Restaurant menus and PDFs: making them accessible online
Many restaurants, salons and clinics upload a photo or scanned PDF of their menu or price list. Screen readers can't read the text in a picture, and PDFs are awkward on phones.
Best option: an HTML page
Type the menu into a normal web page using headings for sections and lists for items. It's readable on any device, easier to update, and helps your search ranking for dish names.
<h2>Starters</h2> <ul> <li>Garlic bread – $6</li> <li>Soup of the day – $8</li> </ul>
If you must use a PDF
- Export from Word, Google Docs or Canva as a tagged PDF with real text, not a scan.
- Set the document title and language.
- Use built-in heading styles.
- Add alt text to images in the source document.
- Link to it with descriptive text: “Dinner menu (PDF, 200 KB)”.
Image-only menus
If a designed image is important to your brand, keep it but also provide the same information as text on the page.
Related guides
- Squarespace vs Wix vs WordPress vs Shopify: accessibility compared
- Free website accessibility checkers compared
- Accessible links and buttons: fix “click here” and empty icon links
- Free ADA website checker: what a free scan can (and can't) tell you
Check your own site
Run a free homepage snapshot to see your top 3 issues, or order the $149 Fix-Pack for up to 10 pages with copy-paste fixes.