• Success Criterion 1.1.1
  • Conformance level A

Scanned PDF Images With No OCR Text Underneath

1.1.1 — Non-text Content

Scenario

Setting

A childcare-booking service's scheduling page

What’s wrong

PDF images missing /Alt entries — scanned-image PDFs with no OCR text layer.

Example 

<!-- intake-form.pdf: linked from the scheduling page, must be completed before a slot can be booked -->
<!-- a flat photographed page image, no underlying text layer -->

Why it matters

A blind parent trying to book a slot on the scheduling page can't read a single word of the required intake form, since a screen reader sees only a picture of a page, not text.

How to test

Open the PDF's tags panel (Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker or similar): images should have /Alt entries — run OCR on any scanned pages to confirm real text exists underneath.

How to fix

Run the scan through OCR and tag the result before publishing, since a scanned page is just a photo to a screen reader until OCR gives it a real text layer.

<Figure Alt="Childcare intake form, page 1 of 2">...</Figure>

Outcome

A parent has their screen reader read the intake form's actual text aloud, completes it, and books their slot unaided.

Who is affected

Blind and low-vision parents needing to complete the required intake form before booking a slot get nothing from an image-only scan.

Learn more

Related scenarios