Written by the AX4E accessibility team. Checked against the primary sources listed at the end of this page (W3C, U.S. Department of Justice, ISO and others). Last reviewed November 4, 2026. Read how we write and review guides in our editorial standards.
Most organizations have hundreds or thousands of PDFs: policies, forms, reports, menus, agendas, brochures. Many were never built to be accessible. Remediation is how you fix the ones that matter, and the process you put in place keeps you from rebuilding the backlog.
Why PDFs are hard
A PDF is designed to look the same everywhere. That is great for print and terrible for assistive technology, unless the file also carries a hidden structure called tags. Tags tell a screen reader what is a heading, a paragraph, a list, a table or an image, and in what order to read them. Without tags, a screen reader may read columns out of order, skip images, or find nothing at all if the PDF is a scanned picture of a page.
What remediation involves
- Text recognition for scanned pages, so there is real text to read.
- Tagging every element with the correct type: headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures, links.
- Reading order that follows the logical flow, not the order things were placed on the page.
- Alternative text for meaningful images, charts and diagrams, and marking decorative items as artifacts.
- Tables with header cells identified so each data cell is announced with its row and column.
- Forms with labeled, correctly ordered fields that can be completed with a keyboard.
- Document properties: a title, the document language and bookmarks for long files.
- Color and contrast checks, and links with meaningful text.
How the work is done
- Inventory. List the documents, who uses them and how often. Not every file needs the same treatment.
- Triage. Decide for each document: remediate, rebuild from the source, convert to a web page, archive or remove.
- Fix the source when you can. If the original Word or InDesign file exists, fixing it there and exporting a tagged PDF is usually faster and more durable. See how to make a PDF accessible.
- Remediate in the PDF when there is no usable source: tags, reading order, alternative text, tables, forms.
- Check with tools. Automated checkers catch missing tags, missing alternative text and structural errors.
- Check with people. A person reviews reading order, the quality of alternative text and table logic, then tests with a screen reader.
- Record it. Keep a log of what was fixed, when and to what standard.
What drives the cost
PDF remediation is usually priced per page or per document, and the range is wide because documents vary so much. The biggest factors are:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Page count | More pages, more elements to tag and check. |
| Tables | Complex or nested tables take the most time to get right. |
| Forms | Every field needs a label, order and keyboard testing. |
| Images and charts | Each meaningful image needs useful alternative text written by a person. |
| Scanned pages | Text recognition adds a step and often needs cleanup. |
| Source availability | If you have the original file, rebuilding is often cheaper than repairing. |
The cheapest page is the one you do not need to remediate. Triage first.
Should it be a PDF at all?
Often, no. Information people read on screen, like news, event details, program descriptions and most forms, usually works better as a web page. It is easier to keep accessible, easier to update and easier to find in search. Keep PDFs for documents that really need a fixed layout or a downloadable record.
What "done" should mean
Ask any provider, including us, what standard they remediate to and how they verify it. A credible answer includes conformance to WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA for the content, alignment with PDF/UA for the file structure, an automated check and a manual check with assistive technology. "It passed the checker" alone is not enough, because checkers cannot judge whether alternative text is accurate or a reading order makes sense.
Preventing the backlog
- Train the people who create documents to use real headings, lists and alternative text in Word or Google Docs.
- Use accessible templates for recurring documents like agendas, newsletters and reports.
- Export PDFs with tags turned on, and check before you publish.
- Set a rule: new documents are published accessible, or as web pages.
If you are a public entity
State and local governments and public schools have specific obligations for documents under the ADA Title II web rule, including some exceptions for archived and preexisting documents. TitleII.org explains what the rule requires for PDFs.
Common questions
What is PDF remediation?
It is the process of repairing an existing PDF so it can be used with assistive technology: adding tags, setting reading order, writing alternative text, structuring tables and forms, and checking the result.
Can PDF remediation be fully automated?
Not reliably. Software can speed up tagging and catch structural errors, but a person needs to check reading order, write meaningful alternative text and confirm tables and forms work with a screen reader.
Is it better to fix the PDF or the original document?
If you have the source file, fixing it there and exporting a tagged PDF is usually faster and lasts longer, because the next version starts accessible.
How do I know a PDF is accessible?
Run an automated checker, then review it manually: check the tag structure and reading order, confirm alternative text is meaningful, and listen to it with a screen reader.
Have a pile of PDFs?
Send us a sample. We will tell you which documents to fix, which to rebuild and which to turn into web pages, and give you a clear quote for the rest.
Get a free PDF assessment PDF remediation services