Accessible PDF reading on Mac
Built for anyone who finds reading hard work — and the first three are free.
PDFs are frequently the least accessible documents anyone has to deal with: fixed layouts, small type, wide measures, and a tendency to be scans. Several of the features in this app exist specifically because of that.
The reading ruler, Reading View and Read Aloud is free and always will be. There is nothing to sign up for and nothing is watermarked.
What is here
| Feature | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| The reading ruler | Dims the page except a clear band under your pointer, so your eye cannot slide into the wrong line. Arrow keys nudge it. | Free |
| Reading View | Presents the words at a size, a typeface and on a background you choose, without the fixed layout. | Free |
| Read Aloud | Reads the document, highlighting each word as it is spoken, at a speed you set. | Free |
| Appearance settings | Light or dark, and the accent colour the interface uses. | Free |
| Reduce motion and transparency | Verso's own switches, independent of the system-wide ones, so you can calm this app without changing your whole Mac. | Free |
| Make Searchable | Turns a scan into real text, which is what makes a document readable by assistive technology at all. | Premium |
| Accessibility check | Reviews a document you are publishing and reports what is missing. | Premium |
Reading a document that is hard to read
Three approaches, and they combine:
- Keep your place. The reading ruler, with the arrow keys so you never lose the line.
- Change how it looks. Reading View, at a comfortable size on a warm background, rather than 9pt across a wide measure.
- Listen to it. Read Aloud, following the highlighted word or not, as suits you.
Read Aloud with the reading ruler on. The voice sets the pace and the band keeps your eye on the right line. For a long, dense document it is noticeably less tiring than reading it, and both are free.
Using a screen reader
VoiceOver can read a PDF that contains real text. It cannot read one that does not, because there is nothing there — which is why running recognition over a scanned document is the single most valuable accessibility step available for any document.
The same is true in reverse for flattening: it turns pages into pictures and removes the text entirely. A document that must be accessible must not be flattened.
If you publish documents
Four things carry most of the benefit, and none of them is hard:
- Make sure the document contains real text. Never publish a scan without recognising it.
- Give it a title. It is what assistive technology announces first.
- Give a long document an outline. It is the difference between navigating by section and navigating page by page.
- Describe your images. Say what the image conveys, not what it looks like.
The accessibility check will tell you which of them you have missed.
Frequently asked questions
What accessibility features does Verso have?
A reading ruler, Reading View, Read Aloud, light and dark appearance, and its own reduce-motion and reduce-transparency switches — all free. Text recognition and the accessibility check are Premium.
Is there a reading ruler for PDFs on a Mac?
Yes, and it is free. It dims the page except a clear band under your pointer, and the arrow keys nudge it a line at a time.
Can VoiceOver read a PDF?
It can read one that contains real text. A scan contains none, so running text recognition over it first is what makes it readable at all.
Can I turn off the animations?
Yes, with Verso's own reduce-motion switch, which works independently of the system-wide setting. There is a matching one for transparency.
What is the most important thing for making a PDF accessible?
Making sure it contains real text. Everything else is secondary to a document that a screen reader can read at all.
Does flattening affect accessibility?
Yes, badly — it turns pages into pictures and removes the text. A document that must be accessible must not be flattened.