Theme: Documents users must interact with
Tip 10 - PDF Tags & Reading Order
Core skill: Ensure PDFs have tags and logical reading order for accessibility.
Why it matters
Screen readers rely on PDF tags to understand structure. Untagged PDFs may appear visually correct but are unreadable to assistive technology users.
What to do (5-minute action)
In Adobe Acrobat Pro:
- Check Tags Panel (View → Show/Hide → Navigation Panes → Tags)
- Confirm headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables are tagged correctly
- Verify reading order using the Reading Order tool
- Siteimprove Learning Hub: Working in Your PDF (scroll to tagged documents)
Common red flag
If Acrobat says “This document is not tagged,” accessibility remediation is required.
Learn more
Tip 11 -Accessible Forms (PDF & Online)
Core skill: Label form fields correctly for accessibility.
Why it matters
Without proper labels, screen reader users cannot understand what information a form field requires.
What to do (5-minute action)
For PDF forms:
- Ensure every form field has a clear, programmatic label
- Avoid placeholder text as the only instruction
- Group related fields logically
For online forms:
- Confirm visible labels are associated with fields
- Provide instructions before the form, not inside fields
Learn more
- Siteimprove Learning Hub: Designing Forms
- University of Minnesota ODA: Forms Accessibility (Website)