How to create accessible documents and PDFs for screen readers
Creating accessible documents helps people who use screen readers and improves usability for everyone. This guide gives clear, practical steps to make Word documents and PDFs that are navigable, readable, and tagged correctly. Expect to spend about 10–30 minutes per document depending on length and complexity.
Step 1: Use heading styles consistently
Apply built-in heading styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) rather than changing font sizes manually. Screen readers use these to build a navigation outline, so structure long documents with headings every 150–400 words or per logical section.
[Illustration: Word document showing Heading 1, Heading 2 in styles pane]
Step 2: Write clear, descriptive titles and metadata
Set the document title, author, and subject in File > Properties or Document Info. A concise title of 3–8 words helps screen reader users understand context when opening a file or viewing a document list.
[Illustration: Document properties dialog with title and author fields filled]
Step 3: Use meaningful link text
Replace raw URLs with descriptive link text like 'Download accessibility checklist' so users know the destination without hearing the full URL. Keep link text to 3–7 words and include the word 'PDF' or 'site' if relevant.
[Illustration: Selected hyperlink text in a document showing 'Download accessibility checklist' linking to a URL]
Step 4: Add alternative text for images
Provide concise alt text (5–20 words) that describes the purpose of each image; mark decorative images as decorative so screen readers skip them. For complex images, include a brief caption plus a 1–3 sentence long description in nearby text.
[Illustration: Image properties dialog with alt text field filled and decorative checkbox]
Step 5: Use accessible tables and lists
Design tables for data only, include a header row, and set header row properties in Table Tools. Keep tables to fewer than 10 columns when possible and use bulleted or numbered lists for sequential content to aid linear reading.
[Illustration: Table in a document showing header row highlighted and simple two-column layout]
Step 6: Ensure correct reading order and language
Check logical reading order in the PDF export or reader order pane and set the document language to the primary language used (e.g., en-US). Correct order prevents screen readers from jumping around and ensures proper pronunciation and hyphenation.
[Illustration: PDF tags panel showing logical reading order and language set to en-US]
Step 7: Generate tagged PDF and run accessibility check
When exporting, enable 'Create Tagged PDF' and 'Document structure tags for accessibility' then run the built-in accessibility checker and fix high and medium issues (expect 5–15 minutes). Resave and test with a screen reader or accessibility preview tool.
[Illustration: Save as PDF dialog with 'Tagged PDF' checkbox checked and accessibility checker report open]
- Keep paragraphs short: 1–3 sentences for easier scanning and listening.
- Use high-contrast text (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text) and at least 12 pt font for body text.
- Use sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri for better legibility on screen.
- Provide a 1–2 sentence summary or abstract at the top of long documents for quick orientation.
- Number steps and procedures explicitly when order matters to support linear navigation.
- Include a list of figures and tables in long documents to help users jump to content quickly.
- Do not use color alone to convey meaning; add labels or text alternatives because screen readers and colorblind users may miss color cues.
- Avoid embedding text inside images; screen readers cannot access that text unless it is provided as alt text or nearby content.
- Do not rely solely on visual cues like arrows or placement; always provide explicit textual instructions and labels.
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