I need our internal reports to be ADA compliant PDFs, but the accessibility check still fails on missing tags after I export from Word. Has anyone dealt with getting the reading order right?
I ran into this with Word exports too. I had to tag the PDF, set the document language and title, then check the reading order manually, especially around tables, headings, and images. If it still fails, try opening the PDF in Adobe Acrobat’s accessibility checker since Word’s export usually misses some tags.
In Word, use the built in Heading styles for titles and section headers before you export, that usually fixes most tag and reading order problems. Also check your tables have header rows marked, that trips people up a lot. What version of Word are you on?
When you export from Word, click Options in the Save As dialog and make sure ‘Document structure tags for accessibility’ is checked. Also make sure you use proper Heading styles in Word rather than manual bolding. That usually fixes the tags and sets the reading order correctly.
First thing I’d check is Word’s own Accessibility Checker before exporting, especially headings and alt text. When you Save As PDF, hit Options and tick “Document structure tags for accessibility” so the tags actually come through. Reading order usually follows the order things were placed, so text boxes and floating images are the usual culprits, try anchoring them inline. Keep a backup of the original before you fiddle.
Word exports always leave tags messy for me.
I open the file in PDFcap and add the missing tags, then drag the reading order into the right sequence. That’s the easiest way I’ve found.
Avoid relying only on the Word export or the check will keep failing.
Not sure if it’s the same on Mac.
Start in Word by using real heading styles, table headers, alt text, and simple lists before exporting. That gave me much better tags than trying to fix everything afterward.
For reading order, I check the PDF with a screen reader or its accessibility checker, especially around tables, text boxes, and charts. Decorative items should be marked as decorative, while meaningful charts need a short description.
Had the same issue with a family tax report. In Word, I used proper heading styles and table headers, then exported with “Document structure tags for accessibility” enabled rather than printing to PDF. Afterward, I corrected the Tags panel and Reading Order tool, marking decorative items as artifacts. The checker can still miss context, so I also tested keyboard navigation and read it through with NVDA.
we hit this with our intake forms. fix it in word first: real heading styles, alt text on images, and tick the document structure tags option when saving. for stubborn reading order stuff, acrobat pro has a reading order tool to fix the tag tree manually.
@distracted_hunter I had the exact same tagging issue when a submission portal rejected my thesis. My old laptop would freeze whenever I tried fixing the reading order after exporting. I found it easier to just strip out all floating objects in Word first. Dragging tags around in PDFcap is fine if you have the patience.
@distracted_hunter honestly i tried pdfcap for my menus but i usually just fix the order right in word. to be fair it saves me from doing the same manual tag fixes every time i update prices and export again.
Yeah version matters more than people think, @guest.238671. I’m on 365 and the header row tagging still gets missed half the time even with built in styles. I just double check it in the Tags panel after export instead of trusting Word alone.