/ARC departments. However, accommodations are not the primary accessibility plan for course content. Title II requirements emphasize that digital course materials should be accessible from the beginning, not after a student identifies a barrier. The presence of inaccessible materials can raise concerns because it places the burden on the student and may delay equal access to course content.

 

AI Options

PlayLab's  is available to CCC faculty and staff.  It can be a helpful tool for improving file accessibility, but it is not foolproof. A file may pass Ally鈥檚 accessibility check and still have issues that require human review. For example, automated checkers may not reliably catch problems with reading order, meaningful alt text, or whether the document structure makes sense. In an audit or formal review, accessibility is evaluated through manual testing, and auditors do not use Ally scores. They do use the WAVE engine to check Canvas pages, the same engine that Pope Tech uses to fix Canvas Pages, which is why we recommend Canvas as the most accessible format.

 

In development:

• Ally is developing a lite PDF remediator. It is not available yet. 
• Canvas is developing a lite PDF remediator that will resolve very basic issues. It is not available yet. 

 

Before Fixing: PDFs Create Accessibility and Equity Barriers

It is important to know the limitations of the format before investing time in fixing PDFs. Please review this information as you consider whether PDF is the best format to use.

 

Why PDFs are inherently inaccessible

Here are some screen readers that have been noted to have specific challenges with PDFs, even when they are properly made:

• JAWS (Job Access With Speech): While a powerful and widely used screen reader, JAWS can sometimes struggle with:
• Complex Tables: Even well-tagged tables can sometimes be difficult for JAWS to navigate efficiently, especially if they have merged cells or intricate layouts.
• Link Navigation: Users have reported issues with tabbing through links in PDFs, where links might not be read or are repeated.
• Form Fields: Difficulty interacting with and reading form fields, especially textboxes, text areas, and radio buttons, has been noted.
• Dynamic Content/Updates: If content changes dynamically within a PDF (less common but possible with interactive PDFs), JAWS might not always pick up these changes seamlessly.
• NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access): NVDA is a popular free screen reader, and while it generally performs well, some issues with PDFs have been reported:
• Skipping Text/Content: Users have experienced NVDA skipping over tagged information, such as headings or parts of paragraphs, even when they are present in the tag tree.
• Reading Order Discrepancies: While tagging is meant to define reading order, NVDA (and other screen readers) can sometimes interpret the visual layout differently, leading to a confusing reading order if not meticulously checked.
• Scrambled or Meaningless Text: In some cases, particularly with PDFs created from files with embedded TrueType (CID) fonts or those that have undergone complex conversion processes, NVDA might read text as "scrambled" or "meaningless" even if it's technically "screen-readable."
• Issues after editing in Acrobat: If a PDF has been tagged for accessibility and then edited directly in Adobe Acrobat, it can break the tag tree, leading to empty content containers that NVDA cannot read.
• VoiceOver (macOS/iOS): Apple's built-in screen reader can also have its quirks with PDFs:
• PDF Accessibility Structure: Its ability to read content properly is highly dependent on the PDF's internal accessibility structure (tags, reading order).
• Compatibility with macOS versions: Specific issues have been reported with VoiceOver and Acrobat compatibility on newer macOS versions.
• Missing Reader Order/Scanned Files: VoiceOver can struggle with PDFs that lack a defined reading order, are primarily scanned images, or involve multiple vector and layer files.
• TalkBack (Android): TalkBack, Android's screen reader, faces challenges similar to desktop screen readers, often stemming from the PDF's inherent structure:
• Semantic Meaning Loss: Even with accessible PDFs, TalkBack might read content as plain text without conveying its semantic meaning (e.g., headings not being announced as headings, data tables as unstructured content).
• Image-only PDFs: If a PDF is essentially an image of text without OCR (Optical Character Recognition) applied, TalkBack cannot read the text. While OCR tools exist, their effectiveness can vary.
• Embedded PDFs: PDFs embedded within web pages or certain applications might be presented in preview windows that TalkBack cannot access directly, requiring the user to download the file.

How PDFs create equity challenges

PDFs can also create equity challenges because access may depend on the student鈥檚 technology. Different screen readers and devices interact with PDFs in different ways, and PDFs are often less reliable than HTML web pages.

A PDF that works reasonably well with one screen reader may not work as well with another. This matters because JAWS, a commonly used screen reader, can cost over $1000, while NVDA's free reader can have more compatibility issues with PDF than it would with Canvas pages/ HTML.

Mac users have fewer screen reader options, and students using phones or tablets may face additional limits when reading or navigating PDFs.

These differences can make PDF access uneven for students, especially when compared with well-structured HTML content like Canvas Pages.

Professionals comment on the viability of PDFs

 

鈥淧DF: still unfit for human consumption 20 years later... it鈥檚 inherently inaccessible, unpleasant to read, and cumbersome to navigate online.鈥�
-

鈥淧DF files cannot be made fully accessible."


"For a screen reader user, an untagged PDF is a locked door without a key.
There is no structure, no hierarchy, and no way to navigate."


