PDFs and Accessibility: Why It Matters & What You Can Do About It

We’ve all been there. You click a link expecting quick info, and you’re met with a clunky, unsearchable PDF. You squint. You scroll. You give up.

Now imagine you’re doing that with a screen reader, limited mobility, or visual impairment. The frustration skyrockets.

PDFs aren’t going anywhere. While HTML remains the gold standard for publishing flexible, accessible content online, sometimes PDFs are a must: government forms, legal contracts, reports, brochures. But here’s the problem: most PDFs simply aren’t built for everyone.

That’s where PDF accessibility practices come in.

Why accessibility is more than a checkbox

According to the European Accessibility Act, almost one in five Europeans live with a disability. That’s 20% of the population. Millions of people who could be your readers, clients, or customers.

Accessibility isn’t just about being legally compliant or ticking a diversity box. It’s about doing better for everyone.

Here’s why it matters for your bottom line too:

• 70% of users with disabilities will click away from inaccessible websites or documents.
• 83% limit their digital shopping to accessible sites.
• 86% are willing to pay more for accessible experiences.
• In the UK alone, £11.75 billion is lost annually due to inaccessible digital platforms (aka the ‘Click-Away Pound’).

Source: Scope

Ignoring accessibility means cutting yourself off from a huge section of society. Full stop.

But wait… can PDFs be accessible?

Absolutely! Accessible PDFs are designed so that screen readers and other assistive technologies can read them properly. They include logical reading orders, properly tagged elements (like headings and lists), alt text for images, and selectable, searchable text.

Adobe, the PDF pioneer, outlines the key features of an accessible PDF:

• Text that’s readable, not scanned as an image
• Tagged structure (like HTML tags) that helps screen readers navigate content
• Alt text for visuals
• Logical reading order, especially in multi-column layouts
• Descriptive links (“Download the form” instead of “Click here”)
• Appropriate colour contrast and selectable fonts

If you’re creating or handling PDFs in any capacity—as marketers, designers, law firms, agencies—you need to know this stuff. And fortunately, you don’t have to start from scratch.

Practical steps for making PDFs accessible

Here’s how to start improving your PDFs today:

• Use the right tools: Adobe Acrobat Pro includes a “Make Accessible” action wizard. Microsoft Word also has accessibility features, which you can use before you export to PDF.
• Add document structure: Use proper heading levels, lists, and reading order. These elements translate into “tags” in the PDF, which assistive tech relies on.
• Write alt text: Every image needs meaningful alternative text. Don’t leave users guessing.
• Avoid scanned documents: These are just images. If you must use them, apply OCR (optical character recognition) so screen readers can interpret the text.
• Check your contrast: Use a tool like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to make sure your text stands out clearly against its background.
• Test it: Adobe’s Accessibility Checker can catch issues. Better still, have a user of screen reader try it.

Is there an alternative?

Let’s be honest, HTML remains the most accessible and adaptable format for digital content. It’s easier to scale for different devices, translate, and update. Plus, it’s naturally more SEO-friendly and inclusive.

Where possible, you should definitely be sharing information with customers directly within your website. But when PDFs are necessary, accessible design is your safety net. It’s the difference between sharing a message and shutting someone out.

Good accessibility = good business

Creating accessible PDFs isn’t just a kindness, it’s a strategic advantage. You open your content to more people, boost brand trust, and avoid legal risk. As more countries adopt laws like the European Accessibility Act, the question isn’t if you should care about accessibility, it’s how soon you can start.

So, next time you’re exporting that snazzy new brochure or that must-read whitepaper, pause. Tag it. Test it. Make it work for everyone. Because if you’re making PDFs anyway, you might as well make them right.

Want to check your website’s accessibility? Explore our web accessibility services.