Both businesses and government institutions rely on PDFs to share important documents with the public. Policies, forms, reports, public notices, training materials, and guides are often distributed in PDF format because they’re easy to share, easy to open, and they keep formatting consistent from one device to the next.
The problem is that many PDFs were created before accessibility was a major focus, so they’re often missing the features that help people with disabilities use them properly. That can make them difficult to navigate with screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technology.
Accessibility has always mattered, especially for documents that are shared with the public. Making information available online is only part of the process. Those documents also need to be usable for people who rely on assistive technology. In some cases, accessibility is required under federal or state guidelines, which means existing PDFs may need to be updated to meet those standards. For many teams, this can mean reviewing a large number of files without a clear starting point.
Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to make your existing PDF library accessible, each with its own advantages depending on your situation.
Method 1: Recreate Your Documents from Scratch
Sometimes, the easiest way to make a PDF accessible is to just rebuild it. This works best when only a small number of documents need to be addressed, or when the documents are simple enough that starting fresh feels more efficient than trying to repair what’s already there.
Recreating a document usually means taking the content from an existing PDF and rebuilding it in a format that supports accessibility, like Microsoft Word, InDesign, or another document editor. From there, the file can be exported into a properly structured PDF that includes the tags and formatting assistive technology relies on. In some cases, a full rebuild isn’t even necessary. If the document was originally created in a digital program and the original file is still available, it may be possible to pick up where things left off and make accessibility improvements directly in the source file before creating a new PDF version.
Pros of Recreate Your Documents from Scratch
Rebuilding a document gives you full control over how everything is structured. The layout, heading hierarchy, and reading order can all be set up with accessibility in mind from the start, which usually leads to a more polished and consistent result. It also gives you a chance to clean up formatting issues that may have built up over time, especially in files that have been edited or reused repeatedly.
Recreating a document can also improve its overall quality. If a PDF feels outdated, cluttered, or no longer matches your current branding, starting fresh allows you to fix those issues while making sure the final version works for everyone.
Cons of Recreate Your Documents from Scratch
Rebuilding PDFs can take a long time, particularly when you’re dealing with a large volume of documents. It can also be time-consuming when working with more complex files, since every layout element, table, and formatting detail has to be recreated from scratch.
This method also depends on having someone who understands how to build and export accessible documents correctly. Without that knowledge, a file may look fine on the surface but still miss important accessibility requirements. As the number of documents grows, this process can become difficult to manage, especially for teams with limited time or resources.
When It Might Be The Right Choice
Recreating documents from scratch is usually the best fit when there are only a few PDFs that need to be updated, or when the documents are relatively simple in structure. It’s also a good option when the files are already due for an update anyway, whether that means refreshing the layout, cleaning up outdated content, or changing out form fields.
Method 2: Work With a Professional PDF Remediation Service
In some situations, the fastest way to make your PDFs accessible is to hand the work off to people who do it every day. Professional remediation services modify your existing PDFs so they meet accessibility requirements and function as intended.
The process involves adding the necessary tags, correcting reading order, and making sure things like tables and form fields function the way they should. This method is a popular choice when deadlines are approaching, the document library is large, or there just isn’t enough internal time to take this on without it turning into a major disruption.
Pros of Working With a Professional
One of the biggest benefits of working with a remediation vendor is speed. Experts who specializes in accessibility can remediate documents much faster than someone who’s learning as they go, especially those that include forms, multi-page layouts, tables, or other formatting issues.
This reduces pressure on staff since the work can be completed without pulling anyone away from their core responsibilities. It also provides more confidence that the documents have been handled correctly and meet accessibility requirements.
Cons of Working With a Professional
Professional remediation can be more expensive than other methods, especially when working through a large archive. It can also create an ongoing dependency if new PDFs are published regularly, since the same accessibility issues may continue unless there’s a long-term plan in place.
There’s also some coordination involved. Files need to be shared, tracked, reviewed, and returned, and someone still has to manage what’s been completed. Vendor quality can vary as well, so it’s important to choose a provider with real experience and a reliable process.
When It Might Be The Right Choice
Outsourcing this process makes the most sense when there’s a large number of PDFs that need to be fixed quickly, or when the documents are complex enough that mistakes could cause real issues. It’s also a strong option when internal staff don’t have the time or interest to learn remediation, especially when accessibility requirements are already pressing.
For teams that want accessible PDFs without taking on the work internally, professional remediation is often the most direct path forward.
Method 3 (Train or Hire Someone In-House)
If the first two methods feel like opposite ends of the spectrum, this option sits somewhere in the middle.
Some teams choose to handle PDF accessibility internally by training an existing employee or hiring someone with experience in accessible documents. This can be a strong long-term investment, especially when PDFs are created regularly and accessibility is a priority.
Pros of Hiring Within
Handling PDF remediation in-house gives you more control over timing and priorities. Instead of waiting on a vendor or treating accessibility as a one-and-done project, the work can happen as documents are updated, published, or as requested. For teams that produce a steady stream of PDFs, having someone internally who understands accessibility helps prevent the same issues from building up over time.
It can also feel more efficient in the long run. Once someone is trained, the process tends to move faster, especially for documents that follow consistent formatting. Since that person is already familiar with the content, it’s often easier to catch issues that might be overlooked, such as confusing sections, inconsistent formatting, or documents that need updating.
Cons of Hiring Within
The biggest challenge is that remediation takes real skill, and it takes time to learn. Someone can’t pick it up in a day and start producing accessible PDFs at a professional level. Without proper training, it’s easy to create a file that looks fine visually but still doesn’t function properly for assistive technology.
This also depends on internal bandwidth. Even when the right person is available, remediation requires focused attention. If it’s treated as a side responsibility, it often gets pushed aside when other priorities come up. And when only one person handles the work, it can create gaps if they change roles, leave, or become overloaded.
When It Might Be The Right Choice
Training or hiring internally makes sense when accessibility is an ongoing need and there’s enough document volume to support building that expertise over time. It’s also a good fit for teams that want more control over quality and turnaround without relying entirely on outside support.
For teams that publish PDFs regularly and want accessibility to be part of their normal process, internal remediation can be a smart move.
Method 4: Use PDF Remediation Software
For teams with a lot of PDFs to fix, remediation software can be one of the most efficient ways to move forward. Instead of rebuilding documents one by one from scratch or sending everything out to a third-party, PDF remediation software gives you an easy way to update existing files so they meet accessibility expectations.
Most remediation tools are designed to handle the parts of accessibility that are easy to miss when working manually, such as tagging, reading order, headings, tables, and form fields. This makes it easier to work through a large library of documents without treating every file like a brand-new project.
Remediation Software Pros
One of the biggest advantages of using remediation software is consistency. When working through a large number of PDFs, these tools help standardize the process so documents follow the same structure and formatting from one file to the next.
Software can also be a great option when accessibility isn’t a one-time fix. If new PDFs are constantly being added to a website or shared internally, remediation software gives teams a way to keep up without having to outsource every update. It allows you to stay in control, keep everything in one place, and maintain an accessibility process that can actually scale over time.
Remediation Software Cons
Even with the right tool, someone still has to do the work. Remediation software speeds things up, but it doesn’t remove the need for review and decision-making, especially when documents are more complex. Forms, tables, charts, and heavily designed PDFs may still take extra attention to get right.
There’s also a learning curve at the beginning. The tools are much easier than trying to do everything manually, but teams still need a little time to get comfortable with the process and build consistency. And like any internal solution, remediation software works best when someone owns it, rather than letting it become another task that gets pushed aside.
When It Might Be The Right Choice
PDF remediation software is often the best fit when there’s a large archive of documents to update and the need for accessibility is ongoing. It’s especially helpful for teams that want a repeatable, manageable way to stay on top of accessibility without rebuilding everything or relying completely on an outside service.
For businesses and institutions that want faster progress, more consistency, and long-term control, software is often the most realistic and sustainable option.
Choosing a Path (And Getting Help When You Need It)
Most businesses end up using a mix of the methods we described here, depending on how many PDFs need to be remediated, how complex they are, and how quickly they need to be updated. Choosing the right path often comes down to time, internal resources, and whether accessibility is a one-time cleanup or something that needs to stay consistent long-term.
For teams that need a little extra help getting this process moving, SecureScan can help.
SecureScan has been helping businesses manage, protect, and digitize important documents for more than 23 years, and accessibility is becoming a bigger part of that work. Some teams want a fully supported option where accessible PDFs are delivered as part of their scanning project. Others want a way to remediate documents internally without having to reinvent the process from scratch.
That’s why SecureScan offers Accessibility On Demand, an easy-to-use PDF remediation software designed to make accessibility work faster and more manageable, especially when there’s a large library of existing documents to work through. SecureScan can also convert paper documents into fully accessible PDFs by pairing professional scanning services with remediation, which is a great fit for teams that still have valuable information stored in physical files.
To learn more about Accessibility On Demand, or to talk through the right approach for your documents, contact SecureScan for more information.