PDF accessibility is one of those things most teams assume is “probably fine” until someone actually tries to use the document with assistive technology.
The truth is, many PDFs that look polished visually fail basic accessibility checks. The good news is that you don’t need to be an accessibility expert to spot the most common problems. With a simple, methodical approach, you can quickly tell whether a PDF is accessible or likely to cause issues.
This guide walks through practical steps you can use to evaluate PDFs before they become a user problem or a compliance risk.
Step 1: Start With the Basics, Not the Tools
Before opening any checker, open the PDF itself.
Try to select text. Can you highlight it cleanly, or does selection jump around unpredictably? If text can’t be selected properly, the document may be image-based or missing structure.
Next, scroll through the document and ask a simple question: does the layout suggest a clear reading order? Headings, sections, and lists should feel logical even before testing begins.
This quick visual check often reveals deeper issues early.
Step 2: Navigate Using Only the Keyboard
Keyboard access is one of the fastest ways to uncover accessibility problems.
Use the Tab key to move through the document. Can you reach links, form fields, and interactive elements? Is the focus visible as it moves? Does it get trapped or disappear?
If keyboard navigation feels confusing or impossible, screen reader users will struggle even more.
Step 3: Check the Reading Order
A PDF may look fine visually but still read incorrectly when interpreted by assistive technology.
Use a PDF reading order tool or preview feature to see how content is sequenced. Headings should come before body text. Columns should read left to right, top to bottom. Sidebars and footnotes should not interrupt the main flow.
Incorrect reading order is one of the most common reasons accessible-looking PDFs fail real-world use.
Step 4: Inspect Headings and Structure
Accessible PDFs rely on structure, not styling.
Headings should be tagged properly and follow a logical hierarchy. A large bold title that isn’t tagged as a heading won’t help screen reader users navigate.
Skim the document’s structure tree if available. You should see clear sections, paragraphs, lists, and headings rather than a flat wall of content.
Step 5: Review Images and Icons
Images are often overlooked during accessibility checks.
Ask whether each image conveys information. If it does, it needs alternative text that explains its purpose clearly and briefly. If it’s decorative, it should be marked so assistive technologies skip it.
Icons used as buttons or indicators should also have text alternatives that explain what they do, not just what they look like.
Step 6: Evaluate Color Contrast and Text Readability
Accessibility is not only about screen readers.
Check whether text stands out clearly from the background. Low contrast text, light gray fonts, or text over images can be hard to read for users with low vision.
Fonts should be simple, legible, and sized reasonably. Information should never rely on color alone to communicate meaning.
Step 7: Test Tables and Forms Carefully
Tables and forms are where many PDFs fail outright.
Tables need clearly defined headers so users can understand relationships between rows and columns. Forms should have labeled fields, logical tab order, and keyboard-friendly input.
If a user cannot complete a form or understand a table without guessing, accessibility is broken at a functional level.
Step 8: Run an Accessibility Checker, Then Verify Manually
Automated tools are useful, but they are not the final answer.
A checker can flag missing tags, contrast issues, and structural errors quickly. However, it cannot judge clarity, context, or whether the document actually makes sense when read aloud.
Use automated results as a starting point, then confirm key areas manually to avoid false confidence.
When Manual Checks Are Not Enough
For organizations managing many documents, accessibility issues tend to repeat. Files are updated, reused, and redistributed, often reintroducing the same problems.
At that stage, teams often turn to pdf remediation services to help identify structural issues at scale, correct tagging problems, and validate accessibility more consistently across large document libraries.
The value isn’t just fixing one file, it’s preventing the same failures from appearing again and again.
Final Thoughts
Checking PDF accessibility doesn’t require perfection or deep technical knowledge. It requires attention to how real people interact with documents.
By walking through these steps, visual review, keyboard navigation, structure inspection, and targeted testing, you can quickly tell whether a PDF is accessible or needs work.
The earlier these checks happen, the easier and cheaper accessibility becomes. Waiting until documents are public or complaints arrive is where the real cost appears.
