Get in the Habit
Not all PDFs are accessible–or the best option. This post shows you how to get in the habit of checking the PDFs that you share in your course or post online.
Why This Habit Matters
- PDFs need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards: According to these standards, PDFs need to be tagged, with headings in logical reading order, have alt text for images and charts, and table headers.
- Model Academic Integrity: Just because you are posting a PDF of an article in your course does not mean it is protected by fair use.
How to Check Your PDF
1. Check for copyright.
Ask: Do I have permission to include this PDF in my course? If you’re not sure, try our flowchart or learn more about copyright from Marshall Libraries.
2. Check if the PDF is necessary.
Ask: Do I need to use a PDF? If the source is an article, linking directly to the source is preferable for both copyright and accessibility purposes. If the source is your own document, Word documents can more easily meet accessibility standards than PDFs because they are editable.
3. Check if the PDF is accessible.
Ask: Is the PDF scanned? If so, screen readers will recognize it as an image, or series of images, rather than text.
Tools for Checking and Creating Accessible PDFs
- Blackboard Ally: The Ally accessibility tool in Blackboard can check PDFs for accessibility, give suggestions for how to improve accessibility, and offer alternative formats for learners to engage with the PDF. In addition, you can convert PDFs you own into editable Blackboard documents by clicking “Convert a File.”
- Adobe Auto-tagging: Use Adobe’s auto-tagging feature to streamline the process of creating an accessible PDF.
- Adobe Accessible Documents: Check PDFs for accessibility or create accessible PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.
Best Practices
- In courses, use Ally’s accessibility report to identify and fix PDFs.
- In documents, use Word’s accessibility checker. Consider using a Word document instead of a PDF when possible.
- Avoid PDFs when you can use a link to the original source instead.
- Replace scanned PDFs.
Additional Resources
- Ally Help for Instructors: This page links to multiple Ally resources, including a Quick Start Guide, FAQs, and video demos.
- Adobe Accessibility: Learn about Adobe’s approach to accessibility and check out their video tutorials.
- Marshall Online: Digital Accessibility and UDL: This page contains accessibility information, resources, and services at Marshall University. You can also explore other habits that support digital accessibility and UDL in our Designing for All, Habit by Habit Series. Since accessibility laws are dynamic and nuanced, these recommendations (updated Aug. 2025) may not reflect the latest updates and should not replace legal advice. For legal questions about accessibility at Marshall University, reach out to the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations.