My university portal just rejected my 80-page thesis PDF because it lacks accessibility tags for screen readers, and my deadline is this Friday. I originally exported it from Word on my Mac, so how can I properly add these tags without messing up all my formatting?
I agree, that rejection is annoying. Since you exported from Word on your Mac, I would fix it at the source instead of tagging the PDF afterwards. Open the original file, confirm your headings use built-in Heading styles and images have alt text, then use Word’s Export option and choose the ‘Best for electronic distribution and accessibility’ setting. Honestly, that usually adds the tags and keeps your formatting.
Don’t tag the PDF after the fact, go back to the Word file. In Word for Mac use File, Save As, pick PDF, and choose “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” so the tags carry over. Did you use real heading styles for chapters and sections? If not, fix that first or the tags will be useless.
If you still have the Word file, apply proper Heading styles and table header rows, then export using Word’s “Best for electronic distribution” option; otherwise Acrobat Pro’s Accessibility Checker can auto-tag it, but check reading order and table headers by hand. Avoid re-saving through random online converters, as they can wreck the layout and add privacy worries.
Honestly, I would fix the Word file first using proper heading styles, alt text, and Word’s Accessibility Checker, then export as PDF using “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility.” Check that “Document structure tags for accessibility” is enabled if shown. Avoid “Print to PDF,” since it often strips the tags while preserving the appearance.
@cameron2002 is spot on, so please dont panic about your deadline! I use Word for my event shcedules and setting proper heading styles keeps the page margins perfect when you export. Did this end up working for your thesis?
@Rando72836 right, no need to panic. I always keep a backup copy of the Word file before re-exporting, because that file is the only easy way to fix tags later without redoing the layout. If the portal still complains, open the PDF in Acrobat Pro and run the Accessibility Checker to see which tags are actually missing.
If you still have the original Word file, use Word’s own “Check Accessibility” tool then export to PDF again, it tags headings automatically way better than fixing it after the fact in a PDF editor.
if you still have the Word file, re-export from Word using its accessibility checker first. Fix heading styles, image alt text, and table headers there, then save as PDF so the tags are built in. PDFcap can help inspect the exported pages, but rebuilding tags on an 80-page PDF is harder than fixing the source. does your university specify a PDF/UA check or just tagged PDF?