# Using AI to Enhance PDF Accessibility

- Channel: [The Accessibility Guy](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPO0yzGQJmAa290DjrByhwQ)
- Published: 2025-09-08
- Source video: [Watch on YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ffe3bCcP9K8)
- Read on ReadTube: https://www.read.tube/p/videos/ffe3bCcP9K8
- Language: Original (source language)

## Summary

**AI Boosts PDF Accessibility**

The video shows how AI can speed up PDF accessibility work, from auto-tagging in Adobe Acrobat to generating alternate text for complex images. It also compares ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini on describing a difficult zoning map, then highlights a new tool called Doc Access that converts PDFs to accessible HTML with searchable, screen-reader-friendly features.

The presenter argues that PDFs are often hard to make accessible, but AI can help reduce the time and effort required. He demonstrates Adobe Acrobat Pro DC’s cloud-based auto-tagging feature, which can quickly create a useful starting structure with headings, tables, and links, though it still requires human review and correction.

He then walks through his accessibility workflow: confirm tags exist, inspect the tags tree, edit inaccurate structure, verify reading order, add metadata, run accessibility checks and PAC 2024 for WCAG and PDF/UA, and test with assistive technology. After that, he compares ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini for writing alt text for a complex zoning map, noting that all three produce useful descriptions, with Gemini and ChatGPT standing out in detail and Perplexity performing well in shorter prompts too.

The video closes by showcasing Doc Access by Streamline, which can transform a scanned PDF into accessible HTML with one click. The tool adds readable text, document outlines, question answering, live translation into more than 150 languages, and an accessible transcript view that works with screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.
- AI can accelerate, but not replace, PDF accessibility work.
- Auto-tagging is a strong first step, not a final solution.
- Alt text generation with ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini can save time on complex visuals.
- Doc Access is presented as a promising AI-driven HTML conversion and accessibility platform.
- Human review, testing, and compliance checks remain essential.