How-to Configure/fix Screen Reading order (Accessibility Tags) for External Screen Readers such as Adobe Acrobat reading a pdf layout exported from ArcGIS Pro

Summary

Many users face issues with this new functionality pertaining to the inability to view the reading order in Adobe Acrobat when using external screen readers after exporting a layout to PDF in ArcGIS Pro 3.7. This problem affects accessibility functionality, specifically the metadata and reading order tags.

Shared are some key considerations in this article to set/fix, the missing/misarranged reading order via accessibility tags.

Cause

External screen readers generally fail to detect or properly sequence layout content due to two primary configurations:

• Missing alternative text: The map frame lacks the necessary metadata for a screen reader to interpret it.
• Text or dynamic text elements are placed outside the active page layout boundaries. This is the most common reason screen readers lose track of the reading order.

Procedure

To resolve this issue, ensure all layout elements are fully contained and properly tagged before exporting. Follow these steps to configure the layout for a correct PDF reading order:

1. Configure map frame accessibility
   1. Open the project in ArcGIS Pro.
   2. Right-click the map frame and select Properties.
   3. Navigate to the Accessibility section.
   4. Enter a clear, descriptive summary in the alternate Text (alt text) field.
2. Clean up layout elements
   1. Verify that all text and dynamic text features reside entirely inside the boundaries of the layout page element.
   2. If there are any draft, reference, or working text elements located outside the layout boundary, disable or delete them before exporting.
3. Export and verify
   1. Export the layout to PDF using the standard settings.
   2. Open the exported PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
   3. Use Acrobat’s built-in Accessibility or Tags panel to verify that the reading order matches the intended sequence.

Note: 
Refer to the official ArcGIS Pro documentation for guidance on exporting to PDF and setting the reading order.