What is a Compliant PDF

Clients often ask, how can we be sure a document is fully accessible and compliant? The document looks exactly the same. First an accessible / compliant document looks no different to an individual that does not require assistive technology. The "physical view" of the document is never altered. The underlying technology or the “tags view” is what is manipulated to match the “physical view”. Often, the next question is, how can we take your word for it? The answer is you don't. At Accessible PDF INC we provide two compliance reports with every deliverable. 

Compliance Process

The first step to ensure that documents are accessible is to choose the right standard for the document. At Accessible PDF INC. we believe that the PDF U/A standard is the gold standard. However, we recognize that some organizations have their own version or interpretation of certain standards. In those cases, we are flexible and accommodating as long as there are not accessibility violations.  At Accessible PDF INC., our team has an in depth understanding of global accessibility standards and their intent, and have the knowhow to implement them to achieve compliance. 

There are testing tools to assist with ensuring your files are complaint. PAC3 is a highly recommended free testing tool that is considered an industry standard for testing accessible PDFs. Other testing tools include Adobe Acrobat DC Accessibility Checker and Foxit PhantomPDF Accessibility Checker which provide a quick test for accessible PDFs. Although they aren’t regarded to be as thorough as PAC3. Testing tools shouldn’t be used alone. Manual validations are still required to ensure that a document complies with global accessibility standards.

Whether you are the document accessibility expert within an organization or you outsource your document accessibility to an outside supplier, obtain confidence in the compliance by using the proper tools or review the compliance reports. Don’t hesitate to ask your supplier to provide this evidence.

Again, Accessible PDF INC always provides two validations of compliance and usability with every document to include:

· PAC3 testing results for accessible PDFs

· Adobe Acrobat DC Accessibility Checker Report