Unique Tooltips: Guide for Accessible PDF Forms

Welcome to today’s blog post. We’re discussing the importance of adding unique tooltips to PDF form fields with the same name. This boosts the accessibility of a PDF.

Video Guide

Why Unique Tooltips?

When PDF form fields share names, it’s confusing. Screen readers struggle. Users find it hard to know what each field is for. Setting unique tooltips solves this.

Get accessible now - schedule a free 15 minute call with The Accessibility Guy

Steps to Update Tooltips

Open File: Go to ‘Prepare a Form’. Select your file. Select ‘Create’.
Check Existing Tooltips: Right-click the name fields and select properties. Look under ‘General’. Note existing tooltips.
Make Tooltips Unique: Change ‘Name’ to ‘Applicant 1 Name’ for the first field. Change ‘Email’ to ‘Applicant 1 Email’ for the second field. Do the same for all the others.
Repeat for All Fields: Email, address, etc., should also have unique tooltips.

Creating a unique tooltip for fields sharing the same name by specifying Applicant 1 Name

Adding Form Fields

Once tooltips are set, focus on organizing and correcting all your form fields.

Find Unmarked Annotations: Open the ‘Accessibility Tags’ window. Click ‘Options’, choose ‘Find’ and search for ‘Unmarked Annotations’.
Tag Form Elements: These will appear under a new section. Tag them.
Add Placeholders: Create blank ‘p’ tags for each field. Move name, email, and address into these.
Final Check: Run Jaws or any screen reader to ensure correct naming of all form fields.

Ensuring all form elements are tagged and moved to the correct place in a PDF

Result

After these steps, screen readers will identify each form field clearly. For example, ‘Applicant 1 Name’, ‘Applicant 2 Name’ and so on. This adds clarity for users.

Running a screen reader to ensure correct naming of all form fields

The Value of Unique Tooltips

Creating unique tooltips for each form field boosts user experience. They improve accessibility and help to make PDFs compliant with standards like PDF UA and Section 508. Remember, creating accessible documents is all in the details!

Download the Free Section 508 Checklist for PDF Accessibility:

I can be your accessibility expert. 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!