Government documents are meant for everyone. Policies, schemes, public notices, tenders, forms, and reports must be accessible to all citizens, including people with disabilities. However, a large number of government PDFs remain inaccessible - often created as scanned images, poorly structured, or incomplete - to users with assistive technologies.
PDF accessibility remediation is the process of fixing these issues to ensure equal access, usability, and compliance with accessibility laws and standards.
PDF accessibility and Government documents – Two peas in a pod!
Government bodies serve a diverse population that includes people with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor disabilities. Inaccessible PDFs prevent many citizens from accessing essential information independently.
Accessible PDFs:
- Enable screen reader users to navigate content efficiently.
- Support keyboard-only navigation.
- Improve readability for users with cognitive or learning disabilities.
- Ensure information is available without assistance.
Beyond inclusion, accessibility is a legal and ethical responsibility for public sector organizations.
Legal and policy requirements for accessible government PDFs
Most governments mandate digital accessibility for public content. Common regulatory drivers include:
- WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) as the global standard.
- Section 508 (US) applies to federal agencies.
- EN 301 549 (EU) for public sector ICT.
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, India, is aligned with WCAG.
- ADA Title II requirements for state and local governments.
Failure to remediate PDFs can result in legal complaints, penalties, reputational damage, and the exclusion of citizens from essential services.
Common accessibility issues in government PDFs
Government documents often contain complex layouts and legacy files, which introduce several accessibility challenges:
- Scanned PDFs without selectable or readable text.
- Missing or incorrect document structure (headings, lists, tables).
- No defined reading order.
- Missing alternative text for images, charts, and logos.
- Inaccessible tables without proper headers.
- Poor color contrast in text and graphics.
- Forms without labels or keyboard operability.
These issues make PDFs unusable for screen readers, magnifiers, and other assistive technologies.
PDF accessibility remediation – Overview!
PDF accessibility remediation involves modifying an existing PDF so it meets accessibility standards without changing the original content. The process ensures that the document is:
- Perceivable - Content can be read or heard.
- Operable - Navigable using a keyboard or assistive tools.
- Understandable – Clear structure and language.
- Robust – Compatible with current and future assistive technologies.
Important steps in government PDF remediation
- Document assessment and prioritization
- Citizen-facing documents.
- Legal notices, schemes, and forms.
- Frequently accessed or downloadable PDFs.
Government departments often manage thousands of PDFs. Remediation starts by auditing documents and prioritizing:
- Text recognition and cleanup
Scanned PDFs require OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to convert images into readable text, followed by correction of recognition errors.
- Tagging and semantic structure
- Headings and subheadings
- Paragraphs and lists
- Tables with headers and data cells
- Footnotes and references
PDF tagging defines:
This structure enables screen readers to interpret content logically.
- Reading order correction
Content must follow a logical reading sequence, especially in multi-column layouts, tables, and mixed text-image documents.
- Alternative text for non-text content
Images, charts, graphs, signatures, and icons must include meaningful alt text that conveys purpose and context.
- Accessible tables and forms
- Tables need header identification and logical navigation.
- Forms must include labelled fields, tab order, and clear instructions.
- Color, contrast, and visual adjustments
Text and background contrast must meet WCAG requirements, ensuring readability for users with low vision or color blindness.
- Validation and assistive technology testing
- Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- Keyboard-only navigation
- PDF accessibility checkers
Final documents are tested using:
This ensures real-world usability, not just technical compliance.
Manual vs automated PDF remediation
Automated tools
AI-based tools help remediate large volumes of PDFs quickly by:
- Auto-tagging documents
- Detecting missing alt text
- Flagging accessibility errors
However, automation alone is not sufficient for complex government documents.
Manual remediation
Manual accessibility audit is essential for:
- Accurate reading order
- Meaningful alt text
- Complex tables and multilingual content
- Legal and policy documents where accuracy is critical.
A hybrid approach - automation with expert validation is ideal for government-scale remediation.
