PDF Forms

 

Tagged Form Fields

In an accessible PDF, all form fields are tagged and are a part of the document structure. In addition, you can use the tool tip form filed property to provide the user with information or to provide instructions.

To tag form fields, choose Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Form Fields.

 

If this does not fix the problem, we will need to fix this problem manually. The form fields will show up as unmarked annotations in the document, and the fix follows the same instructions as the Tagged Annotations. To fix this problem: 

  1. Click Edit PDF in the right-hand menu
  2. In the left menu of icons, click the Tags menu option (A tooltip will appear when you hover over the icons)
  3. In the tags panel, click the options icon. Click Find.
  4. In the box that pops up, change the option to Unmarked Annotations and click Find. This will highlight the first unmarked annotation on the page. 
  5. Click Tag Element.
  6. In the box that pops up, type a description in the field and click OK.  It will automatically move to the next unmarked annotation.
  7. Continue steps 4-7 until all annotations are marked. 
Field Descriptions

For accessibility, all form fields need to have a text description that can accurately describe what the form field is for. This is also known as a Tool Tip. To add a text description to a form field:

  1. Select one of the Form tools (under the Tools tab, I tend to use Prepare Forms), and then right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the form field you need to add a description to.
  2. Choose Properties from the context menu.
  3. Click the General properties tab.
  4. Enter a description of the form field in the Tooltip field.
  5. Repeat these steps for all form fields that need a description.