Making an Accessible PDF from Word

Issue/Question

How do I make an accessible PDF from Microsoft Word

Environment

  • Word
  • Adobe PDG
  • Accessibility

Cause

If you distribute PDF documents to students or post PDFs online, they must be made accessible before being posted so they work effectively with screen readers such as VoiceOver or Windows Narrator. 

Resolution

  1. Open word document
  2. Click Review
  3. Click Check Accessibility from the top ribbon
  4. The Accessibility Assistant will open in the right column
    1. View errors and warnings
    2. Follow the steps to fix each error and warning displayed
  5. Set Title in Document Properties
    1. Click File>Document Properties
    2. For Windows, type title in the text box under Info
    3. For MAC, click on summary and add title in text box.
  6. Save File as PDF
    1. Click File>Save As
    2. Click below title and select PDF
      1. Do not save as Adobe PDF or Foxit PDF
      2. Do not Print to PDF
    3. Browse to where you would like the file saved
    4. Click Save

How to Make an Accessible PDF from MS Word (3min video)

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