Free checker
Free PDF accessibility checker.
Upload one PDF and get a plain-language list of confirmed issues, what still needs a person, and whether the file qualifies for a fixed-price repair. No account.
Reviewed repairs cost $149 for up to 20 pages plus $6 per extra page, paid once. Complex files are quoted individually. Full pricing
Upload a PDF to test it
Reviewed repairs from $149Questions before you upload? Write to us or use the contact form. Privacy and retention.
What the checker tests
The check reads the file’s structure directly. It separates issues it can confirm from items that require a person, and it never invents a score.
Confirmed automatically
- Tagged or untagged, and whether the file is flagged as tagged
- Document language and title, and whether the title is displayed
- Figures missing alternative text
- Heading presence and skipped levels
- Tables without header cells
- Pages with no text layer (scans)
- Bookmarks in long documents
Flagged for review
- Whether alt text, headings and links are meaningful
- Reading order (indicative tag sequence shown for tagged files)
- Charts, diagrams and mathematical content
- Color contrast and color-only meaning
- Complex tables with merged cells
Supported documents
The result screen tells you which group your file falls into before you pay anything.
Fixed price
- English-language reports, plans, policies and guides
- Born-digital (exported from Word, InDesign, Google Docs, LaTeX)
- 5–50 pages, up to 20 MB
- Text, images and simple tables
Quoted separately or declined
- Scanned documents and poor-quality OCR
- Complex charts, infographics and mathematical notation
- Fillable forms and XFA forms
- Digitally signed or password-protected files
- Batches and documents over 50 pages
If repair is needed, the result shows one offer with the total and delivery date. See what a reviewed repair includes, the full price list, or download a repaired sample and its report.
ADA, Section 508 and PDF accessibility questions
Does the ADA require PDFs to be accessible?
In the United States, Title II of the ADA now has a specific web content rule that adopts WCAG 2.1 AA for state and local governments, with compliance dates starting in April 2026. Title III organizations (businesses open to the public) are regularly held to the same standard in litigation and settlements. Federal agencies and their contractors follow Section 508, which also points to WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA. A PDF published on a website is web content, so these rules apply to it.
This page is not legal advice. A checker result, including ours, is not a certification of compliance.
What does “check PDF for ADA compliance” actually test?
There is no ADA test as such. In practice it means checking against WCAG 2.1 AA and the PDF/UA structure requirements: the file is tagged, the reading order is logical, headings are real headings, images have descriptions, tables have header cells, the language and title are set, links are meaningful and color contrast is sufficient. Our free check covers the structural items automatically and lists what needs a person.
Can an automated checker prove my PDF is compliant?
No. Automated tools can only confirm that structures exist and are well-formed. They cannot judge whether a heading is the right level, whether alt text is meaningful, whether the reading order matches the visual order or whether a table is understandable. Section508.gov describes the same limitation. That is why our paid service includes a specialist review with a screen reader and a written report of what was and was not verified.
What is a tagged PDF?
A tagged PDF contains a hidden structure tree that labels content as headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures and so on, in reading order. Screen readers use these tags. An untagged PDF is just drawn text and shapes; assistive technology has to guess.
Which documents can you repair at the fixed price?
English-language, born-digital reports of 5–50 pages with text, images and simple tables. Scanned files, complex charts, math, fillable forms and signed or password-protected files are quoted individually or declined. The checker tells you which group your file falls into before you pay anything.
What happens to my file?
Files are stored privately in encrypted object storage in the United States, are never served from a public URL and never appear in search results or analytics. Unpaid uploads are deleted automatically after 7 days. Paid jobs are kept for 30 days after delivery so you can download the result, then deleted. See the privacy and retention page for the list of processors.
Do you offer a screen reader test?
The free check includes an indicative reading-order preview for tagged files. It is not a screen reader test. The paid review includes reading the document with NVDA or VoiceOver and recording the result in the delivery report. Read our guide to testing a PDF with a screen reader if you want to do it yourself.
Is there a subscription?
No. Each job is a one-time payment and the repaired PDF is yours. Batches and ongoing volume are quoted per batch.