1. Review your files. Start by making a inventory of all your PDFs.
2. Remove non-compliant items. If a PDF isn’t used anymore and isn’t required to keep by law, delete it.
3. Revise what is left. For the PDFs you keep, fix accessibility issues using our PDF remediation steps based on the type of PDF you have.
4. Realign your items going forward. Proactively create documents with accessibility in mind so they don’t need major fixes later. 

Let’s look at the revise component of PDF remediation.  

First, review your PDF to identify what type of remediation it needs. In some cases, remediation may be extensive and require moving on to the next set of steps; in others, your PDF may already meet accessibility standards. Use the steps below to check your file:

1. Ensure text is selectable and searchable.
2. Check the reading order and tag types by walking the tags tree.
3. Confirm image descriptions are meaningful.
4. Update the document properties: Write a descriptive title, ensure there is no security method used, under initial view make sure the document title shows, and under advanced set the proper language.
5. Run Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker and fix additional issues.

After reviewing your file and confirming that remediation is needed, the next step is to identify what type of PDF you’re working with.

Once you determine that your PDF requires remediation, the next step is to identify what type of PDF you have. Below are the most common PDF types. Find the one that matches your file to view the appropriate remediation steps.

Type 1: Scanned PDF (Image-Based) 

• Made from a scan or image (no selectable/searchable text).
• Common from design tools that export as an image to PDFs.
• Will need OCR and significant cleanup. 

Type 2: Source File Exists (Best-Case Scenario)

• Made from Word, PowerPoint, or InDesign.
• If made accessible before conversion, results in the most accessible PDFs. 

Type 3: Handwritten or Sketch-Based Content [link] 

• Notes, diagrams, or forms written by hand and scanned.
• Most likely will need to be recreated digitally to be made accessible. 

Type 4: Readable, Untagged PDF [link] 

• Text is selectable but has no tags or structure.
• Common from design tools that export to PDFs with no accessibility feature incorporated.