You’ve found this article on accessible tables with form fields for PDFs using Adobe Pro because, well, Adobe made this insanely hard. With several of our government clients experiencing the same pain, we decided to create this step-by-step tutorial to help.
Oh, and thanks for doing the work you’re doing. It means the world to us.
In PDFs, if your tables include form fields, complexity skyrockets and accessibility violations are everywhere. Ultimately, screen reader users get lost in a maze of “Field 1, Field 2, Field 3,” with no idea what information is being requested. Governments used to be able to kick the accessible PDF can down the road with a reasonable remediation request form on their accessibility statement, but this is going away in April of 2026. Then, every PDF will need to be accessible before it is published to your website.
What Changed? The DOJ’s 2024 ADA Final Rule for Digital Accessibility.
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued updated Rules under Title II of the ADA, requiring state and local government agencies to update their 2008 accessibility compliance requirements (WCAG 2.0 AA) to the 2018 standards (WCAG 2.1 AA). Additionally, internal applications used by government employees must be accessible as well as inaccessible PDFs are no longer allowed to be publicly available on government websites, unless archived in dedicated locations for historical archives.
Here's why this rule is so significant: Without automation processes and system changes, government agencies publishing publicly available downloadable files, such as meeting minutes, court documents, and public records, will automatically be most vulnerable to predatory litigation and serial plaintiffs.
For our customers in Colorado, fees add up very quickly as each penalty per incident per person is in the thousands. 100 inaccessible PDFs are 100 violations. For our customers in California, keeping their handwritten documents and historical files from 1910 on their website is essential. We’re helping our government clients address these issues and solve these problems ahead of the April 24, 2026, deadline.
Can You Make PDFs Accessible Without Adobe Pro?
Yes, with accessibility experts on demand for fractions of the cost of an audit. From PDF remediation to website compliance or accessibility claim validation, you can ensure full Section 508, ADA, and WCAG compliance with our experts on demand. Go here to get started.
Why PDF Tables with Form Fields Are So Often Inaccessible
After we yell at Adobe through our computer screens for inducing systematic grey hair growth, we can see how tables inside PDFs combine two complex elements:
Data structure (rows, columns, headers) and Interactive form fields (input boxes inside cells).
Without proper tagging, screen readers will skip fields all together or announce them in the wrong order-they don’t know which label belongs to which input. The problem is that most tools — including Adobe Acrobat Pro — don't automatically link form fields to their correct tags inside tables.
How to Create Accessible Tables with Form Fields in Adobe Acrobat Pro
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Pro and open the PDF file that contains or will contain the table.
2. Click "All tools" or "Edit" to access the "Prepare a form" tool.
This tool automatically detects form fields in the document. If fields are missed or you need more control, manually place text fields within each table cell.
3. Click "Prepare a form" in the Other Options section to initiate automatic detection.
Automatic detection simplifies the initial setup but does not address accessibility tagging entirely.
4. Once you're in the Prepare a form view, select your preferred option for creating a form, then click "Create Form."
This will generate form fields in the document, ready for customization.
5. Right-click the newly added form field and select "Properties."
Here you can adjust field name, tooltip, appearance, and behavior.
6. From the Text Field Properties modal, modify the "Tooltip" and "Name."
Tooltips help screen reader users understand the purpose of each field. Use clear and concise descriptions.
Accessibility Pro Insight:
Automated detection is helpful, but manual verification is essential for compliance. Our Accessibility Audits (https://accessabilityofficer.com/accessibility-audits) consistently find gaps in auto-tagged forms that require expert remediation.
7. In the Accessibility Tags pane, select the element where you want to add your new tag.
8. Right-click the element and select "New Tag..."
This allows you to insert a new Form tag into the document structure.
9. In the "New Tag" modal, select "Form" from the Type dropdown.
Click "OK" or "Save" to insert the tag.
10. Right-click the new Form tag and select "Find" to locate corresponding annotations.
This links the tag to the form element on the page.
11. In the "Find Element" modal, select "Unmarked Annotations."
12. Click "Find" to highlight the next untagged annotation. Then click "Tag Element."
13. Verify the annotation has been added under the Form tag.
This confirms it is properly structured for assistive technologies.
14. Use the Accessibility Checker for final verification.
Go to "All Tools" > "Prepare for Accessibility" > "Check for Accessibility." This ensures the document meets minimal accessibility standards, but you will need to review with a screen reader to validate that what you created is actually accessible to people with disabilities.
Next Steps for Making PDFs Accessible
For larger document remediation projects and government digital transformations, local and state governments from New York to California trust AccessAbility Officer (https://accessabilityofficer.com/accessibility-managed-service) to ensure they are compliant while delivering efficient and reliable government services to their residents.
Related Resource: Don't Forget Your Word Document Accessibility
Proactive accessibility in authoring tools like Microsoft Word makes PDF remediation faster, easier, and more accurate. To ensure accessibility from the beginning, check out our step-by-step guide: How to Make Your Word Documents Accessible.