Export Accessible PDF from MS Word

Choosing the Conversion Method

Once you have created an accessible document in MS Word, the method you choose to save it as a PDF impacts its accessibility.

How to Create an Accessible PDF in Word

Here are steps to transfer the accessibility features you've built in to your Word document (like nested headings, alt-text and table headings) into an accessible PDF.

This method of generating a PDF will preserve the tagging that is created by implementing nested headings in Word, allowing it to be accessible by screen readers.

  1. After authoring in Word, click the File tab on the top menu ribbon. 
  2. On the bottom of the File menu, click export.
  3. Close Create PDF/XPS document.
    File menu in Microsoft Word with export option
  4. Then choose Options on the lower right.
  5. Click Ok.
  6. In the Options menu, make sure the options for document properties and document structure tags are checked. This will preserve the document structure created in Word as tags in the PDF.
    File menu in Microsoft Word with export option
  7. In the Publish as PDF or XPS window, click Publish.

This method of generating a PDF will preserve the tagging that is created by implementing nested headings in Word, allowing it to be accessible by screen readers.

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