How to Convert Scanned PDFs to Accessible Formats following WCAG

1. How to Convert Scanned PDFs to Accessible Formats: WCAG PDF Accessibility

2. Digital accessibility ensures everyone can use your PDFs, including people with disabilities • Scanned PDFs are images, making them hard for assistive technologies like screen readers to read • WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) set the global standard for accessible digital content • This presentation covers key steps to make scanned PDFs accessible and WCAG-compliant Introduction to Converting Scanned PDFs to Accessible Formats

3. Why Accessible PDFs Matter • Comply with global accessibility laws and standards • Provide equal access to users with disabilities • Improve usability for everyone (search, navigation, readability) • Reduce legal and reputational risks

4. Text must be searchable and selectable, not just images • Properly tagged headings and structure for screen readers • Logical reading order for clear flow • Alternative text for images and meaningful hyperlinks H3 What Makes a PDF Accessible? H1 H2 aA 1 2 3

5. Scanned documents are essentially images, not text • Screen readers cannot process image-only PDFs • Poor-quality scans cause recognition errors • Manual tagging and remediation are resource-intensive Challenges of Scanned PDFs

6. WCAG 2.2 provides guidelines for all digital content • PDF/UA defines technical requirements specific to PDF files • Both ensure accessibility for assistive technologies • Use these standards as a checklist during remediation WCAG & PDF/UA Standards Overview SEC 508 PDF/ UA WCAG EAA AODA

7. Key Steps to Make Scanned PDFs Accessible

8. Converts images of text into searchable and editable content • Essential for scanned PDFs to become machine readable • Tools include Adobe Acrobat and online OCR systems • Improves compatibility with screen readers and text-to-speech Step 1: Apply Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

9. Step 2: Add Proper Content Structure and Tags • Use headings to define document hierarchy • Tag paragraphs, lists, tables according to semantic roles • Ensures logical reading order for assistive devices • Enables navigation by outline and bookmarks

10. Step 3: Provide Descriptive Alternative Text (ALT Text) • ALT text describes images, charts, and graphics clearly • Helps visually impaired users understand content context • Keep descriptions concise but meaningful • Important for accessible metadata and compliance

11. Step 4: Make Tables and Lists Accessible • Define table headers and identify relationships between cells • Use built-in list formatting for bullet and numbered lists • Avoid manually created symbols for lists • Improves readability and navigation for screen readers

12. Step 5: Ensure Color Contrast and Font Readability • Maintain minimum contrast ratios (WCAG 4.5:1 for text) • Use legible fonts and appropriate sizes (minimum 12pt recommended) • Avoid color as the only means of conveying information • Test on different backgrounds and devices

13. Step 6: Add Navigation Features • Create bookmarks and clickable tables of contents • Verify logical tab order for keyboard navigation • Ensure reading order matches visual order using tags • Improves user experience for all users, including assistive tech

14. Use Automated Tools for Validation • Tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro, Documenta11y • Identify missing tags, reading order issues, contrast problems • Combine automated and manual testing for best results • Helps maintain compliance and quality before distribution

15. Ongoing Best Practices • Regularly test PDFs with various screen readers • Stay updated with WCAG and PDF/UA changes • Provide training and resources for teams handling PDFs • Outsource to professional pdf remediation experts • Plan accessibility from document creation, not just remediation

16. Need Support? Message DocumentA11y! • We convert, remediate, and validate your scanned PDFs. • Fast, expert service for accessible PDFs and WCAG PDF accessibility. • DM us or visit “www.documenta11y.com” to get started.