Benefits of accessible government PDFs
- Equitable access to public information
- Stronger legal and regulatory compliance
- Improved service delivery and administrative efficiency
- Better discoverability of government content
- Support for multilingual and diverse user needs
- Long-term cost and risk reduction
Government PDFs often contain critical information such as welfare schemes, tax guidelines, land records, examination notices, and public health advisories. Accessible PDFs ensure that government information is not restricted to intermediaries and that every citizen can access it independently.
Most accessibility-related complaints against public bodies originate from inaccessible documents rather than websites. Remediated PDFs help governments meet WCAG 2.1/2.2 conformance obligations and reduce exposure to litigation. Read more information about SEC regulations for PDF accessibility.
Inaccessible PDFs increase dependency on government staff for clarification, manual assistance, and alternate formats. Accessible documents reduce grievance redressal load.
Accessible PDFs are properly structured, searchable, and machine-readable. This benefits search engines' indexing of public documents.
Government PDFs often exist in multiple languages and scripts. Accessibility remediation improves readability, supports assistive technologies, and helps senior citizens access public information.
While remediation requires upfront investment, accessible PDFs prevent repeated remediation of the same legacy files and lower long-term document maintenance costs.
Building accessibility into government workflows
Remediation should not be a one-time effort. Government agencies can achieve sustainable accessibility by:
- Creating accessible PDFs at source, not after publication
- Standardize accessible document templates
- Integrate accessibility into approval and review processes
- Training staff on accessibility best practices
- Use automation strategically for scale
- Maintain centralized accessibility governance
- Partnering with accessibility remediation experts
The most effective way to reduce remediation effort is to generate accessible PDFs from the beginning. Government departments should use accessible authoring tools such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Adobe InDesign with accessibility features enabled. Apply best practices to remediate PDFs.
Government communication relies heavily on standardized formats - circulars, tenders, policy notifications, reports, and forms. Establishing accessible templates ensures consistency and compliance across departments. Templates reduce human error and ensure accessibility even when documents are created by non-technical staff.
Accessibility should be treated like legal or financial validation. Government workflows can include accessibility checks as a mandatory step before document approval. Embedding accessibility into approval workflows prevents non-compliant documents from reaching the public domain.
Sustainable accessibility depends on people, not just tools. Governments should invest in role-based accessibility training and awareness programs explaining how inaccessible PDFs affect citizens.
Government agencies often need to remediate and publish large volumes of PDFs. AI-driven accessibility tools automatically tag documents, identify barriers, and flag non-compliant elements.
Accessibility should be governed at an organizational level rather than handled independently by each department. There should be common remediation standards & tools and shared repositories of accessible guidance.
Government agencies can partner with accessibility remediation experts - especially when dealing with large volumes of legacy PDFs, complex policy documents, or tight compliance timelines. Expert partners bring specialized knowledge of WCAG requirements, assistive technology testing, and government-specific document structures. They also help scale remediation efforts efficiently, support audit readiness, and guide teams on best practices.
Read more: SEC regulations for PDF accessibility
In a nutshell,
PDF accessibility remediation is essential for transparent, inclusive, and compliant government communication. As public services continue to move online, ensuring that government documents are accessible is not optional - it is fundamental to digital equity. By investing in structured remediation processes and long-term accessibility strategies, governments can ensure that every citizen has equal access to information, services, and opportunities.
We support government agencies in making PDF documents accessible and usable for all readers. Government agencies manage large volumes of public-facing PDFs that must remain accessible and compliant. We provide expert PDF accessibility remediation services aligned with WCAG, PDF / UA ISO 14289, and Section 508 requirements. Each document is reviewed, tagged, and structured to support screen readers and assistive technologies. This approach helps to reduce compliance gaps while improving access for citizens with disabilities. Reliable remediation supports consistent, accessible communication across government departments. Reach out hello@skynettechnologies.com for more information.