How to Make Readings Accessible

DRAFT - 2026-APR-20 fz

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A very common access need for students is to be able to convert text to speech or to alter the formatting of the text to enlarge the type or change to a more readable font. ) Linking to books and articles provided by libraries and publishers is likely the simplest way to provide accessible readings. If you only have access to a PDF file or paper copy of a document, make sure that the version you are sharing with students can be read accurately by a screen reader.

Summary of tips

1. Link to existing online documents through the Library or publisher sites when available.
2. If an online version is not available, check accessibility of existing PDF files with Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit. 
3. If a PDF is unreadable, rescan or regenerate the file from a clean paper or digital copy. 

Best Option: Link to an existing file in the library or elsewhere online

Before taking too much time to create or check the readability of a PDF file for a reading, check for online versions. The library has online versions of many books and articles, and can provide digital reserves for a semester, or purchase access for text that are regularly used for a class or program. 

To find out more about available texts, or to request digital reserves:  

• Contact the Education Librarian: Jennifer Friedman (jfriedman7 [at] umass [dot] edu). 

• Check the Library's Guide to Education Resources.

• Find instructions on How to Share Library Resources (on UMass Global).

Secondary Option: Create and share a readable file 

If you have checked the library and other online options, and you only have access to a PDF file or paper copy of a document, check to make sure it is readable and rescan it from a clean original if needed. 

How to check an existing PDF for readability 

Step One: Open the file, check the quality of the copy, and try selecting the text on the page. If the copy is bad (smudged, warped, or covered in marks) or the whole page is an image (the whole page will select, not just a few words), the PDF is inaccessible and needs to be replaced. If the text can be selected and copied into another document (and is not garbled), it can likely be read by a screen reader.    

Step Two: Once you confirm that the text of a PDF can be selected, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat or Foxit and run an accessibility check. These programs can identify common issues with PDFs and fix most of them. If the PDF passes these checks, it will likely be accessible to most needs, and can be shared with students. 

• Creating Accessible PDFs (UMass Amherst IT) 

• Create and Verify PDF Accessibility in Acrobat Pro (Adobe)

How to generate a readable text from a digital file

If you created the file, or have access to a digital copy in Word, Google, or other program*, you can use the “Export PDF” option to save a PDF version. Avoid using “Print to PDF”, this process does not create accessible PDFs. Before exporting, make sure the document is set up to be accessible (with style headers and alt text). Then run it through an accessibility test with Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit. 

* In some cases, sharing the file in its original format will allow students to apply the built-in accessibility tools provided by these tools. Depending on the circumstances, this may be a better option than providing a PDF.   

• Creating Accessible PDFs (UMass Amherst IT) 

• PDF Best Practices (University of Michigan) 

• Documents Best Practices (University of Michigan) 

How to scan readable text from a paper original

If all you have is a physical book or paper copy, you can scan it using an OCR-capable book scanner or copier. Make sure the scan is clean and level—OCR doesn’t work well with angled text, marks on the page, and extra stuff around the edges. Once scanned as a PDF, run it through an accessibility check in Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit. 

If you would like assistance leaning to use OCR on a copier or book scanner, contact EdTech (EdTech-ITHelp [at] umass [dot] edu).

Image If you have questions, or need any assistance reviewing or making your course content accessible, we are here to help! Contact us at DigitalLearning [at] umass [dot] edu (DigitalLearning[at]umass[dot]edu).