"De Anza [College] had the accessibility training center [including] PDF training.
That grant was $1 million a year. They had it for 20 years.
That's $20 million. So $20 million, 20 years, hundreds of PDF accessibility workshops... three accessible PDFs in the system."
-Lene Whitley Putz, Dean of Online Learning at Foothill College
(from talk given at Online Teaching Conference)

 

 

 

How to Create PDFs So They Are (A Little Bit) Accessible

 

Word to PDF

Never use the "Print to PDF" option because that will strip all accessibility work you have done.

• Please also note that Word's built-in accessibility checker does not meet WCAG standards, so it may have accessibility issues even if the checker says it's fine. Upload the Word file to Canvas Files and use Ally to scan it. If the Word file passes Ally's file accessibility check, move on to the next step.
• If your Word file is accessible in Ally's scan, choose "Save as PDF." Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat and, using the File menu, apply a Title and Language set. Upload the PDF to Canvas and use Ally to check the PDF for accessibility. 
• Ally gives a partial accessibility report and should be checked by a human for all the accessibility elements mentioned in the section entitled "How to Fix PDFs - Original Instructor Content."

Google Docs to PDF

• Grackle is an accessibility checker for Google Docs that can help ensure accessibility before the Google Doc is exported into PDF format. Please note that Grackle requires a license (sometimes the tool allows free use and other times limits use without the license). District DE does not have any Grackle licenses.
• Google Workspace files can still be made accessible and used, but they require some extra steps. Please note that PDF and PPTx are the two most challenging file formats for accessibility, so it is not recommended to try using a PPTx as a PDF. The workaround to use Google Docs or Slides as PDFs is to export the Google Doc into Word or the Google Slide Deck into PPTx, then use Ally to scan and Word/ PowerPoint to remediate the file. It can then be saved as a PDF and uploaded back into Google Workspace or Canvas. The resulting PDF must be checked for accessibility via Ally. 
• Check out the guide 

 

How to (Mostly) Fix PDFs

Original Instructor Content

PDF accessibility repair is not a basic task. Even simple PDF fixes usually require intermediate accessibility knowledge, and more complex repairs in Adobe Acrobat Pro are closer to advanced work. Acrobat can be used to improve a PDF, but it is often slower, more technical, and less effective than fixing the original file.

When the PDF was created from original content, such as a Word document, PowerPoint, or Google Doc, the best approach is usually to fix the accessibility issues in that original file first. After the source file is corrected, it can be saved or exported as a new PDF. Recreating the PDF correctly is usually much faster than trying to repair a finished PDF one issue at a time in Acrobat.

PDFs should meet the same basic accessibility expectations covered for Canvas pages in this guide. The format is different, but the core requirements are similar. A repaired PDF should include:

1. Headings that use real document structure, not just large or bold text
2. Lists that are created with list tools, not typed manually with dashes, numbers, or spaces
3. Links that use meaningful text describing where the link goes
4. Images with alternative text when they convey information
5. Tables with proper headers and a simple, logical structure
6. Color that is not the only way important information is communicated
7. Contrast that makes text and visual information easy to read
8. Reading order that follows the same logical sequence a student would use visually
9. Selectable text that can be read by assistive technology, not just a scanned image of text

Scanned PDFs and Copyrighted Material

For scanned PDFs of publisher materials, we recommend replacing those documents with official library versions that are also accessible. Your college librarians can help you locate those resources.

To convert scanned PDFs (images) into text, the first step is usually optical character recognition, or OCR, so the text can be selected and read by assistive technology. OCR is only a starting point. The document still needs to be reviewed for accurate text conversion, structure, reading order, headings, links, tables, images, and other accessibility issues.

PDF Remediation Software Support

Please note that Distance Education does not support or teach Adobe Acrobat Pro to remediate PDFs.

Adobe Acrobat Pro Software Training

Please check out this Adobe Acrobat PDF remediation training series for step-by-step walk-throughs of how to remediate PDFs:

 

Accessibility Checkers

Automated accessibility checkers will give you a partial view of a PDF's accessibility "health." Please note that no automated accessibility checker will be able to accurately check reading order or color for meaning. These must be checked by a human.

Ally

To use Ally to check accessibility, upload your PDF into the Files section of Ally. You may have to wait several minutes for the Ally dial to appear. Once it appears, click on it, and you will be able to see the issues that Ally flags.

Grackle (for Google Docs)

Grackle is an accessibility checker for Google Docs that can help ensure accessibility before the Google Doc is exported into PDF format.

Check out the video tutorial:

 

Pope Tech

Pope Tech does not actually check PDFs; it only alerts you that you have a PDF that needs to be checked manually. The actual human verification must be done outside of Canvas. It is a persistent alert, meaning it will not disappear even after you have the file.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

To use Adobe Acrobat Pro to check accessibility, please view this video tutorial:

 

馃帗 Training & Professional Development

Whether you prefer self-paced modules or live workshops, these platforms offer CCC-specific guidance.

• : The primary hub for technical assistance. They offer:

  • Self-Paced Courses: Role-based training for faculty, web developers, and IT staff.

  • How-To Guides: Step-by-step instructions for accessible Word docs, PowerPoints, and Excel sheets.

• : Access this through your single sign-on (SSO). Search for "Accessibility" to find webinars and modules like "Designing Accessible Course Materials for Every Learner."

• : Provides an Accessibility Checklist and a "Basics" course specifically tailored for faculty creating or adopting Open Educational Resources.