Audit and remediate PDFs for accessibility – automatically

Accessful uses AI to add tags, establish the correct reading order and generate alt text in line with PDF/UA-2 and WCAG 2.2 – typically in seconds rather than weeks. Process anything from a single document to an entire collection through the web app, API or your own infrastructure.

  • Hosting in Germany
  • ISO/IEC 27001 certified data centers
  • GDPR-compliant processing
  • PDF/UA-2 · WCAG 2.2 · EN 301 549

Organisations that work with Accessful

  • Rhineland-Palatinate Savings Bank Association
  • BMW Group
  • R+V Insurance
  • Thuringian construction bank
  • Smavesto
  • Neckar-Odenwald district
  • IFOK
  • Municipality of Dossenheim
Why Accessful

Manual PDF remediation does not scale

Making a single PDF accessible requires specialist knowledge of tags, reading order and alt text – and a lot of time. With hundreds or thousands of documents, manual processing becomes a bottleneck: expensive, slow and difficult to keep consistent.

Accessful automates this process. Its AI understands text, layout and visual content, adds the missing document structure and provides an audit report for every document. You retain control wherever human judgement remains important, such as subject-matter approval.

  • Seconds instead of weeks

    Results are typically available in seconds – even for large document volumes.

  • All common documents, over 110 languages

    Works with all common document types and understands content in over 110 languages.

  • Layout remains unchanged

    Only the structural level is expanded - appearance and content remain identical.

How it works

Accessible PDF in four steps

  1. Submit PDF

    Load documents into the web app using drag-and-drop or submit them automatically via the API – individually or in batches.

  2. Analyze document

    The AI ​​understands text, layout and image content and recognizes missing structure: tags, reading order, alt text, tables and lists.

  3. Correct barriers

    Accessful automatically adds the structural layer - the layout and content of your document remain unchanged.

  4. Receive the accessible PDF and audit report

    You will receive the accessible PDF including an audit-ready report – as proof of audit and compliance.

See how it works in detail

Core functions

Everything an accessible document needs

  • Document structure & tags

    Headings, paragraphs, lists and tables are tagged correctly in the PDF – the foundation screen readers rely on.

  • Reading order

    The AI determines the correct reading order automatically, including for multi-column layouts and complex pages.

  • Alt text

    Images, graphics and diagrams receive precise alt text - the AI ​​recognizes the visual context.

  • Tables & lists

    Table headers, cell references and list structures are marked semantically correctly.

  • Audit reports

    Every document receives an audit-ready report - traceable and verifiable at any time.

  • Batch processing

    Thousands of documents in one run - with live status in the dashboard or via webhook notification.

  • REST API

    Upload, status query, download and deletion as documented endpoints – for integration into your systems.

    View API & Integration
  • On-Premises

    Operation completely in your infrastructure – air-gapped if desired, with your own AI models behind your firewall.

    Explore on-premises deployment
Standards & Compliance

BFSG, EAA, WCAG, PDF/UA – this is how everything is connected

BFSG & European Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) obliges digital accessibility across the EU; In Germany, the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) implements it. Since June 28, 2025, the requirements have applied to many companies - including electronic documents such as PDFs.

Understanding BFSG for PDFs

WCAG & EN 301 549

The WCAG define what “accessible” actually means. The European standard EN 301 549 refers to these criteria for documents and is the technical benchmark behind BFSG and BITV.

WCAG for PDF documents

PDF/UA

PDF/UA (ISO 14289) is the technical standard for accessible PDFs: correct tags, reading order and metadata. Accessful remediates according to PDF/UA-2 and documents the result in the audit report.

Understanding PDF/UA
API & Integration

Accessibility directly in your workflows

Process documents automatically from document management, CRM, contract management, archive systems or web portals. The REST API handles upload (as a file or via URL), asynchronous processing with status query, download of results and deletion - webhooks notify your systems about each processing step.

