Accessible PDFs
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In relation to my recent Accessify post, please direct your comments this way 
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Nigel Peck / MIS Web Design
Last edited by Nigel Peck on 30 Mar 2004 08:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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The idea of a PDF that has innovative accessibility support is a rather good idea but I see it more of a marketing ploy - since you still need the plug-in or helper application.
I believe it is lazy attitudes saying let us reinvent PDF so it is more accessible then all we have to do is link to the said file and we will get our brownie points.
It's a probably a good idea but not the best delivery method - is that controversial enough answer.
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};-) http://www.xhtmlcoder.com/
WVYFC chose the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as the main charity to fund raise for in 2006
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If it's true, then it's a step in the right direction.
My organisation specifies PDF as the preferred document format which to my mind makes them inaccessible. If this comes to pass then it can only be an improvement.
Robert's point is well put, but I feel there is too little information at present to give such deep and meaningful comments, or am I missing something?
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Mike Abbott
Accessible to everyone
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| Robert Wellock wrote: |
| The idea of a PDF that has innovative accessibility support is a rather good idea but I see it more of a marketing ploy - since you still need the plug-in or helper application. |
A narrow viewpoint, I'd suggest (and controversial as you say
) You imply that all PDFs are viewed via a web browser and a link from a web page. This is not the case at all.
This is about making PDFs accessible. Making them accessible via a web page is a different issue.
I don't see this as a marketing ploy but, as Mikea says, it is early days yet. Good news I reckon.
Cheers
Kevin
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In a brief email conversation with Max Wyse (sp?), a PDF guru, he told me that there is not a lot of information about making accessible PDFs other than the information from Adobe themselves.
However, recognize that many of the criteria for making a PDF accessible are the same or at least similar to accessible web pages but of course, there are some differences. The Accessible PDF initiative came from IRS in the US who wished to employ PDFs as tax forms and being government, these forms had to be accessible. The basis of accessibility was taken from Section 508.
Similarities (some):
- Use proper document structure
- Provide alternate text for graphics
- Don't rely on colour (blind of course will be affected but Acrobat Reader allows users to set their own text and background colours)
Differences (some):
- PDF tags are automatically generated by Word, etc.
- PDF tags can be modified but requires some degree of expertise and understanding
- Fonts must be mapped to Unicode but some fonts, Common Bullets for one, don't map and cause problems
- The link from the footnote reference to the footnote doesn't seem to be converted properly, requires manual intervention
- Horizontal lines are considered graphics in a PDF and require alternate text (unlike graphics or figures in Word where alternate text can be provided right within Word, horizontal lines must receive their alternate text in the PDF)
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Jules
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Yes, I was just mentioning the narrow-band browser aspect usage just to get discussion flowing. 
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};-) http://www.xhtmlcoder.com/
WVYFC chose the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as the main charity to fund raise for in 2006
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| Jules wrote: |
| However, recognize that many of the criteria for making a PDF accessible are the same or at least similar to accessible web pages but of course, there are some differences. |
I've got a blog entry I chuck "accessible PDFs" related items in. Essentially, Adobe recognise that PDFs do have limitations when it comes to accessibility, especially when the layout is non-trivial.
I must pick up Jim's ebook soon - see if his analysis differs from mine.
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| Isofarro wrote: |
| I must pick up Jim's ebook soon - see if his analysis differs from mine. |
Who is Jim and what is the ebook about?
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Jules
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| Jules wrote: | ||
Who is Jim and what is the ebook about? |
My apologies. I assumed Nigel's initial post was about the accessibility of PDF's. Via Gez's excellent blog, a post titled Accessible PDF refers to an e-book authored by our own Jim Byrne (of www.mcu.org.uk fame) about - naturally - creating accessible PDFs
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| Isofarro wrote: | ||
My apologies. I assumed Nigel's initial post was about the accessibility of PDF's. Via Gez's excellent blog, a post titled Accessible PDF refers to an e-book authored by our own Jim Byrne (of www.mcu.org.uk fame) about - naturally - creating accessible PDFs |
I just purchased it and although it is a good little resource, it doesn't add to my knowledge (except for Acrobat 6 options, I use Acrobat 5 at work).
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Jules
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| Jules wrote: |
| other than the information from Adobe themselves. |
...which is, in a nutshell: hey, use word 2000, it can create accessible PDFs from properly formatted documents...
or did i miss something ?
i feel my brain expanding already...
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Patrick H. Lauke / webmaster / University of Salford
co-lead: WaSP Accesibility Task Force
take it to the streets ... WaSP Street Team
personal: splintered | photographia | redux
co-author: Web Accessibility - Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance
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Not much more than that, you are correct. They have a couple of documents which go into more detail but in my work, I seem to have uncovered some issues which are not documented. I may have detected the source of one of them and I will test it tomorrow but the others are just ornery problems with the conversion._________________
Jules
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| Jules wrote: |
|
I just purchased it and although it is a good little resource, it doesn't add to my knowledge (except for Acrobat 6 options, I use Acrobat 5 at work). |
Jules,
There is a lot of information on the Web about Acrobat 5, but not much about 6, e.g., all the Adobe accessibility guides are aimed at Acrobat 5 users.
I agree it will probably not add to the knowledge of version 5 users - but version 6 is a different beast. My guide was designed to fill what I saw as a shortfall when it comes to documentation for Adobe Acrobat 6 users.
When 6 has been on the market a bit longer I'm sure that will no longer be the case - but in the meantime......
All the best,
Jim
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http://www.jimbyrne.co.uk
Accessible web design consultant since 1996.
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