Can the library create accessible documents?
3824 views | Last updated on Sep 05, 2025 accessibility
No, library staff does not provide a service to create accessible documents, but library users can do so using library technology. Users can scan documents using one of the public scanners at Health Sciences Library or Miller Nichols Library. Choose to save the file as a “searchable PDF.” This will save the PDF with OCR (Optical Character Recognition), making the text accessible to screen reader technology.
You can also apply OCR to an existing PDF with Adobe Acrobat Pro. After making the text machine readable, you should also apply other accessibility elements like tags, alt text for images, and headings to your document. For more detailed instructions, consult this Creating Accessible PDFs guide from Missouri Online.
UMKC users have free access to Adobe Creative Cloud (which includes Acrobat Pro) in designated campus computer labs, free online access with Remote Labs (for staff and faculty), and the option to purchase discounted licenses. UMKC Information Services provides details for all of these Adobe access options. Contact the UMKC Information Services department with questions about Adobe Acrobat Pro.
EBSCO can offer a DRM-free copy of an eBook or a remediated article upon request if you find that it lacks adequate accessibility assistance. The item must be within an EBSCO collection and must be owned by your institution, UMKC Libraries. The accessibility remediation request form can be accessed when viewing an EBSCO item by clicking on an icon in the toolbar of the article and eBook viewers.
