Master the fundamentals of creating accessible documents in Adobe InDesign and Acrobat. Learn step-by-step how to apply accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2, PDF/UA) to make your designs inclusive and compliant with global accessibility laws.
Accessible design isn’t just about compliance — it’s about inclusion.
In this 7-week hands-on course, you’ll learn how to use Adobe InDesign to design, structure, and export accessible documents that meet international standards such as WCAG 2.2 and PDF/UA.
You’ll understand how to make documents readable for everyone — including users who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, and assistive technologies.
By the end, you’ll be able to produce fully tagged PDFs that pass accessibility checks and deliver a professional, inclusive experience to all users.
Assignments
Mid-Course Assignment: Repair a provided InDesign document with everything learned so far
Final Assignment: Export a complete accessible PDF that meets PDF/UA standards.
Who Should Enroll
This course is ideal for:
- Graphic Designers & Publishers
- Marketing and Communications Teams
- Content Creators & Editors
- Accessibility Consultants
- Anyone creating PDFs or digital documents for public use
Curriculum
- 7 Sections
- 50 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Week 1: Introduction to Accessible InDesignWe establish accessibility fundamentals and clarify InDesign’s role in producing accessible PDFs.8
- 1.1Objectives
- 1.2Why Accessibility Matters
- 1.3How Assistive Technologies Access Documents
- 1.4Accessibility Regulations and Standards
- 1.5Accessibility at the Source vs. Remediation
- 1.6Common Accessibility Anti-Patterns
- 1.7Summary: Introduction to Accessible InDesign
- 1.8Quiz: Introduction to Accessible InDesign5 Questions
- Week 2: Building Accessible TextWe define structure, hierarchy, and language using InDesign’s text features so assistive technologies can accurately read and navigate our documents.10
- Week 3: Making Images and Graphics AccessibleWe ensure images and graphics are accessible by applying meaningful alternative text, correctly identifying decorative content, and handling complex visuals so all users can access visual information.9
- 3.1Objectives
- 3.2Decorative Images
- 3.3Alternative Text for Informational Images and Graphics
- 3.4Alt Text Decision-Making
- 3.5Image Placement and Reading Order Considerations
- 3.6Avoiding Comon Image Accessibility Issues
- 3.7Summary: Making Images and Graphics Accessible
- 3.8Quiz: Making Images and Graphics Accessible5 Questions
- 3.9Mid-Course Assignment: Accessible Text Formatting in InDesign
- Week 4: Creating Accessible TablesWe build accessible tables with repeated headers and clear structure to ensure assistive technologies can interpret tabular content accurately.10
- 4.1Objectives
- 4.2Structuring Tables with Proper Headers
- 4.3Header Rows and Tables That Span Multiple Pages
- 4.4Merged and Multi-Level Headers
- 4.5Understanding Header Relationships and Scope
- 4.6Reading Order and Table Flow
- 4.7Using Table Summaries for Complex Data
- 4.8Avoiding Table Accessibility Shortcuts
- 4.9Summary: Creating Accessible Tables
- 4.10Quiz: Creating Accessible Tables5 Questions
- Week 5: Colour Contrast and Visual LegibilityWe evaluate and correct colour contrast so text and visual information remain readable for users with low vision and colour vision deficiencies.8
- Week 6: Navigation, References, and Document MetadataWe create navigable documents by using InDesign’s features for links, references, and metadata so users can efficiently move through content using assistive technologies.8
- Week 7: Layout, Reading Order, and Final ProductionWe ensure complex layouts read correctly with assistive technologies and prepare documents for final, accessible PDF delivery.6
Requirements
- Basic familiarity with Adobe InDesign — You should know how to create and format simple layouts (e.g., text boxes, images, and basic page setup).
- Access to Adobe InDesign and Acrobat Pro DC — These tools are required to complete weekly exercises and assignments
- A working computer (Windows or macOS) capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud applications smoothly
- Basic understanding of digital documents — Prior experience creating reports, brochures, or PDFs is helpful but not mandatory.
- Interest in accessibility or inclusive design — No prior accessibility experience is required; the course starts from foundational principles.
Features
- Understand accessibility laws and standards (WCAG, PDF/UA, ADA, AODA)
- Use paragraph and character styles for accessible text structure
- Add and tag alt text for images and graphics
- Create accessible tables, lists, and hyperlinks
- Organize reading order and layers for assistive technologies
- Add accessible forms and buttons
- Export fully tagged, compliant PDFs
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