Creating accessible PDFs

The right to access public information in an accessible format is no longer a luxury, but is legally required. More and more institutions and organisations are obliged to make their communication accessible. For this reason, knowledge about creating accessible document formats has become mandatory for information providers and their service providers.

However, the topic of accessibility is complex. This training offers an introduction to creating accessible PDFs for beginners. After the course, each participant should be able to determine the level of accessibility of their PDF documents and improve it accordingly.

  • Participants
  • 4 - 8
  • Languages
  • English, German, Luxembourgish
  • Duration
  • 6h
  • Difficulty
  • Beginner

The contents

  • Introduction: what is accessibility?
    • Target groups and barriers
    • Accessibility vs. usability
    • Assistive technology
    • Testing accessibility with a screenreader
  • Reading a PDF
    • Navigating a PDF with a screen reader
    • The internal structure of a document
    • The 4 ways to create a PDF
  • Creating an accessible PDF
    • … using Microsoft Word (Windows)
    • … using LibreOffice (macOS)
    • … using Adobe Acrobat Pro (Introduction)
    • … using other authoring tools
  • Evaluating the grade of accessibility for existing PDFs
    • … using Adobe Acrobat Pro
    • … using other software tools
  • Comparing with Web accessibility (short)
    • The "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines" … not only for the Web
    • What makes a Web page accessible?
  • Motivation
    • Laws related to accessibility

Prerequisites

  • Participants should have basic knowledge of how to operate a PC.

Documentation

  • The slides of the training will be handed out to the participants in a digital format after the training.

Duration

  • 6 hours

Options

  • On request this training can be organised at the location of the client. Details on request.