InDesign Accessibility Course Online August 26, 2026

InDesign accessibility course topics

Part 1: Creating Accessible Documents in Adobe InDesign

Lesson 1: Introduction to Document Accessibility

• Overview of WCAG 2.x and Level AA success criteria
• Understanding accessibility laws, guidelines and compliance requirements (Section 508, ADA, WCAG)
• WCAG 2.x Level A & AA compliance
• Section 508 requirements for digital documents
• Benefits of accessible documents

Lesson 2: Setting Up InDesign Files for Accessibility

• Defining document metadata (title, author, language, subject)
• Using paragraph and character styles for tag structure
• Establishing correct reading order, text flow, and tag order
• Specifying artifacts vs. meaningful images
• Adding alt text
• Creating captions, lists, and hyperlinks
• Working with table of contents, index, cross-references, footnotes and end-notes
• Establishing PDF bookmarks with InDesign

Lesson 3: Creating Accessible Tables in InDesign

• Creating properly structured tables
• Setting header rows and column associations
• Avoiding merged cells for better screen reader compatibility

Lesson 4: Creating Accessible Forms

• Designing forms with fillable fields
• Adding labels and tooltips for clarity
• Setting the correct tab order for navigation

Lesson 5: Enhancing Navigation & Structure

• Adding bookmarks for longer documents
• Creating a logical reading order with structure tagging

Lesson 6: Exporting for Accessibility

• Best practices for exporting to PDF
• Using the correct PDF settings for accessibility
• Testing and verifying accessibility in Adobe Acrobat

Part 2: Remediating InDesign Documents for Accessibility

Lesson 7: Fixing Common PDF Accessibility Issues

• Identifying and resolving accessibility errors using Adobe Acrobat
• Reviewing and modifying document properties and metadata
• Ensuring primary language settings are correct

Lesson 8: Working with Tags and Reading Order

• Creating and modifying tags for images, backgrounds, and text
• Fixing reading order for logical content flow
• Addressing incorrect or missing tags in complex documents

Lesson 9: Addressing Color and Contrast Issues

• Ensuring sufficient color contrast for readability
• Avoiding color-only distinctions in visual content
• Adding text labels or patterns to color-coded information

Lesson 10: Enhancing Navigation and Interaction

• Confirming hyperlinks and footnotes are correctly tagged
• Setting correct tab order for forms and interactive elements
• Organizing bookmarks for accessibility

Lesson 11: Advanced Table Remediation

• Ensuring table structure follows accessibility best practices
• Handling special table issues: data splits, headers, merged cells
• Applying correct reading order to tables

Lesson 12: Forms and Interactive Elements in PDFs

• Validating form fields and required inputs
• Adding accessible labels, descriptions, and tooltips
• Ensuring compatibility with screen readers

Lesson 13: Removing Non-Accessible Content & Final Testing

• Identifying and removing invalid or hidden content
• Confirming correct heading structure and document organization
• Running accessibility checks and manual testing procedures
• Ensuring compliance with WCAG and Section 508 requirements

The course topics serve as an outline for the course. Instructors may adjust content based on the specific needs of each class, such as to answer your InDesign accessibility questions.