  • Authentication via API key
  • Webhooks with HMAC signatures and automatic retries
  • Batch processing of entire document collections
POST /api/v1/upload-service/pdf/upload
On-Premises

Your infrastructure, your data

For organisations with the strictest requirements, Accessful runs entirely in your own environment – optionally air-gapped and using your own AI models behind your firewall. Documents remain within your organisation, with no reliance on external cloud services.

Alternatively, we operate Accessful for you in a GDPR-compliant manner on German infrastructure in ISO/IEC-27001-certified data centers.

Industries

For regulated companies, authorities and agencies

  • Insurance

    Policies, terms and conditions and customer mail accessible - automated for entire document collections.

  • Banking & financial services

    Prepare account statements, product information and contracts in an accessible manner – support with BFSG requirements, directly from your systems.

  • Government & public sector

    Make notices, forms and publications accessible according to BITV 2.0 and EN 301 549.

  • Higher education

    Make scripts, regulations and administrative documents accessible to all students.

  • Energy utilities

    Invoices, tariff information and contract documents are accessible – even in high volumes.

  • Healthcare

    Make patient information and forms accessible - process sensitive data optionally entirely in-house.

Comparison

Manual, semi-automated or Accessful?

Comparison of manual remediation, partially automated tools and Accessful
Criterion Manual remediation Partially automated tools Accessful
Processing time per document Hours to days, depending on scope and complexity Faster, but often requires manual rework per document Typically seconds, without manual rework in the standard case
Scalability Limited by available skilled workers Limited by rework effort Batch processing thousands of documents via web app or API
Required expertise High (PDF/UA expertise required) Medium (tool and standard knowledge) No specialist knowledge required – expertise is in the AI
Consistency Depending on the person processing it Often inconsistent with manual steps Uniform rules across all documents
Evidence/audit report To be created manually Tool dependent audit-ready report for each document, automatically
Integration into systems Not intended Often limited, often desktop software REST API, webhooks, on-premises operation

Remediation guarantee

If a document remediated by Accessful is not recognized as accessible during an accessibility audit, we will remediate it free of charge - quickly, easily and at no additional cost.

Frequently asked questions about accessible PDFs

How much does it cost to correct PDFs?

Accessful is billed via prepaid page quotas - without user licenses and without a fixed term. Packages start at €1,950 net for 780 PDF pages; With larger quotas, the page price drops to up to €2.00 per page. Details can be found on the Pricing page. You can check your PDFs in advance for free.

Will the layout of my documents be retained?

Yes. Accessful does not change the layout or content. Only the structural level that is necessary for accessibility is added: tags, reading order and alt text. The appearance of the document remains identical.

Which standards are supported?

Accessful audits and remediates according to PDF/UA-2, WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549 and thus supports you with the requirements of the BFSG and the European Accessibility Act. An audit-ready report is created for each remediated document.

Can large PDF quantities be processed?

Yes. Accessful is designed for batch processing and also processes thousands of documents automatically - via web app or directly from your systems via the API.

Is there an API?

Yes. The REST API offers upload via file or URL, status queries, download of the remediated PDFs, delete functions and webhooks for asynchronous processing. All details are in the API documentation.

Is there an on-premises version?

Yes. If desired, Accessful can run completely in your own infrastructure - on request also air-gapped, with its own AI models behind your firewall. More about this on the page On-Premises.

Are my documents saved?

Processing takes place on German infrastructure in ISO/IEC-27001-certified data centers. You can use the API to delete individual processes or entire inventories at any time. When operating on-premises, your documents remain within your organisation.

How long does processing take?

Results are typically available in seconds – even for extensive documents. Large inventories are processed asynchronously; You can track the progress in the dashboard or via status queries and webhooks via the API.

Which document types are supported?

Accessful processes PDF documents of all kinds - from marketing documents to contracts to forms - and understands content in over 110 languages.

What cannot an automatic check detect?

Some criteria require human judgment - for example whether an alternative text perfectly matches the technical context or whether the order of content makes sense for your readers. Accessful reliably detects and corrects typical, machine-testable barriers and documents the results in the audit report so that targeted editorial approvals remain possible.

Check your PDFs for accessibility – free of charge.

Upload a document and receive a result in seconds - without registering. Or let us show you Accessful in person.