AccessPreflight field notes
Accessibility work, written for the person doing it.
Clear guides for scoping an audit, repairing a PDF, checking a DOCX file, and deciding what software can prove. Each article links to the standard or product documentation behind its claims.
Audits
2 articlesWhat an accessibility audit covers
A plain account of scope, sampling, automated checks, human evaluation, and the evidence an audit should leave behind.
Read articleAn accessibility audit report that people can use
See how scope, findings, evidence, ownership, and retest status fit into a report without collapsing into one score.
Read articleWhat makes a PDF accessible?
Tags matter, but so do readable text, correct order, useful alternatives, usable forms, and the document's actual meaning.
Read articleHow to make a PDF accessible
Start in the source document, repair the structure that survives export, and test the finished PDF instead of trusting conversion settings.
Read articleA practical PDF accessibility checklist
A working checklist for text, tags, reading order, headings, tables, links, forms, metadata, visual design, and manual review.
Read articleHow to test PDF accessibility
Use a machine checker for repeatable file conditions, then inspect reading order, alternatives, forms, and real navigation yourself.
Read articleTagged PDFs: what the tag tree is for
A tag tree gives headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures, and artifacts a programmatic structure that visual layout alone cannot supply.
Read articleHow to inspect an accessible PDF example
A sample file is useful when you inspect its tag tree, reading order, text alternatives, tables, metadata, and behavior with assistive technology.
Read articleRemediation
2 articlesA PDF remediation workflow that survives handoff
Keep the source, repair decision, reviewer note, and retest result connected so the same defect does not return next month.
Read articleWhat document remediation actually involves
Repair structure and meaning in the best available source, verify the output format, and record the checks that still require judgment.
Read articleStandards
2 articlesHow WCAG applies to PDF documents
WCAG success criteria can apply beyond web pages. WCAG2ICT and PDF techniques help translate them without turning examples into requirements.
Read articlePDF/UA explained without the certification fog
PDF/UA sets technical rules for accessible PDF structure. It does not judge every part of the document's content or user experience.
Read articlePolicy
1 articleDocuments
2 articlesDocument accessibility across DOCX and PDF
Accessible publishing starts with authoring structure and continues through conversion, testing, remediation, and the final delivery format.
Read articlePublishing documents without losing accessibility
Treat accessibility as part of authoring and release work. A last-minute PDF repair queue is slower and harder to review.
Read articlePatterns
2 articlesAccessible tables in web pages, Word, and PDF
Headers, cell relationships, captions, and a simple structure help readers keep context as they move through a data table.
Read articleAutomatic alternative text still needs an editor
A model can name visible objects. It cannot reliably know why an image appears here, what the author meant, or what nearby text already says.
Read articleFile formats
3 articlesWhat a DOCX file is and how to open one
DOCX is an Office Open XML package used for word-processing documents. Learn what sits inside it and which tools can open it.
Read articleDOC vs DOCX: the useful difference
DOC is the older binary Word format. DOCX uses an Open XML package, which changes how software reads, repairs, and exchanges the file.
Read articlePDF vs Word documents for accessible publishing
Word is usually the better repair source. PDF is often the delivery format. Accessibility has to survive the handoff between them.
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