Creating accessible forms for print and PDF

Designing an accessible PDF form requires planning, technical skill, and a solid understanding of accessibility.

This toolkit brings together 5 resources to make that process easier.

• The best practices guide gives you the principles for designing forms that work well in both print and PDF.
• The technical guide walks you step-by-step through the process of making a PDF accessible in InDesign and Acrobat.
• The InDesign templates provide a ready-made sidewalk style form with accessibility features already built in.
• The checklist offers a quick way to double-check that your forms meet accessibility standards, while the learning resources help anyone new to InDesign build the skills they need to use these tools effectively.
• The InDesign learning resources help anyone new to InDesign build the skills they need to use these tools effectively.

Together, these resources let you either build new accessible PDF forms from scratch, revise your existing forms.

Where to start:

• If you’re new to accessibility, start with the Best Practices section. It explains the big-picture principles of clear, accessible form design for both print and PDF.
• If you’re ready to build or revise a form, use the Technical Guide for step-by-step instructions in InDesign and Acrobat.
• If you want a faster start, download the InDesign template, which comes with many accessibility features built in so you can create print masters and fillable PDFs at the same time.

Section 1. Best Practices for creating accessible forms for print and PDF
Section 2. Technical guide: How to make PDF forms accessible
Section 3. Downloadable InDesign form templates
Section 4. Accessible PDF form checklist
Section 5. Resource recommendations for learning InDesign

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Section 1.

The best practice guide

This workbook is a practical guide to creating accessible, user-friendly forms based on CCD’s sidewalk style form, with tips that apply to other layouts as well. It includes an InDesign template with built-in accessibility features to streamline form creation for both print and digital formats. Inside, you’ll find:

• An overview of the anatomy and layout of a sidewalk style form
• Guidance on the sidewalk, form area, and instructions
• Best practices for language, text formatting, and digital accessibility in fillable PDFs
• Methods for testing your form and troubleshooting issues
• A collection of real-world examples to illustrate effective design

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Section 2.

The technical guide

This document is a step-by-step guide to make your PDF forms accessible using Adobe InDesign and Acrobat Pro.

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Section 3.

InDesign templates

We’ve developed an InDesign template for accessible forms so that you can quickly and easily create new forms. This template makes it fast and easy to create masters and accessible, fillable forms at the same time.

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Section 4.

Accessible PDF form checklist

Use this checklist to make sure your PDF forms are accessible.

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Section 5.

Resource recommendations for learning InDesign

Creating accessible forms in InDesign is much easier if designers are already comfortable with the basics of the software. Even a little practice upfront saves time later, allowing the team to focus on accessibility and good design instead of troubleshooting tools. These resources will help you get started.