Manual PDF accessibility remediation services

Use manual remediation when the PDF itself is the product

Automated rebuilding works well when content can reflow into a cleaner structure. It is the wrong promise when the original PDF must remain visually and operationally stable. Manual remediation repairs the original file instead of generating a redesigned replacement.

• Fillable forms with a required field and tab sequence.
• Signed, legal, archival, or board-approved records.
• Reports whose pagination is referenced elsewhere.
• Dense financial tables, footnotes, charts, and technical diagrams.
• Print packets, applications, and layout-dependent instructions.
• Documents that failed a validator after an automated conversion.

What a remediation specialist actually changes

Accessibility lives in the relationship between visible content and the PDF structure tree. A specialist works through that relationship page by page and element by element.

• Establishes a logical tag tree for headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures, links, annotations, and artifacts.
• Corrects reading and tab order for columns, sidebars, form controls, footnotes, and repeated page content.
• Adds or reviews alternative text and long descriptions in context.
• Repairs table headers, scope, spans, and cell relationships.
• Sets document title, language, bookmarks, link purpose, and other required metadata.
• Tests keyboard behavior, text extraction, zoom or reflow where supported, and representative screen-reader navigation.

The delivery process

1. Intake confirmation. We verify that the files are stable and lawful to process, confirm a total above 500 source pages, and identify the validation and delivery requirements.
2. Written project order. You receive the accepted page count at $5 per page, assumptions, exclusions, payment stages, timeline, and acceptance criteria before authorizing work.
3. Specialist repair. The original PDF is remediated while its approved visual presentation is preserved.
4. Quality review. Automated validation is combined with manual structure, keyboard, and assistive-technology checks appropriate to the document.
5. Delivery and evidence. You receive the approved file and a clear record of the scope that was tested. Requested changes remain attached to the document case.

One page rate, clearly counted

The price is based on accepted source-page count, not a complexity score. A text page, dense table, form, chart, scan, or diagram uses the same $5 unit rate. Blank and duplicate pages are billable when kept in scope because a specialist must still review and classify them. Pages expressly excluded from the written project order are not billed.

Complexity can affect scheduling, batch sequence, and how quickly we need customer answers for alternative text or ambiguous structure, but it does not increase the per-page rate. Added or replacement pages are handled at the same $5 rate through a written change. Read the full Manual Services Terms.

Technical standards and honest claims

WCAG, PDF/UA, and Section 508 are related but not interchangeable. W3C's WCAG2ICT guidance explains how WCAG principles apply to non-web documents. PDF/UA defines requirements for accessible PDF structure. A project scope should state the standard, validator, manual tests, and limitations instead of using the word “compliant” without evidence. Read PDF/UA versus WCAG for a plain-language comparison.

Bring your own vendor or ask us to coordinate

If your organization already has a specialist, the Exchange workflow included with every plan provides a secure case without bundling another remediation service. If you need a specialist, use the remediation contact form with the estimated page count and a description of the document. Our agency team will discuss projects above 500 pages. For 500 pages or fewer, use the self-service platform or coordinate another vendor through Exchange. Do not send a sensitive sample; we will arrange a secure transfer if one is needed.

Frequently asked questions