Take the Path of Least Resistance
Creating an accessible course means ensuring all documents, including slide decks and spreadsheets, are accessible. Remediation should be a last resort. Rather, eliminate documents that do not directly relate to your course goals.
For those documents that remain, work with the Library to replace them with accessible versions. This can mean replacing the entire document with an updated accessible version provided by the publisher or linking out to an html version of the document. The Library will be able to provide additional guidance about these options.
When dealing with documents that cannot be sourced from the Library, consider whether the document can be turned into Canvas page or Word document.
Converting PDFs into Word Documents
If you must remediate a PDF, do so in the original Word document using Word's native accessibility checker.
Using the Accessibility Checker for Remediation
- How to Use: Go to the Review tab on the Word ribbon. Click on Check Accessibility.
- What it Does: The Accessibility Checker pane will open on the right side of your screen, listing any issues.
- The Checker will suggest the issues that are easy fixes, as well as guide you through fixing more complicated issues.
If you do not have the original Word document, export your PDF to Word, which you can do by selecting the "Export a PDF" option located under the File menu, and then use the accessibility checker as outlined above. You can also use SensusAccess to convert a PDF to a Word document.
Converting Word Documents to PDFs
Microsoft Word's accessibility checker and remediation options are largely intuitive and easy to use.
If your document must remain a PDF, you can remediate in Word and then export back to PDF.
Export the Word document to an accessible PDF using the "Save as PDF" option located under File in the menu bar at the top of the application. Using this option ensures accessibility settings are maintained. Do not use the option to create a PDF under Print.
SensusAccess for Document Conversion
SensusAccess allows anyone at Brown to convert an array of inaccessible file types (e.g. image-based PDFs, JPEG photos, PowerPoint presentations) into more accessible formats. It uses optical-character recognition (OCR) to make texts searchable, selectable, and screen-reader friendly.
You can use SensusAccess to covert a PDF to a Word document. You can also generate a tagged PDF, though you will need to check the document for accuracy.
The service can also be used to automatically convert documents into a range of alternate media including audiobooks, e-books, and digital Braille. In your course, you can choose to provide alternative formats on your own, or highlight this resource for students in case they would like to generate alternative formats that best suit their learning style.
To use the tool, visit the SensusAccess page and scroll to the Use SensusAccess section. To learn about the tool and accessibility best practices, visit the SensusAccess E-Learning Course.
Additional Resources
Would you like to learn more about document remediation? The following resources provide in-depth guides.
This six-minute video shows you three ways to tag a PDF: How to Tag a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2025
This seven-minute video explains how to convert a scanned article or book chapter into an accessible PDF: How to Make a Scanned PDF Accessible Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2025
Brown staff and faculty also have access to LinkedIn Learning content about how to make PDFs accessible:
And here are additional resources on creating accessible content:
- Creating Accessible Word Documents - Source: Explore Access
- Comprehensive Document Accessibility Guide - Source: WebAim
- Creating Accessible PowerPoint presentations - Source: WebAim
- Creating Accessible Content - Source: National Center on Disability and Access to Education
- Accessible Technology Guidelines - Source: Brown University