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How do I fix an inaccessible PDF document?

PDF documents are among the most commonly used types of files in courses. Unfortunately, PDFs also create a significant number of accessibility issues for students who need to read them on mobile devices or with assistive technology, such as text-to-speech software or a screen reader. Ensuring that course content is accessible benefits all students, regardless of their abilities.

UVA's policy on Information Technology Accessibility (opens new window) states that course content must be accessible. However, an inaccessible PDF can be very challenging and time-consuming to fix, even when using a PDF remediation tool such as Equidox (opens new window).

The Learning Technology Services team has developed guiding questions to help you decide whether to remove, replace, or remediate inaccessible PDFs which are currently in your courses.

Do your students need to use it?

First, decide if the PDF is still relevant to your course. In many Canvas courses, the Files tool includes older documents that have been copied forward from previous iterations of the course. Are any of these PDFs still required materials for your students?

Did you create the PDF document?

Do you have the original document in a digital file format other than PDF?

If you have the original document in a more accessible format, for example a Word document or a web page (HTML), you can replace the PDF with the more accessible file.

First, check that the Word document is accessible. See the UVA Accessibility page: Accessible Document Creation (opens new window) for steps.

Once you have an accessible Word document to replace the PDF, follow the steps in:

  1. How do I upload a file to a course? (opens new window) to upload the Word document to Files.
  2. How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

HTML content can be added to a Canvas course using the Rich Content Editor in any tool where it is available (for example, Syllabus, Pages, Assignments). You can add text from a web page by copying and pasting it into the editor, or using the HTML view (recommended) to paste in the HTML.

To replace a PDF with HTML content:

  1. Decide where to put the HTML content. If you have several HTML pages to include in your course, we recommend using Modules to add and organize the pages:
    1. Follow the steps in How do I add course content as module items? (opens new window), selecting to add a Page, then [ New Page ].
    2. Select the name of the new page, then Edit.
  2. Follow the steps in one of these help articles to add the content in your course:
  3. Publish the module and page by following the steps in these articles:
  4. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

Note: We do not recommend uploading HTML files to the Files tool. Some instructors have encountered issues with Canvas trying to load HTML pages in Files as a preview in its DocViewer (opens new window) rather than loading them as web pages in a separate browser tab or window.

A link to a web page can be added to a Canvas course using the Rich Content Editor in any tool where it is available (for example, Syllabus, Pages, Assignments) or in Modules.

To replace a PDF with a link to a web page:

  1. Follow the steps in one of these help articles to add the link in your course:
  2. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

If you don't have the original document from which the PDF was created, you will either need to convert the file to a more accessible format and edit the converted file to ensure it is accessible, or remediate the PDF.

To convert and edit the file:

  1. Use SensusAccess (opens new window) to convert a PDF to docx - Microsoft Word.
  2. See the UVA Accessibility page: Accessible Document Creation (opens new window) for steps to make a Word document accessible.
  3. Follow the steps in How do I upload a file to a course? (opens new window) to upload the Word document to Files.
  4. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

To remediate the PDF, we recommend requesting access to training that will allow you to use Equidox (opens new window), then using the Equidox remediation tool.

We recommend reaching out to your Subject Liaison Librarian (opens new window) to request assistance with obtaining an accessible digital version of the document.

Where did you get the PDF file?

Scanned PDFs are among the most problematic for accessibility because they are often images of pages. These types of PDFs are very difficult to remediate.

We recommend reaching out to your Subject Liaison Librarian (opens new window) to request assistance with obtaining an accessible digital version of the document.

We recommend reaching out to your Subject Liaison Librarian (opens new window) to request assistance with obtaining an accessible digital version of the document.

  1. Check if the website has the document available in another, more accessible format, such as a tagged PDF or Word document. If they do, download that file, then:
    1. Follow the steps in How do I upload a file to a course? (opens new window) to upload the new version of the document to Files.
    2. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.
  2. If the website does not have a more accessible format available, we recommend reaching out to your Subject Liaison Librarian (opens new window) to request assistance with obtaining an accessible digital version of the document.

We recommend linking to the original web page in your Canvas course. A link to a web page can be added to a course using the Rich Content Editor in any tool where it is available (for example, Syllabus, Pages, Assignments) or in Modules.

To replace a PDF with a link to a web page:

  1. Follow the steps in one of these help articles to add the link in your course:
  2. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

Does your colleague have the document in a digital file format other than PDF that they can give you?

First, check that the Word document is accessible. See the UVA Accessibility page: Accessible Document Creation (opens new window) for steps.

Once you have an accessible Word document to replace the PDF, follow the steps in:

  1. How do I upload a file to a course? (opens new window) to upload the Word document to Files.
  2. How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

HTML content can be added to a Canvas course using the Rich Content Editor in any tool where it is available (for example, Syllabus, Pages, Assignments). You can add text from a web page by copying and pasting it into the editor, or using the HTML view (recommended) to paste in the HTML.

To replace a PDF with HTML content:

  1. Decide where to put the HTML content. If you have several HTML pages to include in your course, we recommend using Modules to add and organize the pages:
    1. Follow the steps in How do I add course content as module items? (opens new window), selecting to add a Page, then [ New Page ].
    2. Select the name of the new page, then Edit.
  2. Follow the steps in one of these help articles to add the content in your course:
  3. Publish the module and page by following the steps in these articles:
  4. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

Note: We do not recommend uploading HTML files to the Files tool. Some instructors have encountered issues with Canvas trying to load HTML pages in Files as a preview in its DocViewer (opens new window) rather than loading them as web pages in a separate browser tab or window.

A link to a web page can be added to a Canvas course using the Rich Content Editor in any tool where it is available (for example, Syllabus, Pages, Assignments) or in Modules.

To replace a PDF with a link to a web page:

  1. Follow the steps in one of these help articles to add the link in your course:
  2. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

If your colleague can't provide a copy of the original document from which the PDF was created, you will need to do one of the following:

  • If the file is from a book, journal, other print publication, or an online journal, reach out to your Subject Liaison Librarian (opens new window) to request assistance with obtaining an accessible digital version of the document.
  • Convert the file to a more accessible format and edit the converted file to ensure it is accessible.
  • Remediate the PDF.

To convert and edit the file:

  1. Use SensusAccess (opens new window) to convert a PDF to docx - Microsoft Word.
  2. See the UVA Accessibility page: Accessible Document Creation (opens new window) for steps to make a Word document accessible.
  3. Follow the steps in How do I upload a file to a course? (opens new window) to upload the Word document to Files.
  4. Follow the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window) to remove the PDF file.

To remediate the PDF, we recommend requesting access to training that will allow you to use Equidox (opens new window), then using the Equidox remediation tool.

Excellent! You can clear out that old file by following the steps in How do I delete a file or folder as an instructor? (opens new window).

Tip: To return to the first question, please refresh the page.

Congratulations, you are done!