What Makes a PDF Accessible (and Common Mistakes to Avoid)

PDFs are one of the most common ways local governments share information online. Agenda packets and minutes, forms, applications, reports, budgets, public notices, policy updates, and other key documents are often posted as PDF files because the format preserves layout and makes documents simple to download, print, store, and share.

That convenience can hide serious accessibility problems.

A PDF may look readable at a glance while presenting obstacles for residents who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification tools, or other assistive technologies. Accessibility ultimately depends on the structure behind the PDF, including how the file is tagged, organized, and labeled.

Inaccessible PDFs create a poor user experience while blocking residents from forms, meetings, notices, permits, election information, and essential services. They can also create compliance risk as state and local governments prepare to comply with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Final Rule on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

PDF accessibility becomes easier to manage when teams understand what makes a document accessible, where files usually fail, and how to build better workflows before documents are published.

What Makes a PDF Accessible?

An accessible PDF is structured so residents with disabilities can access, navigate, and understand its content using assistive technologies. The file should successfully communicate meaning to both people and the tools they use.

The core elements of an accessible PDF typically include:

• Logical heading structure: Residents can understand the document’s hierarchy and move between sections.
• Tagged content: Paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, images, and other elements are identified for assistive technologies.
• Searchable and selectable text: Residents using assistive technology can search, highlight, copy, and read text.
• Logical reading order: Content is read in the intended sequence.
• Descriptive links and image alt text: Links and meaningful visuals provide enough context for residents who cannot see them to understand them.
• Accessible tables, forms, and interactive elements: Form labels, and keyboard navigation work as intended.
• Sufficient color contrast and readable formatting: Text remains legible to all residents across all devices.
• Alignment with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 AA accessibility expectations: The document supports the technical accessibility standard adopted by the DOJ for state and local government web content and mobile apps.

All these elements promote compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Why Is PDF Accessibility Challenging to Maintain?

Local governments publish large numbers of documents across various departments, often under tight deadlines and with limited resources. Even when an agency understands its accessibility requirements, establishing and maintaining a consistent standard for PDFs is often challenging.

Fixed Layouts Can Create Accessibility Challenges

Though fixed layouts can make for convenient recordkeeping and file-sharing, they can also create challenges for residents who can’t see the document.

In most cases, a sighted reader can easily tell which columns come first, when sidebars interrupt the main text, or how tables connect related information. Screen readers follow the reading order built into a file. If this information is entered incorrectly, screen readers may miss important text, jump across columns, or read tables out of sequence.

Complex layouts make errors like these more likely. Columns, callout boxes, headers, footers, charts, icons, tables, and form fields all need the right structure. A polished PDF can still require accessibility repair if the structure behind the page does not match the intended experience.

Document Workflows Are Often Decentralized

Even in small municipalities, government documents can come from many departments, contributors, boards, vendors, and software systems.

Without shared standards, each group may use different templates or follow different best practices for accessible content production. One team may create tagged PDFs from clean source files. Another may upload scanned image-only documents. A third may receive a vendor-produced PDF with incomplete tags, confusing structures, or unlabeled fields.

Consistent templates, review workflows, and publishing standards give staff a shared path. They also reduce the number of accessibility issues that need to be fixed after publication.

Accessibility Is Often Addressed Too Late

Many accessibility problems emerge long before the file reaches the website.

A document may be created with complex tables, misaligned headings, or low-contrast colors. Once that file is posted, fixing it can require time-consuming manual remediation: adding or correcting tags, repairing reading orders, labeling form fields, writing alt text, and testing the document with accessibility tools.

Late-stage fixes take time, especially for large and complex files like meeting packets. Legacy PDFs add more pressure. Many agencies have years of legacy PDFs online despite predating the agency’s accessibility standards. Some may still need to be accessible if they support content services or do not qualify for the archived web content exception.

Accessible templates, standard heading styles, formatting best practices, alt text guidance, and appropriate export settings reduce the need for post-publication remediation.

Accessible PDF Elements and Common Mistakes

Accessible PDFs depend on consistent technical structure and readable design. The most common problems emerge when key elements are missing, incomplete, inaccurate, or lost during export.

What Happens When Residents Can’t Access Your PDFs

PDF accessibility shapes how residents interact with local government services and information. Inaccessible PDFs can create barriers during common municipal tasks, including:

• Applying for permits, licenses, or services
• Reviewing meeting agendas, packets, minutes, and public notices
• Accessing election information or forms
• Understanding payment requirements, deadlines, or program rules
• Reading emergency communications
• Participating in public meetings or decision-making
• Completing fillable forms
• Reviewing budgets, reports, ordinances, or plans

For residents with disabilities, these barriers can limit engagement in civic life. A person who uses a screen reader should be able to review a public notice without asking someone else to read it. A resident who navigates webpages with a keyboard should be able to complete a form without getting trapped in an illogical tab order. A resident with low vision should be able to access public information without struggling to interpret low-contrast text.

Inaccessible documents can also increase staff workload. When residents cannot find or read a document online, they may contact city hall with complaints. Ultimately, the poor digital experience leaves staff members putting aside high-priority responsibilities to make reactive fixes.

How Local Governments Can Reduce Common PDF Accessibility Issues

Local governments do not need to fix every PDF the same way or all at once. A practical starting point is to focus on the files residents use most, such as documents tied to essential services.

CivicPlus^® DocAccess can help local governments manage accessibility at scale. DocAccess converts PDFs into screen reader-friendly, WCAG 2.1 AA-aligned HTML transcripts, helping teams reduce manual remediation work and prepare for upcoming compliance deadlines.

Build More Accessible Documents and Digital Experiences

For organizations in need of a practical way to address document accessibility at scale, DocAccess automatically converts PDFs into screen reader-friendly, WCAG 2.1 AA-aligned HTML transcripts. It also helps teams reduce manual remediation work, support access to documents, and prepare for upcoming compliance deadlines.

Request more information to learn how CivicPlus can support your organization’s accessibility goals.