How do I check for accessibility issues in Acrobat Reader (PDF)?
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the accessibility checker in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to inspect your PDFs for accessibility issues. All HSU staff, students, and faculty have access to Adobe Creative Cloud. Try one of the follow to add Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- For personal computers, please visit the HSU Software Downloads page to access/download the suite.
- For HSU-owned computers you will need to access the software from either "Software Center" for windows or "Self-Service" on a Mac. More information about accessing software packages on these computers.
- For virtual lab access, you should access the remote desktop:
- Go to vlab.humboldt.edu to access vLab through a web browser
- Search for Adobe Acrobat Pro in the search bar
- For more information about remote access to vLab.
1. Open your document
Use Acrobat to open your document. Once you have downloaded the application, you should be able to open the file from the directory and it will open with Acrobat Pro DC.
You can skip Step 2 if you already see the Accessibility Tool in the Toolbar on the right side of the window.
Click on the Tools Tab.
Click the Add button below the Accessibility Tool.
3. Return to Document View
Click on the Document Tab.
4. Open the Accessibility Toolbar
Click on the Accessibility Tool in the Toolbar on the right side of the window.
5. Run an Accessibility Check of the document
Click on Accessibility Check in the Accessibility Toolbar on the right side of the window.
Click on Start Checking to run the Accessibility Checker.
This window also allows you to edit how the Accessibility Checker will run:
- Uncheck Create accessibility report if you do not want a separate report file to be generated.
- Click through the Category dropdown to view all the checking options
6. View the results
The Accessibility Checker panel will be opened on the left side of the window.
Click on each category to expand that section:
- A green checkmark indicates that the test was passed.
- A red circle with a white X indicates that the test was failed.
- A blue circle with a white question mark indicates that the test must be done manually.
Some items can be fixed automatically by Acrobat, and some will need to be fixed manually.
Right-click on each item to see if they can be automatically fixed.
If the item cannot be fixed automatically, click on Explain to open the item's section in the Acrobat User Guide.
You will find a description of the reported issue and directions on how to fix it.
