Optimizing PDF content for display in eScholarship (Accessibility & Compatibility)

Compatibility with assistive technologies

PDFs posted to eScholarship must be accessible to people who use screen readers because of reduced or no vision.

The following software-specific guides will help you to create PDFs that work better assistive technology:

• In Windows: 
  • Making Accessible PDFs from Word (PDF)
  • Making Accessible Excel Spreadsheets (PDF)
  • Making Accessible Powerpoint Presentations (PDF)
  • Video tutorial for making Accessible PDFs
• In Mac:
  • Accessible PDF instructions (PDF)

Serving readers with slow internet connections

The file size and structure of your PDF document also impact accessibility. Large file sizes, for instance, making it more challenging for readers with slow internet connections to access your content.

The following resources can help you to drastically reduce file size and slash the amount of time it takes for a PDF to load or download:

• Optimizing PDFs using Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Reducing file size by saving in Acrobat Pro

You can test how quickly your PDFs render using the developer tools in your browser to simulate a slow connection.

Additional resources

Your campus library and/or IT department may be able to offer additional assistance in preparing accessible PDFs.

(Portions of this article were adapted from UCOP.edu)