How RemeDocs works

Tag structure

Most PDFs are created without any semantic tag structure, which means screen readers encounter a wall of undifferentiated text. RemeDocs adds a complete tag tree — headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, figures, and sections — so assistive technologies can navigate the document the same way a sighted user scans a page. Tags follow the PDF/UA specification, and every content element is assigned the correct role in the document hierarchy.

Reading order

A PDF can look perfectly organized on screen yet present content in a completely wrong sequence to a screen reader. This happens because the visual layout and the underlying content stream are two different things. RemeDocs analyzes the spatial relationships between text blocks, columns, sidebars, and footnotes to establish a logical reading sequence that matches what a sighted reader would follow from top to bottom and left to right.

Alt text

Images without alternative text are invisible to screen reader users. RemeDocs uses AI-powered vision models to generate descriptive alt text for every informational image — charts, photographs, diagrams, and logos. Decorative images are marked as artifacts so screen readers skip them entirely. The result is that users who cannot see the images still receive the information those images are meant to convey.

Table structure

Data tables are among the hardest elements to make accessible. Without proper header cell associations, a screen reader user has no way to know which column or row a particular value belongs to. RemeDocs identifies header rows and columns, adds scope attributes, and maps complex merged-cell layouts with id/headers relationships so that every data cell is associated with its corresponding headers.

Metadata

Standards-compliant PDFs require specific metadata fields: a document title (displayed in the browser tab instead of the filename), a declared language (so screen readers use the correct pronunciation engine), and a PDF/UA identifier that signals conformance to assistive technology. RemeDocs sets all of these automatically, along with author, subject, and XMP metadata.

Bookmarks

Long documents without bookmarks force screen reader users to scroll through every page to find a specific section. RemeDocs generates a navigable bookmark outline from the heading structure, giving users a table of contents they can use to jump directly to any part of the document. This is especially valuable for reports, manuals, and multi-chapter publications.

RemeDocs output conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines published by the W3C and referenced by virtually every accessibility regulation worldwide. It also meets Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies and their contractors to produce accessible electronic documents. Finally, every PDF is packaged to the PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1) specification, the international standard for accessible PDF files.

These three standards overlap significantly, but each has requirements the others do not. By targeting all three simultaneously, RemeDocs ensures your documents are compliant regardless of which regulation applies to your organization. For a detailed comparison of how these standards differ and where they converge, see our guide: Section 508 vs. WCAG vs. PDF/UA — What You Actually Need to Know.