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The PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) 2026 application is a tool used to evaluate PDF documents for accessibility and PDF/UA compliance. It analyzes a PDF and identifies issues that may prevent individuals using assistive technologies, such as screen readers, from accessing the content effectively.
Use the PAC 2026 application to:
- Verify that PDF documents meet testable accessibility standards.
- Identify issues that could impact users with disabilities.
- Determine whether a PDF requires professional remediation services before publication.
The checker reviews key accessibility features including:
- Document structure and tagging
- Alternative text for images (but not quality)
- Table accessibility
- Document metadata
- Language settings
- Form elements and interactive content
Running accessibility checks before publishing documents helps you find issues you can fix or see that the PDF will need to be professionally remediated.
The PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) 2026 app is a valuable accessibility testing tool, but no automated checker can guarantee that a document is fully compliant. Always combine PAC 2026 results with manual testing and accessibility best practices to ensure an inclusive experience for all users. Remember that, in many cases, professional PDF remediation will also be necessary. Use the PAC 2026 app to perform preliminary checks on your PDF to find issues you can improve and help reduce the cost of professional PDF remediation services before the document can be published on the OHIO website or in the learning management system (LMS).
You can learn more about accessibility best practices by joining the OHIO Digital Accessibility Network and/or enrolling in the OH-DAN’s self-paced 7 Core Digital Accessibility Skills course in Canvas.
Company Portal
- Follow the steps in the Installing software on OHIO Windows computers help article to search for and install PAC 2026.
- Open the PAC 2026 application to begin checking PDF accessibility.
Direct from the web
- Open a browser and go to the PAC Download site.
- Download and install the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) 2026 application.
- Open the PAC 2026 application to begin checking PDF accessibility.
NOTE: PAC 2026 2026 is a Windows-only application. To use it on a Mac, you will need to install and run the app on the OHIO Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).
- Follow the set up instructions for your device in the Help & Resources – Omnissa Horizon (VDI) help article.
- Launch the Omnissa Horizon Client and connect to the Bobcat Virtual - Staff [IC] pool.
- Open a browser application and go to the PAC Download site.
- Download and install the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) 2026 application.
- Open the PAC 2026 application to begin checking PDF accessibility.
Follow these steps to analyze a PDF document:
- Open the PAC 2026 application.
- Download your PDF to your device then drag the file to the application window or choose Open Document and navigate to the PDF you want to evaluate.
- After the scan is complete, review the results panel to identify:
- Passed items (green check mark)
- Warnings (yellow triangle)
- Errors (red x)
- Not applicable (crossed gray circle)
- Use the Logical Structure, Document Statistics, and Screen Reader Preview features in the bottom right of the results panel:
- Document Statistics (bar chart) provides an overview of the used structure elements (tags).
- Logical Structure (lines connecting boxes) displays the tag tree for a more detailed analysis of the document structure.
- Screen Reader Preview (eye) provides a visual representation of the structure that a screen reader will “see” as it reads the page.
- Use the findings (refer to the Interpreting the Results section below) to make accessibility improvements in the source document or PDF remediation tool.
- After making corrections, re-run the PAC 2026 Checker to confirm that issues have been resolved.
PAC 2026 categorizes findings into several result types. Reference the PAC Quickstart Guide to understand the categories and determine what action is needed. Understanding these categories will help you determine what action is needed.
Note: Unless you have specific training in PDF remediation, the presence of Error/Failure red Xs (accessibility barriers) that you don't know how to fix in your report means you must have the document professionally remediated before uploading to the ohio.edu website or sharing the document widely.