Creating Accessible PDF Documents

Introduction

Working with document authors and accessibility specialists, the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) Section 508 Office has created a series of informative on-line tutorials that explain portable document format (PDF) accessibility barriers and the remediation techniques that address them. Short topic-specific modules provide step-by-step directions and instructional videos on how to improve the real-world accessibility of PDF documents, how to ensure PDF documents comply with the Section 508 standards, and make your content available to your entire audience. 

Best Practice Guidelines

The course is available online at VHA’s web site and downloadable as a PDF publication. The instructional modules include:

• Introduction
• Preparing Scanned Documents
• Ensuring Proper Page Structure
• Tagging for Logical Reading Order
• Providing Alternative Text for Images
• Hiding or “Artifacting” Non-meaningful Content
• Using Headings to Provide Structure
• Building a Proper List Structure
• Making Tables of Contents Accessible
• Adding Bookmarks
• Creating Accessible Links
• Using Color in an Accessible Way
• Constructing Accessible Tables
• Designing Accessible Forms