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Checking the accessibility of PDF documents is integral to ensuring full course accessibility for our students. There are many ways to determine the accessibility of PDF documents. One simple and effective method is to use the Accessibility Checker within Adobe Acrobat DC Pro. The resources on this page consist of a video tutorial and text directions for using the accessibility checker in听Adobe Acrobat DC Pro.听

Accessibility Checker

1. Select听All Tools on the top menu bar.
2. Select听Prepare for accessibility.
3. Select听Check for accessibility.
4. The听Accessibility Checker Options window will pop-up.听Select听any desired options, then听select the听Start Checking button.
5. The Accessibility Checker will show accessibility barriers; expand the item then听select听Element # to jump to where the issue is located.

Check using Adobe Read Aloud

1. Open听the document in听Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Select any text in the document and attempt to highlight a word or sentence. If the text cannot be highlighted move to the next step (documents with text that cannot be selected are inaccessible because they are images to Adobe Acrobat):
   • Note: Being able to highlight the text in the document is a good indicator of its accessibility; selectable text indicates a document is generally accessible because the program can read the words.
3. Raise听your volume so you can hear听Adobe听attempt to read the document.
4. Select View from the menu
   1. Select Read Out Loud and then Activate Read Out Loud; this will close the view menu
5. Select View from the menu
   1. Select Read Out Loud;
   2. Select听Read to End of Document
      1. If the document is accessible,听Adobe will begin to read the document left-to-right out loud.
      2. If the document is inaccessible,听Adobe听will respond with the verbal phrase
         鈥淲arning, Empty Page.鈥�

Change Reading Speed, Voice, and Pitch of Read Out Loud

1. Select Edit, then Select Preferences.
2. In the categories list, select Reading.
3. In the Read Out Loud section, you can change the volume, voice used, pitch, and words per minute.
   1. To change pitch and words per minute, uncheck Use default speech attributes.