Creating accessible digital content is essential for ensuring inclusion for people with disabilities. PDF documents must meet accessibility standards such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, and PDF/UA standard (ISO 14289-1) to provide equal access for everyone. One critical aspect of accessible PDFs is properly structured metadata. PDF accessibility metadata improves document navigation, comprehension, and usability for individuals using assistive technologies such as screen readers.
What is Metadata in PDF Documents?
Metadata refers to information embedded within a document that describes its content, structure, and properties.
When properly implemented, metadata provides essential context to users with disabilities, enabling them to understand the document’s purpose, content, and structure.
Required Metadata for PDF Accessibility
To ensure your PDFs are accessible, include the following key metadata elements:
1. Title – (Not to be confused with File Name)
- Why It Matters: The document title is one of the most crucial metadata elements for accessibility. Screen readers rely on the title to identify the document’s purpose, ensuring users know what they are opening.
- Best Practices:
- Use clear, concise language that reflects the document’s content.
- Avoid generic titles like “Document 1” or “Untitled.”
- Set the title using your PDF authoring tool’s document properties feature.
2. Author
- Why It Matters: Identifying the author provides readers and content managers important context.
- Best Practices:
- Include the individual, department, or organization responsible for the document.
3. Subject
- Why It Matters: The subject provides a brief summary of the document’s content, helping users understand its purpose.
- Best Practices:
- Provide a concise description that outlines the document’s key themes or objectives.
4. Keywords
- Why It Matters: Keywords improve searchability and help users quickly locate the document based on relevant terms.
- Best Practices:
- Include relevant keywords that accurately reflect the document’s content and purpose.
5. Language Specification
- Why It Matters: Specifying the document’s language ensures screen readers interpret the text correctly, applying appropriate pronunciation and intonation.
- Best Practices:
- Define the document’s primary language in the metadata settings.
- For multilingual documents, specify different language attributes for applicable sections.
6. Document Structure Tags
- Why It Matters: Digital tags provide essential structure for screen readers, guiding users through headings, lists, tables, and other content elements.
- Best Practices:
- Be sure each element of the PDF is tagged accurately.
- For more information on tagging PDFs, download the Equidox Guide to PDF Accessibility
7. Bookmarks (for documents of 10 pages or more)
- Why It Matters: Bookmarks create an interactive table of contents, allowing users to jump directly to key sections of the document.
- Best Practices:
- Generate bookmarks based on heading levels to improve navigation.
- Use descriptive bookmark labels that match the document’s structure.
11. Security Settings -set copying of text to allowed
- Why It Matters: Overly restrictive security settings can block assistive technologies from accessing PDF content.
- Best Practices:
- Avoid security restrictions that prevent text copying, text extraction, or screen reader access.
Metadata for Accessibility
Incorporating proper metadata in your PDF documents is essential for ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities. By including critical metadata such as titles, language specifications, and tags, you improve the usability of your content while meeting compliance standards like ADA Title II and Section 508.
Enhancing your PDF metadata demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and ensures that information is accessible to all users. Investing in the right tools and following best practices will simplify the process, helping to create documents that are clear, organized, and usable by everyone.
Tammy Albee
Tammy Albee | Director of Marketing | Equidox Tammy joined Equidox after four years of experience working at the National Federation of the Blind. She firmly maintains that accessibility is about reaching everyone, regardless of ability, and boosting your market share in the process. "Nobody should be barred from accessing information. It's what drives our modern society."