Validating PDF Accessibility in Foxit PhantomPDF

Owned by Kelly Thomas
Last updated: Oct 25, 2023
3 min read

If you haven't already checked out our Digital Accessibility Training content, please do so when you have the chance! These resources will provide some context for the accessibility validation checkpoints below.

  • What is Foxit PhantomPDF?

  • How do I use Foxit PhantomPDF for Validation?

  • Can I Collect Digital Signatures with PDF Forms?

What is Foxit PhantomPDF?

Foxit PhantomPDF is a professional PDF editor designed to create, edit, manipulate, and print files in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

 

Note: Professional PDF editors like Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit PhantomPDF is typically required in order to generate fully accessible PDFs. Departments may purchase Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit PhantomPDF by submitting a software installation request.

How Do I Use Foxit PhantomPDF For Validation?

When you create an accessible document, form, or presentation with an authoring tool that allows for accessible design, validation in Foxit PhantomPDF can be quick and easy. When you inherit a PDF, and the original resource is unavailable, remediation may take some time and effort.

Please refer to Remediating Inaccessible Documents and Forms for more information.

Checking for Standard PDFs

Review Properties

  1. In the File tab, select Properties. Ensure a descriptive Title is present in the Description menu.

  2. In the Advanced menu, select the Language from the dropdown that best fits the content of your document.

Review Reading Order

  1. In the Accessibility tab, select Reading Order. When the Touch Up Reading Order dialog window appears, the document content will display in separate highlighted regions.

  2. If Page content order is selected under the Show page content groups option, regions will be ordered with numbers. If Structure types is selected, regions will be labeled by structure tag types, such as “P” for paragraph, “H2” for Heading 2, or “Figure”.

  3. If the numbered regions do not display in the intended reading order, select Show Order Panel in the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, and reorder regions as necessary.

  4. To add a new tag, open the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select a region of untagged content, and assign the corresponding tag type from the dialog box.

Review Alternative Text

  • With the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box open, right click on any images without alternate text and select Edit alternate text.

 

For more information on alternate text best practices, please refer to our Alt Text for Images help article.

 

Review Tag Structure

  • Ensure accurate tag structure for accurate headings, lists, links, tables, and table headers.

    • Headings should follow True Heading Structure

    • Lists should be formatted as detailed in Foxit PDF List Accessibility, found on the Foxit Accessibility web page.

    • Tables should be formatted as detailed in Foxit PDF Table Accessibility, found on the Foxit Accessibility web page.

Additional Checkpoints for PDF Forms

PDF Forms require some additional checkpoints to validate their accessibility. Please refer to WebAIM’s Accessible Forms in PhantomPDF article for Foxit PhantomPDF-specific form accessibility checkpoints.

For more general information regarding form accessibility and alternatives to PDF forms, please refer to the Form Accessibility PSU help article.

Can I Collect Digital Signatures with PDF Forms?

You may use an accessible, fillable PDF by itself for information-gathering situations, in which a legal signature is not required. For purposes of validation and security, you should distribute externally-facing PDF forms that require a legal signature via the Office of Information Technology’s supported e-signature program, Adobe Sign.

If you have any additional questions regarding digital accessibility for public-facing digital resources at PSU, please email help-accessibility@pdx.edu or submit a Digital Accessibility Support ticket.