Most websites contain PDF documents. These documents often contain information that is important to everyone, but can everyone read it? Many people have trouble reading PDF files if they are not digitally accessible.
Problems with inaccessible PDFs
For example, consider someone who is blind and uses a screen reader to read a document. However, this person has no use for the PDF if it is a scanned image. Even if it looks like a real digital document, a screen reader may not be able to recognise the structure in the document. Then everything will be read as plain text and information from images will be ignored.
How to make a PDF accessible
To make PDF documents usable by everyone, it is necessary that they are formatted properly and that the correct structure is also provided using so-called codes or tags. These codes or tags are not visually visible, but are important for people who have documents read to them. Using these tags or codes, they can also understand the content of the PDF. In addition, a PDF should also contain other information, such as language and title.
If you create the document in Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign, there are many things you can take into account right from the start. In this respect, it does not have to be difficult to create accessible PDF documents.
To be honest, it does get trickier the moment you create some more advanced content. For example, tables, diagrams, footnotes and other references. In many cases, you then have to post-edit or fix the document in a programme such as Adobe Acrobat Pro. That is quite specialist and time-consuming work.
Inaccessible documents? We’ll fix them!
I have years of experience in making PDF documents accessible and can therefore also do this for you. Because hardly any document is the same, I always start with an intake. In this, I make an estimate of what is possible and how much time it will take to make the document accessible. It often helps if you also have the source file (.docx or .indd), so that I can work from that file. In some cases, the text or colours will have to be adjusted. I only do this in consultation.
What you will receive from me
Within the agreed time, you will receive an accessible version of your PDF file(s), which I have checked myself using the PAC software. You can then easily replace the inaccessible document on your website with its new, accessible version. If there are still accessibility problems, I fix them free of charge. I even do this up to a year after delivery, provided the document has not been modified in the meantime.
Please note: in some cases, it is unfortunately not possible to make an existing document fully accessible. For example, if it uses colours that should not be changed or if the quality of the existing document is too low. If this is the case, I will discuss this with you in advance so that we can arrange alternatives if necessary.
What does it cost to make PDFs accessible?
It is difficult to give a single price for all PDF documents, as it strongly depends on the size and complexity of the document. In the intake, I therefore first estimate the time required and the costs involved. The minimum price is 80 euros excluding VAT. This applies to a simple and small document for which I do not need more than 1 hour.
Note: The prices mentioned may change and therefore you cannot derive any rights from them. The prices I mention in the quote are the correct prices.
Producing permanently accessible PDFs
Making PDF documents accessible is a good way to solve specific accessibility problems. Even better is to ensure that all documents that appear on the website are immediately digitally accessible. Accessible templates, instructions and advice are important steps for this, and I would be happy to help you with that too.
