PDF accessibility testing and editing for the public sector
Diagnose and fix non-compliant PDFs - PSBAR and WCAG 2.2 AA.
Non-compliant PDFs are one of the most common accessibility failures in public sector websites. Under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR), all PDFs published after 23 September 2018 must meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards — or risk GDS monitoring and enforcement.
We help NHS trusts, local councils, universities, government departments and voluntary organisations diagnose and fix non-compliant PDFs — fast, affordably, and with full audit evidence.
Why PDF accessibility matters for public sector compliance
More than 70% of public sector accessibility complaints relate to PDFs (GDS monitoring reports, 2024–2025).
Common issues include:
Missing alt text for images and charts
No logical reading order or document structure
Untagged tables, forms, and headings
Low colour contrast in text and links
No language declaration for screen readers
Our PDF testing and editing service ensures your documents are fully compliant — and stay that way.
If your organisation is going through a Government Digital Service compliance audit, you may be asked to improve non-compliant content, including PDFs.
Our PDF accessibility testing process
We follow the Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) and use a blend of automated tools (like Adobe Acrobat Pro, Axe PDF, PAC 2024) and manual expert review to deliver accurate, actionable results.
Step 1: Diagnostic audit
We test your PDF against relevant WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria, including:
1.1.1 – Non-text content
1.3.1 – Info and relationships
1.4.3 – Contrast (minimum)
2.4.2 – Page titled
PDF/UA compliance checks
Step 2: Compliance report
You receive a clear, prioritised report with:
Description of every issue
WCAG reference and failure explanation
Pass/fail summary table
Summary remedial advice
Step 3: Full PDF remediation (optional)
We can edit and return an accessible version of your PDF, including:
Proper tag structure
Reading order corrections
Alt text for all images
Form field labelling
Export to other accessible formats (Word/PowerPoint) if needed
FREE remedial action should a GDS audit identify any WCAG 2.2 non-compliances in your document in the future
NHS trusts and ICBs
Board papers, patient information, corporate and clinical policies.
Local councils
Board papers, patient information, corporate and clinical policies.
Universities
Course materials, prospectuses, research papers.
Voluntary organisations
Public engagement materials, information leaflets, event invitations.
Government departments
Policy briefs, FOI responses, annual reports.
Who we help
Ready to make your PDFs accessible?
Whether you need a quick compliance check or full remediation, we deliver results that satisfy GDS, internal auditors, and — most importantly — your users.
Fixed price audits | Fast turnaround
Website audit
We'll review your website against the latest guidelines, and provide a legally compliant accessibility statement.
Advice and project management
Project management and a range of support/expertise to help you produce accessible content more consistently.
Develop your team
Develop more accessible content in-house with practical support and guidance for your team.
Create content
We can design your content in structured HTML web pages from scratch, or adapt content that you've already created.
