Automated checks can quickly find many structural problems. They cannot independently settle every question requiring an understanding of the document’s meaning. Read a pass result alongside the profile, version and scope of the checks.
Certified and fully accessible are stronger claims than a single validation result. Do not use them as synonyms for a green indicator.
Start with the report’s summary. Which file was assessed? Which tool and profile were used? Did the run finish? An absent report or software failure does not mean there are no document defects.
Inspect a real finding next. If a Figure lacks an alternative description, first identify the image it represents. A chart needs an accurate description of its message. A purely decorative line may instead need to be treated as decoration. The same technical warning can therefore lead to different repairs.
Rerun the check afterwards, but also return to the image. The description needs to be correct, attached to the right object and coherent with surrounding text. Filling an empty field with “image” may change a report’s colour without resolving the reader’s problem.
| Part | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| Automated check | Repeatable assessment of the rules the tool supports. |
| Content review | Judgement about descriptions, sequence and meaning, among other things. |
| Practical assistive technology test | Observation of whether document tasks can be completed. |
| Decision | A responsible person weighs the evidence against the agreed requirements. |
In our synthetic before-and-after example, veraPDF reported 55 failed checks before processing and none afterwards. That supports a precise claim about the tested machine rules and those two files. It does not establish that someone read the document using NVDA; no such run is part of that example.
A useful claim is still possible: identify the files, profile, tool version and changes. Add the manual and practical checks actually performed. Where a check is missing, record the remaining work. The buyer can then make an informed decision without guessing what “approved” means.
A supplier using the term certification should explain who issues it, which requirements were assessed and how. Certification is not a technical property created by saving a PDF. An internal delivery approval is another distinct thing: the organisation’s decision based on the available evidence.
Before
The PDF is automatically certified against every accessibility requirement.
After
The file passed the specified PDF/UA profile’s automated checks. Manual and practical results are reported separately, including remaining issues.
Why this works Readers can see both the strengths and limits of the evidence. An AI assessment can contribute, but confident wording does not make it a human decision.
Record a file checksum, such as SHA-256. If someone edits the PDF after assessment, repeat the affected checks. An unchanged filename does not prove unchanged content.
Sources
- veraPDF validation documentationveraPDF
- PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC)PAC
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2W3C
Examples are our own unless stated otherwise. These guides distinguish legal requirements, standards and practical advice. Passing an automated check is not a complete assessment of document accessibility.