Accessible PDF checklist for school staff

Use this accessible PDF checklist before uploading a handbook, permission form, menu, or school notice. Start with the editable document when possible; changes are easier to maintain there.

For a short announcement, consider an accessible web page. Families should be able to find the date, location, and next action without opening a file just to read a few sentences.

Prepare the source document

• Use real text. Avoid a scan or screenshot as the only readable content. If you must start from a scan, arrange text recognition and further accessibility review.
• Use heading styles. Organize sections with the document editor's built-in headings, rather than changing only font size or boldness.
• Use real lists. Create bullets and numbered steps with the editor's list tools.
• Describe meaningful images. Add alternatives that explain the information or purpose. Mark decorative graphics appropriately.
• Write descriptive links. Use labels such as “2026–27 school calendar” instead of several unrelated “Click here” links.
• Simplify tables. Use tables for data, identify headers, and avoid merged cells where possible. Ask for help with complex tables.
• Check contrast and color. Keep text readable and include words or symbols when color communicates meaning.

Export with document structure

• Run the source accessibility checker. Fix identified problems and review items that need human judgment.
• Use an export that preserves tags. Check your editor's accessible PDF settings. A generic print-to-PDF workflow may lose structure; verify the exported result.

Microsoft's guidance explains how to prepare an Office document and export with accessibility tags. Settings vary by platform. Microsoft's accessible PDF instructions.

Review the actual PDF

• Check document properties. Set a meaningful title and the correct document language.
• Review tags and reading order. Confirm that headings, lists, tables, and content follow a sensible sequence. Selectable text alone does not establish accessibility.
• Check links and form fields. Test keyboard operation and labels if the document contains interactive elements.
• Run a PDF accessibility check. Resolve failures and manually review the remaining items, including the meaning of image descriptions and reading order. Adobe's PDF checking guidance.

Publish a useful link and keep an owner

Label the link with the document's purpose and file format, for example, “Field trip permission form (PDF).” Keep the current version easy to identify, and record who will update the source file next time.

If you cannot verify the document, ask the school's accessibility lead for help before treating it as ready. Complex forms, diagrams, and scans often need specialist review. A successful automated check does not replace that review.

For broader website work, use the WCAG 2.1 AA school website guide. Explore EdPilotHub's accessibility offering to discuss your school's publishing workflow.