Make PDFs Accessible
with Automated PDF Remediation
Auto-tag, remediate, validate and scale PDF accessibility.
PDFix helps accessibility specialists, document teams, developers and enterprises turn inaccessible PDFs into structured documents that support assistive technology.
// Windows · macOS · Linux
PDF/UA
UA-1, uA-2, wCAG 2.2, Section 508, ADA, EAA
Automation
Auto-tagging, alt text And more AI-Powered actions
veraPDF
Industry-supported validator built-in
100 %
Local processing – no document upload required
Three ways to use PDFix
PDFix Desktop Lite
Validate PDFs against PDF/UA, WCAG 2.2 at no cost.
PDFix Desktop Pro & Enterprise
Automated remediation, no-code batch processing, built-in validation.
PDFix SDK
API-driven automation for document pipelines. C++, .NET, Java, Python.
DEFINITION
What makes a PDF accessible?
An accessible PDF provides meaningful document structure and information that assistive technologies can interpret. PDF remediation is the process of identifying accessibility barriers, correcting the document’s structure and properties, and validating the result against an accessibility standard.
PDF accessibility is not achieved by adding tags alone – the tags must represent the document’s meaning. Judgement-based items such as whether alternate text is useful still require human review.
Tag structure and reading order
Logical tag tree with correctly nested headings, paragraphs, lists and tables that reflects how the document should be read.
Alternate descriptions
Meaningful alt text for figures and formulas. Decorative content marked as artifacts so screen readers can skip it.
Accessible tables
Header cells identified with scope and associations. Continuous tables across pages correctly structured.
Document metadata
Language, title, PDF/UA identification and display-document-title settings – help assistive technology present the PDF correctly.
Links, forms and annotations
Accessible links, correct annotation roles and form controls with labels and descriptions.
Usable text and fonts
Text that can be extracted and read, fonts with correct encoding, and sufficient color contrast.
How to make a PDF accessible with PDFix
The workflow branches based on whether your document is already tagged. Both paths converge at the same finishing steps. Auto-tagging tutorial →
1. First Check
Is your PDF tagged?
Open the Tags panel and inspect the tag tree. If the tag tree is empty, the document is untagged – follow Path A. If a tag tree already exists, skip to Path B. A tagged PDF contains a structure tree with logical elements.
Your starting point determines whether you auto-tag first or go straight to validation and fixing.
2. Set metadata – language, title and PDF/UA standard
In the Accessibility panel options, set the document language, a title and the applicable PDF/UA standard. These properties help assistive technology interpret and announce the document correctly.
5. Fix tables – header cells, scope and spans
Use the Table tool to define rows, header cells, data cells, scope and spans. Set header associations for complex tables. PDFix Desktop and SDK improve continuous table tagging across pages.
Path A · Untagged PDF
Run Make Accessible
Run Make Accessible -> it improves document tagging, structure, metadata, language, bookmarks and related accessibility properties in one action – auto-tagging by analyzing the page layout (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, images) and applying tags and reading order. Use an optional layout template for more controlled tagging of recurring layouts.
3. Review reading order and semantic structure
Verify reading order, heading levels and tag types with the Tag tool and the Tags panel. Correct heading levels, repair role mappings, fix fragmented tag trees and mark non-content elements as artifacts in the Content panel.
6. Final validation – run until the document passes
Run the Validation against your PDF/UA profile. Fix each finding and re-run until the document passes. Automated validation covers the machine-check rules. Some PDF/UA errors still require human review.
Path B · Already tagged PDF
Validate and fix directly
Run a PDF/UA check in the Validation panel. Select a finding to read its description and jump to the affected element. Apply Auto-Fix or Quick Fix where available, or run the matching action for a class of findings (headings, list tags, table tags). Fix judgement-based findings manually with the Tag tool and Tags panel. Revalidate after each set of fixes.
4. Add alternate text and mark decorative content
Add meaningful alternate descriptions to figures and formulas in the Tags panel. Mark purely decorative images as artifacts in the Content panel so screen readers skip them. AI-assisted actions can accelerate alt text generation.
AUTOMATION
Automate PDF accessibility – from single files to enterprise pipelines
Choose the automation level that fits your document type and volume – without losing expert control over complex content.
FOR RECURRING DOCUMENT TYPES
Reusable layout templates
Define tagging rules once in JSON for a document type – invoices, statements, reports – and apply across thousands of files. Consistent PDF/UA output, no per-document review. Layout Templates →
FOR COMPLEX OR VARIABLE DOCUMENTS
AI-powered layout recognition
Docling, PaddleX, Amazon Textract or OpenAI generate a layout template automatically. Handles unpredictable layouts, scanned documents and content where rule-based templates are too rigid. PDFix Marketplace →
FOR DEVELOPER PIPELINES
SDK, CLI and batch processing
Integrate PDFix SDK into servers, publishing systems, CI and enterprise workflows. Batch-process folders in Desktop or automate entirely via API. PDFix SDK →
COMPLIANCE
PDF accessibility standards and legal requirements
The applicable requirement depends on your jurisdiction, organization and use case. PDFix supports workflows for the technical requirements used under:
PDF/UA-1 & PDF/UA-2 · WCAG 2.1 / 2.2
ISO 14289 – the ISO standard for accessible PDF structure. WCAG defines broader technology-neutral criteria applied alongside PDF/UA.
Section 508 · ADA Title II
Section 508 applies to U.S. federal ICT. ADA Title II extends digital obligations to state and local government – with a 2027/2028 compliance deadline for many organizations.
EAA · EN 301 549
European Accessibility Act (EAA) enforceable from June 28, 2025 – applies to organizations offering products and services in the EU. EN 301 549 is the EU harmonized technical standard for ICT.
// PDFix provides remediation and validation technology – not legal advice. Automated processing does not guarantee that every document is fully compliant.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TOOL
Which PDFix tool fits your accessibility workflow?
Three products for three distinct needs – validation only, hands-on remediation, or automated API pipelines.
| Need | Product | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Validate PDFs at no cost | PDFix Desktop Lite – free | Audits, spot checks, compliance verification |
| Remediate PDFs | PDFix Desktop Pro | Accessibility specialists, consultants, document teams |
| Run high-volume batch workflows | PDFix Desktop Enterprise | Internal production teams and batch processing |
| Integrate remediation into software or pipelines | PDFix SDK | Developers, servers, CI, document platforms |
Disclaimer: PDFix provides tools and technology to assist in making your documents accessible, but we do not guarantee 100% document accessibility. Achieving full compliance requires human checks and intervention. Please note that PDFix is a technology provider, not a service provider. The responsibility for document compliance rests with the user.
