PDF/Universal Accessibility (PDF/UA)
The definitive international standard defining technical requirements for fully accessible electronic documents in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
Technical Scope & Purpose
PDF/UA provides clear technical specifications for software developers and document authors to ensure that content delivered in PDF files is accessible to people who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers and screen magnifiers.
Core Requirements & Success Criteria
Semantic Tag Hierarchy
All real content must be marked with appropriate semantic tags in a logical reading order; purely decorative elements must be marked as artifacts.
Table Structuring
Data tables must include header cells (TH), data cells (TD), and unambiguous row/column span definitions.
Text & Font Integrity
All fonts must be embedded, character encodings must map to Unicode, and natural document language must be specified.
Alternative Text
Non-text elements (figures, diagrams, logos) must have descriptive alternative text conveyed to assistive technologies.
Interactive Controls
Form fields must be explicitly labeled, with tab order matching visual flow and interactive state clearly exposed.
Applicability & Scope
- Government Filings and Publications
- Financial Statements and Annual Reports
- Educational Textbooks and Courseware
- Healthcare Patient Summaries and Statements
TaggedWorks Engineering Role
We audit, remediate, and validate high-volume PDF archives against ISO 14289-1 using the veraPDF PDF/UA validator and manual review, and assist organizations in building accessible document authoring workflows.
Ensure your digital platforms meet global accessibility standards.
Our senior accessibility engineers audit and remediate digital applications against WCAG, Section 508, EN 301 549, and PDF/UA, and document the test evidence.