How accurate is automated remediation?

It depends on the document. In our own testing on public-sector PDFs, text documents and clean scans came out usable with little or no correction, while designed newsletters needed review of headings and reading order.

Is manual remediation always correct?

It is as good as the person doing it. Ask vendors how they test: automated validation plus screen-reader testing is the norm.

Guides › Comparisons

Manual vs automated PDF remediation: which do you need?

Short answer: Use automated remediation for text documents exported from Word or Excel (agendas, minutes, policies, reports, fee schedules) and clean scans, then spot-check. Use manual remediation for fillable forms, designed brochures and newsletters, complex tables, maps and charts, and anything legally sensitive. Most organizations need both.

Compared

Aspect	Automated	Manual
Speed	Seconds to minutes per file	Minutes to hours per file
Price	About $0.45 to $2 per page	About $4 to $11.50+ per page; more for forms
Text documents	Good	Good
Scans	Good if scan quality is good	Good
Complex tables	Fair: headers may need fixing	Good
Fillable forms	Weak	Good
Designed layouts	Fair: check reading order	Good
Image descriptions	Written by AI; check accuracy	Written by a person
Consistency	Same rules every time	Depends on the person

How we decide what is “complex”

Our free check flags a file as complex when it is a fillable form, or when it looks like a designed layout (made in tools like Canva or Publisher, or with most text in separate drawing objects). We still fix those files, but the report tells you to review them.

A combined workflow

Check everything with an automated checker to find what fails.
Automate the text documents and scans.
Spot-check a sample of automated results with a screen reader: headings, a table, the image descriptions.
Hand-fix forms and complex layouts, or rebuild them as web pages.
Prevent: train authors so new documents are accessible before they become PDFs.

Questions to ask any vendor

What exactly do you validate, and with which tool?
Do you test with a screen reader?
What do you not fix (forms, contrast, charts)?
What happens if a file still fails?
How long do you keep our files?

Our answers: veraPDF PDF/UA-1 validation on every file; we do not test with a screen reader for you; we do not fix form fields or document color contrast; files that fail are not charged; files are deleted after 7 days.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is automated remediation?: It depends on the document. In our own testing on public-sector PDFs, text documents and clean scans came out usable with little or no correction, while designed newsletters needed review of headings and reading order.
Is manual remediation always correct?: It is as good as the person doing it. Ask vendors how they test: automated validation plus screen-reader testing is the norm.