Method 1: Convert MS Word to PDF

1. Start with a well-structured Word document.
   
   
2. In Word, click the File tab and select Save as Adobe PDF (on Windows) or Save As then change the File Format to PDF (on Mac).
   
   
3. Enter a file name in the "File name" field (on Windows) or "Save As:" field (on Mac).
   
   
4. Next, if you are using a Windows machine, click the Options button near the bottom right of the window and make sure the "Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF" option is checked. If you are using a Mac, select Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online services) just below the File Format drop-down.
   
   
5. If you are using a Windows machine, click OK and Save. If you are using a Mac, click Export, then Allow. This will tag the document so that headings and lists are correctly interpreted by screen readers. Additional remediation using Adobe Acrobat Pro/DC may be needed to adjust reading order.

Method 2: Run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on Scanned Document Using Acrobat for OCR

1. Open the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
   
   
2. For Windows, open the Task Pane (this is the pane that presents a list of colorful icons), then use the "Search tools" function to search for "Recognize Text." For Mac, click the Tools tab along the top left of the screen and click Text Recognition.
   
   
3. Click In This File. The "Recognize Text" window will open.
   
   
4. Click the Edit button to adjust OCR settings. Select English (US) for "Primary OCR Language," Searchable Image for "PDF Output Style," and 600 dpi for "Downsample To."
   
   
5. Click OK when done.

Using Acrobat DC for OCR

1. Open the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat DC.
   
   
2. In the Tools panel, click the Action Wizard and select Optimize Scanned Document.
   
   
3. Use the Enhance tools to Add Document Description.
   
   
4. Use the Enhance tools to Optimize Scanned Pages.
   
   
5. Use the Enhance tools to Save As.

Method 3: Run Adobe Acrobat Built-in Accessibility Checker Using the Acrobat XI Accessibility Checker

1. Click the Tools tab to open the Accessibility panel on the right hand side. If you don't see it, click the View menu and select Tools, then Accessibility.
   
   
2. Under Accessibility, select the Full Check button. The Accessibility Checker window will open.
   
   
3. Under the Report Options, check the Create Accessibility Report option.
   
   
4. Click the Start Checking button.
   
   
5. The Accessibility Checker Report will display on the left pane.

Using the Acrobat DC Accessibility Checker

1. In the Tools panel, click Accessibility to bring up the Accessibility tools.
   
   
2. From the Accessibility tools, select the Full Check button. The Accessibility Checker window will open.
   
   
3. Under the Report Options, check the Create Accessibility Report option.
   
   
4. Click the Start Checking button.
   
   
5. The Accessibility Checker Report will display on the left pane.

Resources http://go.illinois.edu/pdf_resources