PDF Accessibility Checker
Instantly check a PDF against the accessibility gates that matter for ADA, Section 508, and WCAG — right in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Never uploaded
Analyzed entirely on your device — safe for gov, legal, and healthcare PDFs.
Instant first-pass
11 machine-checkable PDF/UA + WCAG gates in seconds.
Honest scope
Tells you what still needs a human — no fake compliance stamp.
Drop a PDF to check its accessibility
or click to browse
Related Tools
An inaccessible PDF is invisible to the millions of people who rely on screen readers — and increasingly a legal liability. US ADA Title II and Section 508 deadlines (2026–2027) and the EU Accessibility Act (enforced since June 2025) are pushing public-sector, education, legal, and healthcare organizations to make every document conform to PDF/UA (ISO 14289) and WCAG. This free checker gives you an instant first-pass screen of the structural gates that cause the majority of real-world failures.
It checks the machine-verifiable essentials: is the PDF tagged, does it have a logical structure tree, does it contain real text (not just a scanned image), is there a document title and a declared language, are headings used without skipped levels, and do images have alt text. Each result comes with plain-English guidance on why it matters and exactly how to fix it in Acrobat Pro or your source application.
Unlike most accessibility checkers, this one runs 100% in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded to a server. That's essential for the government, legal, and healthcare documents that most need checking and often cannot be sent to a third-party service. It's deliberately honest: it clearly marks what it cannot verify automatically (color contrast, reading order, alt-text quality) so you know exactly what still needs a person to review, and it does not replace full PDF/UA validation with PAC or veraPDF.
PDF Accessibility Checker — Frequently Asked Questions
Does this make my PDF ADA / Section 508 compliant?
It's an instant first-pass screen of the machine-checkable structure that causes most real-world accessibility failures — tags, a real text layer, title, language, headings, and alt text. It does not certify PDF/UA or 508 compliance; that requires manual review plus a full validator like PAC or veraPDF. Think of it as the fast triage step before that deeper work.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The entire analysis runs in your browser using WebAssembly — your PDF is never uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone. That's especially important for the gov, legal, and healthcare documents that most need accessibility checks and often can't be sent to a third-party server. Close the tab and the file is gone.
What standards does it check against?
The gates map to PDF/UA (ISO 14289), WCAG 2.x, and Section 508 — specifically the parts a machine can verify: is the PDF tagged, does it have a structure tree, a real text layer (not a scan), a document title, a declared language, logical headings, and alt text on images.
What can't it check automatically?
Color contrast, reading-order correctness, alt-text quality, and meaningful link text all require human judgment — no automated tool can verify them reliably. We list these explicitly in the report so you know what still needs a person to review.
How do I fix the issues it finds?
Each failed check comes with concrete remediation guidance. Most fixes happen in Acrobat Pro's accessibility tools (autotag, set title/language, add alt text) or by re-exporting from the source app (Word, InDesign) with tagged-PDF options enabled.
Does this make my PDF ADA / Section 508 compliant?
It's an instant first-pass screen of the machine-checkable structure that causes most real-world accessibility failures — tags, a real text layer, title, language, headings, and alt text. It does not certify PDF/UA or 508 compliance; that requires manual review plus a full validator like PAC or veraPDF. Think of it as the fast triage step before that deeper work.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The entire analysis runs in your browser using WebAssembly — your PDF is never uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone. That's especially important for the gov, legal, and healthcare documents that most need accessibility checks and often can't be sent to a third-party server. Close the tab and the file is gone.
What standards does it check against?
The gates map to PDF/UA (ISO 14289), WCAG 2.x, and Section 508 — specifically the parts a machine can verify: is the PDF tagged, does it have a structure tree, a real text layer (not a scan), a document title, a declared language, logical headings, and alt text on images.
What can't it check automatically?
Color contrast, reading-order correctness, alt-text quality, and meaningful link text all require human judgment — no automated tool can verify them reliably. We list these explicitly in the report so you know what still needs a person to review.
How do I fix the issues it finds?
Each failed check comes with concrete remediation guidance. Most fixes happen in Acrobat Pro's accessibility tools (autotag, set title/language, add alt text) or by re-exporting from the source app (Word, InDesign) with tagged-PDF options enabled.