Blackboard (Faculty) - Accessibility/Ally: Increase the Accessibility of a PDF

PDFs can be difficult to make accessible. To remediate these files, you must have Adobe Acrobat installed. If it is not on your system, you can download it from the SIUE Adobe Creative Cloud page. To identify which files require attention, look for the Ally indicators next to your files in Blackboard or run a Course Accessibility Report.

This PDF is Scanned

A "scanned" status means the file is an image and no text can be detected by screen readers. This typically occurs when a PDF is created from a physical paper copy using a scanner or copier.

• Locate a digital-first version of the document via the library or original source.
• If no digital version exists, use the Scan & OCR tool in Adobe Acrobat to recognize the text.
• Once the text is recognized, tag the document by navigating to Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document.

This PDF Does Not Have a Language Set

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to File > Properties.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. In the "Reading Options" section, select the Language drop-down and set it to English.
5. Click OK and save the file.

This PDF Does Not Have a Title

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to File > Properties.
3. On the Description tab, enter a clear title in the "Title" field.
4. Click OK and save the file.

This PDF Does Not Have Headings or Is Untagged

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document.

This PDF Contains Images Missing a Description

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order.
3. Click the image, right-click it, and select Edit Alternative Text.
4. Type a concise description of the image and click OK.
5. Repeat for additional images, then close the Reading Order window and save the file.

Note: If an image is purely decorative, select the image in the Reading Order pane and click Background/Artifact.

This Headings Do Not Begin at Level 1

Headings provide structure for screen reader users. Heading 1 (H1) should be the main document title, while Heading 2 (H2) and below represent sub-sections.

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order.
3. Use the cursor to draw a rectangle around the text you wish to label.
4. Select the appropriate heading level (e.g., Heading 1) from the Reading Order pane.
5. Save the file.

This PDF Contains a Table Missing Headers

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Navigate to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order.
3. Select the table and click the Table Editor button in the Reading Order pane.
4. Draw a rectangle around the header row.
5. Right-click the selection and choose Table Cell Properties.
6. Select the Header Cell radio button and click OK.
7. Save the file.

Additional Tools

Beyond Blackboard Ally, you can verify accessibility by navigating to Tools > Accessibility > Accessibility Check within Adobe Acrobat. This tool generates a comprehensive report to help identify remaining inaccessible elements.

Need Additional Support?

This guide aims to provide useful information. Please use the Comment button to provide feedback.