PDF Accessibility LWG

Background

The PDF Accessibility Liaison Working Group (LWG) was originally formed to continue the project started at the December 2018 PDF Techniques Accessibility Summit.

This presentation by Rene Jaun, who uses a screen reader to read, at PDF Accessibility Days in Copenhagen helps explain some of the problems with accessing digital documents: https://youtu.be/PQfuz4w34JI

The BETA release of the first tranche of Techniques was published in January, 2025.

Objective

Our goal is to help software developers, document authors and remediators to arrive at a common understanding of how to meet the needs of users who rely on assistive technology in order to read. The techniques include focussed, fully-functional example files, provide a basis for authoritative test results while ensuring software developers retain maximum flexibility and potential for innovation.

These techniques are entirely vendor-neutral. Each technique includes a fully functional PDF file demonstrating a correct or incorrect approach to the case. They are designed to focus attention on the file rather than the producing application.

Status

As of Q4 2025 the working group has published 82 techniques and is currently focused on techniques for Lists.

Accomplishments

New Accessibility Techniques for PDF: Lists
Published techniques – Techniques for Accessible PDF
Article – Techniques for Accessible PDF – Background
Article – New Techniques for Accessible PDF
Glossary of accessibility terminology in PDF
Webinar – Techniques for Accessible PDF: Introduction (YouTube)
Webinar – Techniques for Accessible PDF: Headings (YouTube)

How to participate in the Working Group

It’s possible to participate in the Working Group without attending meetings!

The Working Group’s activities are centered on a private GitHub repository.
Non-members may comment on published techniques via the public GitHub Repository
Working group members may attend the working group’s online meetings – currently Thursday, 1705–1800 CET / 1105–1200 ET / 0805–0900 PT, or review meeting notes and recordings of previous calls.

The PDF Accessibility LWG is open to all PDF Association Individual, Division, Full, Partner, Institutional and Liaison members. Non-member experts who wish to participate as either Invited or Liaison experts subject to their agreement with the PDF Association’s IPR Policy and Code of Conduct. Contact the community-manager@pdfa.org for more information.