Accessibility Support
PDF Auditor is designed to work with macOS accessibility features and includes PDF-specific tools for reviewing accessibility structure.
App accessibility
PDF Auditor supports:
| Feature | Support |
|---|---|
| VoiceOver | App controls, dialogs, tab content, tables, and key status updates expose accessible names and roles for screen-reader navigation. |
| Voice Control | Buttons and controls use descriptive labels so they can be targeted by voice commands. |
| Keyboard navigation | Common document actions and app navigation are available from menus and keyboard shortcuts. See Keyboard Shortcuts. |
| Larger Text | The interface scales with the macOS Larger Text setting. Restart PDF Auditor after changing this system setting. |
| Increase Contrast | Risk, severity, permission, and annotation colors use higher-contrast variants when macOS Increase Contrast is enabled. Restart PDF Auditor after changing this setting. |
| Reduce Motion | Animated interface elements are simplified when macOS Reduce Motion is enabled. Restart PDF Auditor after changing this setting. |
| Light and dark appearance | PDF Auditor can follow the system appearance automatically or be set to light or dark mode. See Color Mode. |
macOS settings
Most accessibility preferences are controlled by macOS:
- Open System Settings.
- Open Accessibility.
- Adjust display, motion, VoiceOver, Voice Control, or text-size settings.
- Restart PDF Auditor when changing Larger Text, Increase Contrast, or Reduce Motion so the app can pick up the new setting.
PDF accessibility inspection
Use the Accessibility tab to inspect tag structure and related accessibility data in a PDF.
The Accessibility tab can help you review:
| Area | What PDF Auditor shows |
|---|---|
| Tag tree | The document’s structural tags, when present. |
| Element details | Tag type, page context, attributes, and related metadata when available. |
| Content highlighting | The corresponding page area for selected tagged content when bounding information is available. |
| Missing or unusual structure | Signals that a file may need closer accessibility review. |
This helps identify whether a PDF contains accessibility structure, but it does not replace a full accessibility audit with assistive technology, PDF/UA validation, and manual content review.
Limits
PDF Auditor does not guarantee that a PDF is accessible. A tagged PDF can still have incorrect reading order, missing alternate text, poor table structure, unclear links, or content that needs manual review.
The rendered PDF page is shown visually in the preview. PDF Auditor exposes app controls and inspection results to assistive technology, but it is not a replacement for a screen reader reading the PDF content itself in a full document-review workflow.
Reporting accessibility issues
When reporting an accessibility issue, include:
- PDF Auditor version.
- macOS version.
- Assistive technology in use, such as VoiceOver or Voice Control.
- The tab, dialog, or workflow where the issue appears.
- Whether Larger Text, Increase Contrast, Reduce Motion, or dark mode is enabled.
Use Contact Support and avoid attaching sensitive PDFs unless support specifically asks for a sanitized sample.