INDESIGN ACCESSIBILITY CHECKER PLUGIN
Check Adobe InDesign documents for common PDF accessibility issues before export.
Highlander Accessibility Checker helps reduce repeated export, test and fix cycles by identifying many source-document issues earlier in the workflow.
Find Accessibility Issues Before You Export to PDF
Create more accessible PDFs directly from Adobe InDesign.
The Highlander Accessibility Checker provides a dedicated accessibility preflighting and reporting panel within InDesign that helps identify accessibility issues before PDF export, allowing you to resolve problems earlier in the workflow and reduce costly rework.
Designed for communications teams, designers, universities, councils, charities and public sector organisations, the plugin performs comprehensive accessibility and PDF/UA-focused preflight checks directly within Adobe InDesign.
Key Benefits
- Identify accessibility issues before PDF export
- Improve PDF/UA readiness
- Reduce remediation time and rework
- Generate accessibility reports
- Locate and navigate directly to issues
- Receive clear guidance on how to fix problems
- Work entirely within Adobe InDesign
| Highlander Plugin | Acrobat/PAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Checks the InDesign document | ✅ | ❌ |
| Helps fix issues before export | ✅ | ❌ |
| Checks the exported PDF | ❌ | ✅ |
| Reduces remediation work | ✅ | ✅ |
| Replaces manual review | ❌ | ❌ |
| Helps with PDF/UA readiness | ✅ | After export |
Accessible PDFs Start in InDesign
The earlier accessibility issues are identified, the easier they are to fix.
The Highlander Accessibility Checker helps you find and resolve accessibility issues before export, saving time, reducing rework and supporting the creation of more accessible PDF documents.
Why Use the Highlander Accessibility Checker?
Most accessibility problems originate in the InDesign document itself.
A common workflow is:
- Create the document in InDesign
- Export to PDF
- Run accessibility checks
- Discover issues
- Return to InDesign
- Fix the document
- Export again & repeat the process
The Highlander Accessibility Checker helps move much of this process earlier in the workflow by identifying accessibility issues before export. This means fewer surprises, less rework and a more efficient route to creating accessible PDFs.
Comprehensive Accessibility Preflight Checks
The plugin performs extensive accessibility checks covering:
Document Structure
- Document titles
- Bookmarks
- Table of contents structure
- Image-only documents
- PDF export settings
Language and Text
- Missing language settings
- Mixed-language content
- Heading hierarchy
- Symbol fonts
- Acronyms and abbreviations
- Small text warnings
Tagging and Reading Order
- Export tags
- Untagged content
- Articles panel configuration
- Reading order
- Accessibility-related PDF settings
Images and Graphics
- Missing alt text
- Decorative image settings
- Artifact configuration
- Captions
- Images containing text
- Placed PDFs
Tables and Lists
- Missing headers
- Empty cells
- Structural issues
- Layout tables
- Manual bullets and numbering
Links and Interactive Content
- Broken links
- Raw URLs
- Vague link text
- Forms and buttons
- Interactive objects
Reporting and Guidance
- Accessibility dashboard
- Recommended fix order
- Accessibility readiness score
- Exportable HTML reports
- Locate affected objects
- Context-sensitive guidance and recommendations
Based on years of industry practice
The Highlander Accessibility Checker has been developed by Andy Gardiner, author of Designing the Adobe InDesign Way, former Adobe Certified Instructor, Adobe Certified Design Master and specialist trainer in creating accessible PDFs with Adobe InDesign.
The plugin is based on many years of real-world experience delivering accessibility training and consultancy to councils, universities, charities, NHS organisations and public sector teams throughout the UK.
Rather than simply reporting issues, the plugin is designed to help users understand why issues matter and how to resolve them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Highlander Accessibility Checker for InDesign?
Highlander Accessibility Checker is an Adobe InDesign plugin that checks InDesign documents for common PDF accessibility issues before they are exported to PDF.
Does it replace Acrobat or PAC?
No. The plugin checks the InDesign source document before export. Acrobat, PAC and other PDF accessibility tools are still needed to check the final exported PDF. It does however significantly reduce the number of issues that make it into the PDF document in the first place.
Can it guarantee PDF/UA compliance?
No automated pre-export checker can guarantee PDF/UA compliance on its own. The plugin helps identify source-document issues that can affect PDF/UA readiness and accessible PDF production.
What does the plugin check?
It checks issues such as document titles, language settings, heading hierarchy, export tags, Articles panel setup, reading order indicators, missing alt text, decorative image settings, table structure, list formatting, links, forms and placed PDFs.
Who is it designed for?
It is designed for InDesign users, designers, communications teams, councils, universities, charities, NHS organisations and other organisations that need to create more accessible PDFs.
Does it check the final PDF?
No. It checks the InDesign document before export. The exported PDF should still be checked using Acrobat, PAC or another PDF accessibility checker.
Does it help reduce PDF remediation work?
Yes. By identifying and helping you fix many accessibility issues in InDesign before export, the plugin can significantly reduce the amount of remediation required later in Acrobat or another PDF remediation tool.
This is particularly valuable for documents that are updated and reissued regularly. If accessibility fixes are made only in the exported PDF, they may need to be repeated every time a new version is produced. By addressing issues in the InDesign source document instead, many of those fixes are retained for future exports, reducing repeated remediation work and making accessible PDF production faster and more consistent.
VERSION HISTORY?
1.0.1 — Initial release: comprehensive InDesign accessibility preflight, grouped and filterable findings, Accessibility Readiness score, object navigation, manual-review approval, licensing, and HTML report export.
1.0.2 — Added clearer trial and purchasing prompts, licence-key entry, and restricted summary mode for unlicensed users.
1.0.3 — Refined the licensing and trial interface, including clearer action buttons and links.
1.0.4 — Minor visual and interface polish.
1.0.5 — Maintenance release with small stability and workflow refinements.
1.0.6 — Introduced the automatic 30-day full-access trial, trial-status banner, days-remaining display, and post-trial summary-only mode.
1.0.7 — Licensing reliability and validation improvements.
1.0.8 — Expanded table checking, including detection of tables without designated header rows or columns; raised the minimum requirement to InDesign 2026 (21.5.1). Whilst the plugin works on earlier versions of InDesign still some newer features will not be supported
1.0.9 — Maintenance and InDesign compatibility refinements.
1.0.11 — Improved update checking and notifications; added optional report-creator attribution and report branding improvements. Also introduced privacy-conscious reporting of installation and completed-check statistics, including trial/licence status and installed plug-in version.
HOW CAN I GET SUPPORT FOR THE PLUGIN?
You can view documentation for the plugin online here. If you encounter a problem with the plugin you can contact us via our plugin support form.