Section 508 HHS Compliant PDF Checklist
The following checklist is from the Department of Health and Human Services website (http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/accessiblefiles/checklistpdf.html). Documents that pass all applicable requirements on this list are considered to be in compliance with Section 508, as interpreted by HHS. Updated 03/2103
ID | 1.0.Master Requirements for all Documents |
| 1.1 | Does the document file name not contain spaces and/or special characters? |
| 1.2 | Is the document file name concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and does it make the contents of the file clear? |
| 1.3 | Have the Document Properties for Title, Author (an HHS OpDiv, StaffDiv, or Program Office—not an individual’s names), Subject (AKA Description), Keywords, and Language been filled out? |
| 1.4 | Does the document utilize recommended fonts (i.e., Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, or Calibri)? |
| 1.5 | Have track changes been accepted or rejected and turned off? |
| 1.6 | Have comments been removed and formatting marks been turned off? |
| 1.7 | Does the document refrain from using flashing/flickering text and/or animated text? |
| 1.8 | Do all URLs contain the correct hyperlink and display the fully qualified URL (i.e.,http://www.samhsa.gov and notwww.samhsa.gov) and are they keyboard accessible? |
| 1.9 | Are all URLs linked to correct Web destinations? |
| 1.10 | Are all internal links/TOC entries functioning correctly (if linked)? |
| 1.11 | Are links (including e-mail addresses) keyboard accessible? |
| 1.12 | Has a separate accessible version of the document been provided when there is no other way to make the content accessible? |
| 1.13 | Is the color contrast ratio between foreground text and background color at least 4.5:1? |
| 1.14 | Has the document been reviewed in Print Preview for a final visual check? |
ID | 2.0. General Layout and Formatting Requirements |
| 2.1 | Is the document free of scanned images of text? |
| 2.2 | Have bookmarks been included in all PDFs that are more than 9 pages long? And, if bookmarks are present, are they logical? |
| 2.3 | Are decorative images marked as background/artifact? |
| 2.4 | Have all scanned signatures been removed from the PDF? (see http://webstandards.hhs.gov/standards/41) |
| 2.5 | If there is an automated accessibility checker in the program used to create the PDF, has that been run and does it pass? |
| 2.6 | Is the document free of layout tables? |
| 2.7 | Do images/graphics appear crisp and legible? |
| 2.8 | If a table of contents (TOC) is present, are the page numbers correct, and, if linked, does the TOC function correctly? |
ID | |
| 3.1 | Have PDF tags been added to the document? |
| 3.2 | Does the order of the PDF Tags match that of the order that the content should be read in? |
| 3.3 | Has the PDF been formatted using Style elements (i.e., the title of the document as Heading 1, the first-order heading as Heading 2, etc.?) |
| 3.4 | Are heading styles organized in a hierarchal and logical fashion, with consecutive headings (i.e., no missing heading levels). |
| 3.5 | If nonstandard/custom tags are used, have they been mapped correctly in the Document Roles dialogue box and verified as working via assistive technology testing: (e.g., JAWS, Window Eyes, NVDA, and Dragon)? |
| 3.6 | Have documents with multicolumn text, tables, or call-out boxes been checked for correct reading order? |
| 3.7 | Are any footnotes or references tagged with standard Note and Reference tags and placed in the proper logical reading order? |
ID | 4.0. Document Images Requirement |
| 4.1 | Is the document free of background images or watermarks? |
| 4.2 | Are multiple associated images on the same page (e.g., boxes in an organizational chart) grouped as one object? |
| 4.3 | Have all multilayered objects been flattened into one image and does that image use one alternative text description for the image? |
| 4.4 | Do all images, grouped images, and nontext elements that convey information have meaningful alternative-text descriptions? |
| 4.5 | Do complex images (i.e., charts and graphs) have descriptive text near the image (perhaps as a caption)? |
ID | 5.0. Lists and PDF Tables |
5.1 | Have lists been tagged completely, making use of all four of the following tags: L, LI, Lbl, and LBody tags? |
| 5.2 | If the document has a tabular appearance, was that tabular structure made using the table option (as opposed to manual tabs and/or spaces)? |
| 5.3 | Are blank cells avoided? |
| 5.4 | Do all tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top to bottom? |
| 5.5 | Do all data tables in the document have Row and/or Column headers? |
| 5.6 | Do header rows repeat across pages if the table is multiple pages? |
| 5.7 | Are all table cells, with the exception of those in the Header Rows or columns, designated as data cells? |
| 5.8 | Are data cells set so they do not split across pages? |
| 5.9 | If the table is a simple table, does it have scoping applied to the appropriate Row/Column Headers? |
| 5.10 | If the table is a complex table, does it have id and header attributes to associate the data cells with the column/row headers? |
| 5.11 | Are all tables described and labeled (where appropriate)? Note: In some cases naming/numbering of tables may not be appropriate. For example, a small data table in a presentation may not need a reference. |
ID | 6.0. Form Fields |
| 6.1 | Do all form fields have correct labels and markups:
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| 6.2 | Are all form fields keyboard accessible? |
| 6.3 | Are all multiple-choice answers keyboard accessible and grouped together as form-field sets?
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