How to tag an organizational chart in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

In today’s post, we’re learning how to tag organizational charts for accessibility purposes. When dealing with organizational charts, ensuring accessibility for all users is paramount. However, tagging these charts can present unique challenges, especially when transitioning from programs like Microsoft Word to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Video Guide

Understanding the Tagging Process: Overcoming Initial Hurdles

When dealing with organizational charts, ensuring accessibility for all users is paramount. However, tagging these charts can present unique challenges, especially when transitioning from programs like Microsoft Word to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Tag Organizational Charts using Heading Levels

One approach is to utilize the reading order tool within Adobe Acrobat Pro. By selecting the appropriate elements and assigning heading levels accordingly, we can enhance the navigation experience for screen reader users.

Here’s what it looks like in the Org Chart we used in our video, linked above.

1. Select the top-level element “president” and mark it as a heading level one.
2. Under the “VP of sales,” tag this as a heading level two.
3. Similarly, tag “VP of production” and “VP of marketing” as heading level two.
4. Ensure all managers underneath are tagged as heading level three.
5. Navigate to the tags panel and hold the Ctrl key to select all figure tags, including paths and arrows.
6. Right-click on the selected content and choose “Change tag to artifact,” then select OK.
7. Collapse the document tag and reopen it to fix the remaining tags panel.
8. Delete unnecessary figure tags to maintain a flat tags panel.
9. Correct any reading order discrepancies, ensuring proper sequencing of headings.
10. Reorder tags as necessary to enforce the desired reading order, using the reading order panel for control.

Tag Organizational Charts using List Elements

Another technique involves utilizing list structures instead of traditional heading styles. While this method may seem complex initially, it offers a different approach to organizing content within the document.

Here’s what that looks like in the Org Chart used in our video:

1. Right-click inside the tags panel and create a parent list tag.
2. Create a new tag named “list item” (Li) and nest it under the parent list tag.
3. Create a new tag named “body” (L Body) to contain the content.
4. Locate the first tag of “President” and move it into the L Body tag.
5. Create a new nested list by right-clicking the President’s container and selecting “new tag” to create a new list tag.
6. Within the nested list, create three list item (Li) tags and nest them accordingly.
7. Move the content of VP of sales, VP of production, and VP of marketing into the respective L Body tags.
8. Repeat the process for VP of Marketing and its content.
9. Create a new parent list item inside the L Body tag of VP sales.
10. Create child list item tags and nest them under the parent list tag.
11. Change the tags of “Manager” to L Body tags and move them into their respective Li parent tags.
12. Repeat the process for the remaining elements.
13. Remove any unnecessary blank tags from the top.
14. Review and finalize the nested list structure for the document.

Despite the challenges posed by tagging organizational charts, it’s essential to prioritize accessibility to ensure inclusivity for all users. I’m glad I’m able to present two different ways to do so.

Download the Free Section 508 Checklist for PDF Accessibility:

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!