Though PDF files are becoming more accessible, it is still important that you avoid requiring surfers to download and open a document to access information when the same information could be offered primarily as a Web page with html. PDF, MS Word, PowerPoint, and text documents should only be offered as an alternative to existing html pages containing the same content—not as the only source of that content.

Why is this topic important enough to have its own web page?

Because all official and departmental Web pages and documents linked from those pages must meet NYS accessibility requirements, including those posted in PDF.

Accessible PDF files from Word

To make an accessible PDF from Word, the document must: 1. be structured, 2. have alternative text for images and 3. include tags in the PDF.

1. Structured Word Files

To make the Word file structured, use styles. For example, when creating a heading, instead of using bold and enlarging the font, use a style called Heading 1 or Heading 2. In Word 2003, styles are available from the drop-down styles list. In Word 2007, they are available in the default toolbar. Styles in Word 2004 on a Mac are in the Formatting palette.

2. Alternative Text for Images

1. In Word 2003, right-click on the image, then select Format Picture. Choose the Web tab and type in a description of the image.
2. In Word 2007, right-click on the image and select size. In the dialog box, select the Alt Text tab. Remove the image name and replace with descriptive text.
3. In Word 2004 on a Mac, you cannot add alt text to images.

3. Creating the PDF File With Tags

Tags must be included in the PDF file. Here's how to do that for both Word 2003 and Word 2007.

1. Word 2003: You will need to have the add-in plus Acrobat (not Acrobat Reader, but the full software suite) installed on your PC. To convert a Word Document to PDF, Select Adobe PDF > Convert to Adobe PDF. If your document is correctly structured, this should automatically create a tagged PDF. To ensure that files are being converted correctly, go to Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings and ensure that Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF is selected.
2. Word 2007 has a free add-in you can install to create accessible PDF files. If you recently received a new PC here on campus, the add-in should already be installed. Here is how export to PDF:
   
   1. Click on the Office Button, hover over Save As, and select PDF
      or
   2. Press Alt + F, F, P
3. Before you save the file, select Options and ensure that the Document structure tags for accessibility option is selected.

Other Resources

WebAIM's article on PDFs from Microsoft Word (contains screen snapshots).
Microsoft's Accessibility Training Overview (Audio File)
Adobe's Accessibility Training Resources