7 - Document Properties
Document Title
You need to set the document title in the document properties. This is separate from giving the document a name when you save it. In Microsoft word you can add or change the document properties such as the title and author in File > Info.
In Adobe Acrobat Pro you can update the document properties by right clicking anywhere on the document.
The title should be as descriptive as possible.
Language
Your document needs to state its default language for assistive technology. If the document is created in Microsoft Word the default language should already be set to English, but you can check this under Review > Language.
We only publish PDF documents online, and sometimes the default language is not carried forward to the PDF document. The language can be checked and fixed in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks help people navigate longer documents, by allowing people to skip to the relevant section. Bookmarks are usually created when converting a Microsoft Word document to PDF using the table of contents, but rather than relying on the process working automatically you can create bookmarks in word under Insert > Bookmarks.
Tagging
An accessible PDF document needs to have tags within its content. Tags are hidden elements which help convey the structure of an accessible document to screen readers. By converting an accessible Word document into a PDF, you will often be creating accessibility tags automatically within the document. Be aware that there is no undo option when modifying PDFs so be sure to save often.
- Open the Document properties and select Document Title from the Show dropdown box. (File Menu > Properties > Initial View)
- Use the Add Tags to Document tool to automatically add tags to an untagged document. (View Menu > Tools > Accessibility > Add Tags to Document)
