7 Fixable PDF Accessibility Errors to Avoid

PDF remediation is vital for making any PDF document accessible for people with disabilities. However, this is not an easy process to carry on. On your way to making documents accessible, there are several common mistakes that you could easily make, which are preventable.

Testing PDF for accessibility and carrying out PDF remediation can come with mistakes and issues. However, these remediation issues are easily fixable or, in fact, entirely avoidable if you know what they are. The main challenge is locating the error and understanding how to fix it.

7 Common Accessibility Issues in PDF Remediation

Testing PDF for accessibility and carrying out PDF remediation can come with mistakes and issues. However, these remediation issues are easily fixable or, in fact, entirely avoidable if you know what they are. The main challenge is locating the error and understanding how to fix it.

Here are some of the most common PDF remediation issues that cause difficulties in your PDF documents:

1. Missing Alternative Text

Missing an image alt text while remediating a file is not uncommon. These texts are the trickiest ones to tackle when you’re not well-versed in the specialized subject.

Every image must include an alt text to comply with the WCAG 2.0. It makes image reading easier for visually impaired people. If you skip or make a mistake in adding alt texts, screen readers won’t be able to understand what the image represents.

2. Not Embedding Fonts

When performing remediation for a document, embedding fonts is the most crucial step that cannot be avoided. Skipping this step in the beginning and performing it at the end of remediation can corrupt your document. Once your file is corrupted, you may have to start it all over again.

3. Getting Errors in Heading Structure

Losing track of the heading level while working on a large document is one very common mistake that happens frequently. It’s essential to get it right and understand when your heading structure is illogical.

4. Using Adobe Auto Tag Features

When a PDF is tagged logically, the reader can comprehend the content without difficulties. Programs such as text-to-voice need correctly structured documents that follow logical reading order. Moreover, people relying on a keyboard rather than a mouse find document navigation easier through tagged PDFs. Hence, tagging documents correctly without making any mistakes is vital.

But auto-tagging software like the one Adobe offers isn’t always your friend. It may work well but can also corrupt your document. So, relying on an auto tag feature is not always a correct choice.

Also Read — Edit PDF Documents Directly on Google Chrome Browser

5. Lacking Table Summary

A tabular format is easily understood in a PDF document. A user can easily navigate through a document with the help of a table of contents. But setting tables in a PDF document is not easy. It is time-consuming and is often easy to get it wrong.

Moreover, if you get it wrong or get the data mixed up, your document can become corrupted.

6. Disappearing Content

Tagging content in the wrong format may sometimes cause it to disappear. This “disappearance” happens when the PDF hides in several layers. To fix this, you will need to rearrange these layers, search for the hidden content with the content panel and rearrange it to make it visible.

7. Keeping Pages Untagged

When the content structure is divided into meaningful sections, the document is given a proper structure. Screen readers can read it conveniently and navigate it with ease. But when a document is not tagged, it comes with several other accessibility errors.

Moreover, if a document holds a blank page that needs to be remediated, you might miss it. To avoid this, using a tool meant for remediating PDFs is recommended.

8. Making PDFs Accessible

Automating your PDF accessibility process proves to be a great option to eliminate these errors. There are several PDF accessibility tools you can try out and save your time and efforts while being accurate and as quick as possible.

Author Bio: Emilie Brown works with the Digital Marketing team at PREP, an AI-based remediation software that enables businesses to create WCAG and ADA compliant PDFs in minutes. Her approach and methodology is simple, concise and to-the-point and connects with readers seeking for solution-driven content on topics related to accessibility and remediation. Apart from her time at work, she loves to spend time with her dog, volunteer and play her guitar.

NIUA and IIT Roorkee Holds Public Consultation Meetings to Build Accessible, Safe and Inclusive Cities (BASIIC) - A Program Supported By UK Govt

The consultations will support the goal of refining Guidelines and standards for universal accessibility, as envisaged under the BASIIC program

Roorkee, 8th May 2021: National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, and support from Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs have successfully conducted public consultation meetings for revisions in guidelines and standards areas of universal accessibility in built environment in India. The consultation meetings were in the backdrop of 'Building Accessible Safe Inclusive Indian Cities' (BASIIC) program(supported by FCDO, UK government).

The meetings, were held with persons with disabilities, elderly and their caregivers on 22nd April, 2021 and women, children (With or without disabilities) and their caregivers on 24th April, 2021, on virtual platform. The broad objectives of the consultation were to 1. Understand the diverse needs of identified groups in different facets of independent life; 2. Understand the problems faced by them in the everyday life due to inaccessibility of urban infrastructure and services 3. Gain insights from their experience and take suggestions for improvement in the guidelines. The discussion was divided into housing/residential, healthcare, mobility, education, employment and recreation - five critical components of urban life with an overarching theme of assistive/smart technologies. The consultations had more than 40 participants from across the country on each day sharing their views and experiences.

Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee said --

In collaboration with NIUA, IIT Roorkee aims to foster the creation of accessible built environments with a human-centric approach. The workshops witnessed meaningful participation from diverse groups including persons with disabilities, the elderly, caregivers, women, and children. These sessions will lead to the development of Harmonised Guidelines for Universal Accessibility in Built Environments.

Major concerns discussed in these consultations included: age- appropriate features in housing/apartment design; housing/ facilities for care-givers, safety of personal information, significance of mixed land-use development, anthropometrical mismatch in housing, maintenance of streets and public spaces, absence of ramps and use of slipper materials in flooring etc. Suggestions like: Planning age-friendly components in housing, improvement of information system in public transport, resting areas at regular intervals, senior citizen corners in neighbourhood parks, use of appropriate materials and careful design of play areas for children, improving access in market spaces, accessibility auditing frameworks for educational institutions, accessible family toilet and public buildings and easy communication systems, proper signage and facilities for child and nursing mothers in health care institutions were discussed. Improper Implementation, lack of sensitivity in society/practitioners and need for stringent monitoring mechanisms were identified as overlapping concerns in both the consultations.

Mr. Hitesh Vaidya, Director, NIUA said --

A city is for everyone. It is important for us to be more cognizant of the needs of vulnerable population groups i.e. children, elderly, and persons with disabilities. One of the key elements of Inclusive planning is participatory approach. The consultations will not only act as an insightful tool to mainstream the inclusivity and universal accessibility, but will also provide inputs to develop strategies, to make future cities more accessible and inclusive.

This consultation was led by Mr.Utsav Choudhary and Ms.Kanika Bansal from NIUA along with Dr. Gaurav Raheja, Professor from Dept. of Architecture & Planning, IIT Roorkee. The endeavour is part of an existing MoU between both institutions, aiming for devising strategies in making Indian cities more accessible, safe, and inclusive for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), elderly, women, and children among others. The activity is constantly supported guided by Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs. The insights from these consultations will support in suggesting appropriate revisions in existing Harmonised Guideline and space standards for persons with disabilities and elderly, from the lens of universal design and inclusive planning.

BASIIC program of NIUA, supported by UK Government, endeavours to promulgate aspects of “Accessibility, Safety, Inclusivity” in the Indian Smart Cities. Under the program, NIUA has setup the “Technical Assistance &Support Unit” to ensure that timely technical support and guidance can be extended to Indian cities on the tenets of accessibility, safety and inclusivity.


About NIUA (https://www.niua.org/)

Establish in 1976, NIUA has been supporting the Government of India in policy formulation, research, and capacity building for the successful implementation of urban development projects such as the Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).


About IIT Roorkee (https://www.iitr.ac.in/)

IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences. Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical human resources and know-how to the country.