12 LaTeX Accessibility Issues Checklist
There are the common accessibility issues in LaTeX. They can be detected by PDF Accessibility Check tools.
12.1 Structure
12.1.1 logical structure
When writing a LaTeX file, It’s important to organize the content in a clear and logical order. Tools like tagpdf will tag the document with appropriate logical and semantic structure within the proper writing order.
Code
\section{} %first heading level
\subsection{} %second heading level
\subsubsection{} %third heading level
\paragraph{} %fourth heading level
\subparagraph{}12.1.2 Tagged structure
Standard LaTeX doesn’t automatically produce tagged PDFs that meet accessibility standards.A typical LaTeX PDF doesn’t included information like “This is a heading” etc. so screen readers can’t understand the logical structure of the document. We could address this issue by using tagpdf. tagpdf generates tag tree for your document. Click tagpdf to see it’s instructions and details.
12.2 Color Contrast
In files generated using LaTeX, most of the time, color contrast meets accessibility standards. If you need to set your own colors, please refer to: Colors in LaTeX
12.3 Alt Text
In Latex, you can insert alternative text using alt inside \\includegraphics. And make sure to use tagpdf with it for accessibility.
\includegraphics[alt={alt text}]{image.png}12.3.1 Use AI to help generate alt text
You can ask generative AI to help generate alt text for you!
Prompt: Please generate alternative text for this image. It must follow the WCAG standard. Use the provided context or code if available. Keep it short and focused on the essential meaning of the image. Do not exceed the recommended character limit.
12.4 Table
12.5 Accessible Math
To make sure math content meets digital accessibility standards:
Use correct LaTeX math syntax. Always write math using \( ... \) or \[ ... \] instead of faking it with text formatting. Screen readers rely on this structure.
And there are two ways to create accessible math content:
12.5.1 tagpdf
When using tagpdf: Use the latest setup to correctly tag math formulas for PDF accessibility. See setup guide here: tagpdf usage instruction
12.5.2 Provide LaTeX math in HTML
When converting to HTML: Use tools like MathJax to render math correctly. This allows screen readers to detect and read equations. See MathJax
Here are some resources about how to make accessible math through HTML: Accessible Mathematics
12.6 TikZ
TikZ needs to be manually tagged by generating tag code and bring alt text:
See Accessible TikZ with tagpdf to know more if you use tagpdf to generate accessible LaTeX files.