Verifying Your Documents

Exporting an accessible document is only half the job — verifying it is the other half. Each format has its own tools for checking accessibility, and it's worth running a check before you distribute your work.

PDF — use the free PDF Checker

Accessible Notes provides a free PDF Checker tool. No login required.

How to use it:

1. Go to PDF Checker
2. Upload any PDF file
3. Get an instant accessibility compliance report

The checker runs your PDF through veraPDF, an industry-standard open-source validator, and tests it against PDF/UA-1 standards. The report shows:

• Overall compliance status — pass or fail
• Specific rule violations — each issue is listed with a description of what the rule requires and what was found

The tool works on any PDF, not just exports from Accessible Notes. If you receive a PDF from someone else and want to check whether it's accessible, you can use it for that too.

If the checker reports issues on an Accessible Notes export, that's a bug we want to know about. Our exports are designed to be fully compliant, so any failure points to something that needs fixing on our end.

Word (DOCX) — use Word's built-in checker

Microsoft Word includes an accessibility checker that evaluates your document and lists any problems it finds.

How to run it:

1. Open the exported .docx file in Microsoft Word
2. Go to Review in the top menu, then click Check Accessibility
   • Alternatively: File → Info → Check for Issues → Check Accessibility
3. If Word prompts you to upgrade the document format, accept this — upgrading enables the full accessibility checker
4. The Accessibility panel opens on the right, listing issues grouped by severity

What the checker looks for:

• Missing or empty alt text on images
• Reading order problems
• Missing document title
• Tables without header rows
• Color contrast issues (if applicable)

If you find alt text issues, fix them at the source — update the alt text in Accessible Notes and re-export. Editing alt text directly in the Word file is possible but means your fix won't carry over if you export again.

HTML — use browser tools or online validators

Several free tools can check the accessibility of an HTML file:

Browser accessibility inspector:

• Open your HTML file in Chrome or Firefox
• Press F12 to open developer tools
• Look for the Accessibility tab (in Chrome) or the Accessibility tree in Firefox's Inspector

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool):

• Go to wave.webaim.org
• You can paste your HTML directly or use the browser extension to evaluate a page

axe DevTools:

• Install the axe DevTools browser extension
• Open your HTML file in a browser, then run axe from the extension panel
• Gets detailed results mapped to WCAG criteria

General tips

Verify before distributing. It takes a few minutes and can save your readers from significant frustration.

Fix at the source. If you find accessibility issues — especially missing or inadequate alt text — update them in Accessible Notes and re-export rather than patching the exported file. Changes made directly to a PDF or DOCX won't carry over next time you export.

Diagram alt text is the most common gap. Auto-generated alt text is a starting point. Before exporting, review each diagram's alt text and make sure it actually describes what the diagram shows. See Naming & Alt Text for guidance on writing good descriptions.