{"id":2209,"date":"2025-05-27T15:50:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T13:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/?p=2209"},"modified":"2026-11-05T09:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T08:01:48","slug":"pdf-ua-accessible-pdfs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/news\/pdf-ua-barrierefreie-pdfs\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessible PDFs: What the Accessibility Act and PDF\/UA require"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2209\" class=\"elementor elementor-2209\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1454623e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1454623e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d6cbc24 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7d6cbc24\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since June 28, 2025, the following regulations apply in Austria: <strong>Accessibility Act<\/strong> (BaFG) and in Germany the <strong>Barrier-free accessibility enhancement law<\/strong> (BFSG). Both oblige many companies to make digital products and services accessible without barriers. This also applies to PDF documents that are made available digitally.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what exactly does \u201ebarrier-free\u201c mean in the context of PDF files? And how can legal requirements such as the BaFG be fulfilled with technical standards such as PDF\/UA?<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 40px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>What does \u201ePDF not accessible\u201c mean?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The note means: The document lacks the technical structure that assistive tools like screen readers need. Visually, the PDF can look flawless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Typical causes are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Missing tags:<\/b> Headings, paragraphs, and tables are not marked as such.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Incorrect reading order:<\/b> The content is read out in a different order than it is intended to be.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Missing alternative text:<\/b> The images and graphics do not have any description.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>No voice input:<\/b> The screen reader does not know which language it should read in.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Text as an image:<\/b> In scanned documents, the text is not actually present as text.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Whether a PDF is accessible can be determined using testing tools such as the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC). The standard PDF\/UA is the benchmark for this.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is PDF\/UA?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PDF\/UA (Universal Accessibility)<\/strong> is an international standard (ISO 14289) that regulates how PDF documents must be created so that they are accessible to all people - including those with visual, hearing or cognitive impairments. The standard ensures that:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contents is readable for<strong> screen readers<\/strong> ,<\/li>\n\n<li>A <strong>meaningful navigation structure<\/strong> (e.g. headings, lists) is in place,<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Alternative texts for images<\/strong> are provided,<\/li>\n\n<li>The document <strong>can be operated<\/strong> with a keyboard,<\/li>\n\n<li>and <strong>Metadata<\/strong> such as <strong>language and title<\/strong> are correctly set.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br \/>Which companies must provide accessible PDFs?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the BaFG (Austria) and BFSG (Germany), the European Directive (EU) 2019\/882 is being implemented. This requires many companies to make digital information accessible without barriers \u2013 also in the form of barrier-free PDFs.<br \/><strong>Particularly affected are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>e-commerce services (e.g. web stores),<\/li>\n\n<li>digital booking systems (e.g. tourism portals),<\/li>\n\n<li>Publishers with digital publications,<\/li>\n\n<li>Banks,<\/li>\n\n<li>Transportation companies,<\/li>\n\n<li>Telecommunications provider,<\/li>\n\n<li>as well as public authorities and other service providers with online offerings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\">Anyone who fails to meet the requirements risks fines and a loss of reputation. The amount of the penalties is determined by each country individually:<\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><strong>Germany (BFSG):<\/strong> up to \u20ac100,000, in less serious cases up to \u20ac10,000<\/li>\n<li><strong>Austria (BaFG):<\/strong> escalated according to company size, up to \u20ac80,000 for large companies<\/li>\n<li><strong>Switzerland<\/strong> The European Accessibility Act does not apply directly, but it does affect companies that offer their services in the EU.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other EU countries:<\/strong> own regulations based on the same directive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How an accessible PDF works<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A PDF is considered an accessible PDF if it meets the following requirements:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tagged PDF<\/strong>- All content must be provided with structural tags (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables).<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Alternative texts for images<\/strong>- Every graphic needs a meaningful descriptive text.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Reading order<\/strong>- The sequence of content must be logical and linear.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Navigation elements<\/strong>- Tables of contents, bookmarks and links must function correctly.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Contrast and font size<\/strong>- Texts should be customizable and designed with sufficient contrast.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How companies should prepare now<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effort involved in converting to accessible PDFs can be considerable, depending on the scope of the content. It is therefore advisable to take the following steps now:<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"1\">\n<li><em>Check PDF workflows: <\/em>Which tools and templates are used? Do they support PDF\/UA?<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Train employees<\/em>: Designers, editors and developers should be trained in accessible document creation.<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Check existing PDFs<\/em>: Tools such as the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) can be used to check PDFs for conformity.<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Implement standards: <\/em>Rely consistently on PDF\/UA in new projects.<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Obtain advice:<\/em> Agencies or specialists for digital document management can provide support with implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How neeyo helps with the implementation of PDF\/UA<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a specialized partner in the field of customer communication management (CCM) <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/\">neeyo<\/a><\/strong> supports companies on their way to barrier-free communication - from analysis and technical implementation to ongoing quality assurance.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Our services in the area of PDF\/UA:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shipping-specific selection<\/strong> Whether accessibility is necessary (digital) or not (print)<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Automated tagging<\/strong> of sections (headings, continuous text, etc.)<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Logical reading order <\/strong>through the document structure<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Language tags<\/strong> are set automatically<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Possibility to add all other metadata manually<\/strong> (Alternative texts for images, tables, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><br \/>Conclusion: Start now - with neeyo as your partner<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PDF\/UA is not just a legal requirement, but a sign of digital responsibility and inclusive communication. The neeyo.suite supports the requirements of PDF\/UA \u2013 automatically where possible and with clear verification steps where people decide. How to permanently embed accessibility into the document structure is shown in our blog post <a href=\"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/news\/accessible-documents\/\">Barrier-free documents<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What \u201ePDF is not accessible\u201c means, what PDF\/UA requires and how companies implement the legal requirements.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[13,18,14,17,12,15],"class_list":["post-2209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-barrierefreies-pdf","tag-barrierefreiheitsstaerkungsgesetz","tag-barrierefreiheitsgesetz","tag-neeyo-suite","tag-pdf-ua","tag-pdf-ua-universal-accessibility"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2209"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10522,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions\/10522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neeyo.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}