# PDF accessibility checklist before you publish

https://thedollscout.com/learn/pdf-accessibility-checklist
Published by TDS Document Scout
Updated: 2026-09-25

Start with the source document. Use real heading styles, meaningful link text, suitable table headers and text alternatives before exporting a tagged PDF.

Check the exported PDF. Inspect its title and language declarations, then look for text-bearing pages without a structure tree. A tagged-document flag alone is insufficient.

Complete the manual checks. Read representative pages with a screen reader. Check multi-column order, tables, form fields, keyboard navigation and content that depends on color.

Keep an explicit record. Export the automatic findings, record what you reviewed, and send both with the exact PDF version. Unchecked items remain unchecked.

Reference material
- W3C: PDF reading order: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/pdf/PDF3
- W3C: text alternatives in PDF: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/pdf/PDF1
- Mozilla PDF.js: https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/