LaTeX Accessibility Checker
Free. No signup. Works with Overleaf projects.
Upload a LaTeX template, class or project and get an accessibility readiness score: whether it will produce a tagged PDF, which packages block tagging, whether the math will be readable, and what to fix first for WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA Title II.
How to check a LaTeX document
Step 1
Upload the source
A .tex, .cls or .sty file, or a .zip of the whole project. From Overleaf: File, Download as source (.zip). A compiled .pdf works too.
Step 2
Check accessibility
The checker reads the preamble, the class and every package it loads, then scores the result in a few seconds.
Step 3
Fix the top item first
The report lists fixes in order of impact, with the exact line to add. Download the report as a PDF or share it with a link.
Your file is analysed and then discarded. Only the report is kept, for up to 48 hours, so you can download or share it.
What it checks
Tagging
Whether the document will produce a tagged PDF, the structure a screen reader navigates by. In LaTeX this is \DocumentMetadata{tagging=on} on a recent TeX Live, with an engine that supports it.
Packages that block tagging
Every package the preamble and class load, compared with the LaTeX team's tagging-compatibility data. The report names the package that is blocking you, such as titlesec, and flags obsolete ones like accessibility.sty.
Alt text, language and title
Alt text on each included image (\includegraphics[alt=...]), a declared document language, a real PDF title, and the other metadata assistive technology reads.
Math
Whether equations will be tagged as MathML, which screen readers can speak and navigate, or left as drawn symbols. The math accessibility checker covers this in depth.
It also flags headings made with font commands instead of \section, coloured text with low contrast, and links whose text says only "here".
The setup that passes in 2026
Most LaTeX accessibility advice online is out of date. You no longer need an accessibility package: tagging is built into LaTeX. Put this before \documentclass and compile with LuaLaTeX on TeX Live 2025 or newer (on Overleaf: Menu, Compiler LuaLaTeX, TeX Live version 2025):
\DocumentMetadata{
lang=en-US,
pdfversion=2.0,
pdfstandard=ua-2,
tagging=on,
tagging-setup={math/setup=mathml-SE}
}
Then give every meaningful figure alt text, \includegraphics[alt={A bar chart of test scores by year}]{scores}, and set a real title with \title{} and hyperref. If the checker still reports a blocking package, it is usually one your university thesis class or journal class loads for you; the report names it, so you know what to replace or what to ask the template's maintainer.
Beamer slides
You can check a Beamer deck here too: upload the .tex, the project .zip or the compiled PDF. Expect the report to flag tagging, because Beamer cannot produce a tagged PDF and no package or option changes that. Alt text, the document language and the title are still worth fixing in Beamer.
For accessible slides there are two routes: move the deck to ltx-talk, a presentation class built for tagged PDFs with syntax close to Beamer's (see our ltx-talk guide), or publish an accessible handout of the same content next to the slides. We also convert Beamer decks for you.
The rules it checks against
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA: the standard for accessible documents and web content. For a PDF: tagged structure, reading order, alt text, a declared language, contrast and navigable math.
- ADA Title II: the US Department of Justice rule that makes WCAG 2.1 AA the requirement for state and local government, including public universities. After a one-year extension in April 2026, entities serving 50,000 people or more must comply by April 26, 2027, and smaller ones by April 26, 2028.
- PDF/UA (ISO 14289): the PDF accessibility standard. LuaLaTeX can produce PDF/UA-2, with MathML, using the setup above.
The checker reports readiness against these standards. It does not decide your legal obligations, and a score is not a certification: alt-text quality, reading order and the sound of the document in a screen reader still need a person to check.
Frequently asked questions
Add the \DocumentMetadata block above before \documentclass, compile with LuaLaTeX on TeX Live 2025 or newer, give every meaningful figure alt text and set a real title. The checker tells you which of these your document is missing and which packages are in the way.
No. Tagging is built into LaTeX and switched on with \DocumentMetadata. The old accessibility package is abandoned and breaks on current systems. Our guide to LaTeX accessibility packages covers what each one does now.
Use the alt key: \includegraphics[alt={A bar chart of test scores by year}]{scores}. With tagging on, the text is attached to the figure for screen readers. Describe what the image shows, not its file name.
Yes. In Overleaf, use File, Download as source (.zip), and upload the .zip. The checker reads every .tex, .cls and .sty file in it, including the class your template brings.
It depends on what the template loads. Older thesis classes often load packages that are not yet tagging-compatible, such as titlesec. The report names each one, so you know what to replace or ask your graduate school about.
Yes. Upload the deck or its PDF. The report will flag tagging, since Beamer cannot produce a tagged PDF; the Beamer section above explains the two ways to accessible slides.
No. The score goes up to 99, never 100, because no automated check can prove accessibility. It shows how well prepared the source is.
It is free and needs no signup. Your file is analysed and then discarded. Only the report is kept, for up to 48 hours.
Need your documents made accessible?
Our LaTeX experts make thesis templates, journal classes, lecture slides and PDFs accessible for WCAG 2.1 AA, ADA Title II and PDF/UA.
See our accessibility services