Practical field guide
Accessibility starts before the PDF is exported.
Access Lens AI screens PDFs after export. This learning library focuses on the upstream decisions that help document creators send cleaner structure, reading order, metadata, and image descriptions into the PDF in the first place.
First collection
Six practical fixes inside InDesign that can improve the structure, reading order, metadata, and accessibility signals carried into exported PDFs.
Paragraph Styles / Export Tagging
Paragraph styles become useful to exported PDFs when each style is mapped to the role it should carry.
Why it matters
A styled headline that exports as plain text removes the outline people use to scan and navigate.
What to check in InDesign
Open Paragraph Styles, review Style Options, and map headings, body text, and lists to the right export tags.
Articles Panel / Reading Order
The Articles panel lets teams define the story sequence instead of relying on the visual stacking order.
Why it matters
A caption, sidebar, or pull quote can be announced before the content it explains when order is left implicit.
What to check in InDesign
Open Window, Articles, add content in the intended sequence, and enable that order for tagged PDF export.
Alt Text / Object Export Options
Custom alt text gives assistive technology the meaning of a graphic, not just its presence on the page.
Why it matters
A chart, diagram, or product image can become a filename or silent object when no description is provided.
What to check in InDesign
Right-click the object, open Object Export Options, choose Alt Text, and write a concise custom description.
File Info / Title & Language
Title and language metadata help the PDF open with the right name and be pronounced with the right language rules.
Why it matters
Missing metadata can make the first thing someone hears an internal filename, followed by mispronounced content.
What to check in InDesign
Use File, File Info to set the title, then set the document language before the final PDF export.
Anchored Objects / Reading Flow
Anchored objects keep figures, icons, and diagrams connected to the text they support.
Why it matters
A floating graphic can be read late, out of context, or separated from the paragraph that explains it.
What to check in InDesign
Select each important graphic and place its anchor in the surrounding text where the object belongs.
Tables / Header Rows
Header rows preserve the relationship between labels and values when the table leaves InDesign.
Why it matters
Data loses meaning when values are announced without the column or row labels that define them.
What to check in InDesign
Use Table Options, Headers & Footers, or convert the top row to a true header row before exporting.
Second collection
Six practical fixes in Microsoft Word that improve document structure, image descriptions, tables, colour use, links, lists, and accessibility checks before sharing or exporting to PDF.
Heading Styles / Document Structure
Word heading styles create a meaningful structure that can be used by screen readers, navigation tools, and exported PDFs.
Why it matters
Large or bold text may look like a heading visually, but assistive technology cannot identify its role unless a real heading style is applied.
What to check in Word
Open the Styles gallery, apply Heading 1 to the main title, use Heading 2 and Heading 3 in a logical hierarchy, and avoid skipping heading levels.
Alt Text / Image Description
Useful alternative text communicates the meaning or purpose of an image instead of merely identifying that an image exists.
Why it matters
Without a useful description, a screen-reader user may hear only “image,” a filename, or nothing at all.
What to check in Word
Right-click the image, choose View Alt Text, describe the information or purpose concisely, and mark purely decorative images as decorative.
Table Properties / Header Row
Word table properties can identify header rows so each data cell remains connected to the correct column when read aloud.
Why it matters
Bold text alone does not create table-header relationships. Without those relationships, users may hear cell values without knowing what they represent.
What to check in Word
Select the first row, open Table Properties, enable Repeat as header row at the top of each page, and keep table structure simple and consistent.
Colour / Contrast / Meaning
Pair colour with words, labels, shapes, or icons so information remains understandable without relying on colour perception.
Why it matters
Colour-only distinctions can be missed by people with colour-vision deficiencies and provide no meaning to screen-reader users.
What to check in Word
Add a written label or icon wherever colour indicates status, verify text contrast, and aim for at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal-sized text.
Link Text / Real Lists
Clear link text explains the destination, while Word’s list controls create list structures that assistive technology can announce correctly.
Why it matters
Phrases such as “click here” lose meaning out of context, and typed hyphens do not create an actual navigable list.
What to check in Word
Name the destination in each link, avoid repeated generic link text, and use Word’s Bullets or Numbering controls instead of manually typed symbols.
Review / Check Accessibility
Word’s Accessibility Checker can identify common problems such as missing alt text, table issues, unclear reading order, and insufficient contrast.
Why it matters
Running the checker before delivery catches preventable issues, but automated results still require human review and judgment.
What to check in Word
Open Review, select Check Accessibility, fix each warning or error, inspect reading order and document structure, then run the checker again before export.
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