Integrating Accessibilityinto PDF Documents

Sean Keegan

Web Accessibility Instructor

High Tech Center Training Unitfor the California Community Colleges

Overview

Definitions

Creating Accessible PDFs

Retrofitting PDF Documents

Assistive Technology and PDFs

Resources

Definitions

Image Only PDFScanned image, no actual text contentRequires OCR

Searchable PDFContains text content, but not tagged

Tagged PDFContains a document structure

PDF Tags

Tags provide structure to a PDF document

Tags allow for: a logical reading order structured content access in PDF forms

Content Creation - Easy

Software Necessary MS Office 2000 or later (for Windows) Adobe Acrobat 5, 6, 7, or 8

"Save as PDF" plug-in for Office 2007 also works

Sample Workflow for MS Word1. Create your content

2. Use Styles and Formatting to designate headings

3. Add appropriate alternative text for images

4. Specify your data table column headers

Add Structure

Use the Styles menu to specify content headings

Add Text Descriptions

Select the image

In the Size ribbon, open the Size properties

Choose "Alt Text"

Enter the text description for the image

Content Creation – "Less Easy"

PDF document does not contain Tags, but contains text content (searchable PDF)

Sample Workflow in Adobe Acrobat:1. Use "Add Tags to Document" function

(under Advanced > Accessibility on menu bar)

2. Add text descriptions for images, check logical reading order, and set data table headers

P.S. Don't make a mistake – there is no undo.

Determining Reading Order

Save the PDF as Text (Accessible) or Plain Text

This will provide a text flow of how information may be communicated to assistive technology

Review the zones on the PDF document

Watch for: multiple columns text boxes Figures labeled

as Tables

The TouchUp ReadingOrder Tool

Allows author to: control text flow

reclassify headings, formulas, text, captions

Remove content from document structure (e.g., artifacts)

Using the Order Tab

The Order tab provides a page view of the content and zones on the page

Zones can be reorganized in this view to control reading order

Starting Over…

Sometimes you just need a "Do Over"

Use the "Clear Page Structure" option to clear the structure of the current page

Does not affect the visual aspect of the PDF - just the structure

Adding Alternative Text

The TouchUp Reading Order Tool provides an option to add alternate text to images & figures

Content Consumption

Properly created content is usable with current assistive technology

Not all assistive technology functions well with PDF viewing applications

Accessible PDF content can be navigated with refreshable Braille displays

Resources

High Tech Center Training Unithttp://www.htctu.net

PDF Training Manualhttp://www.htctu.net/trainings/manuals/tutmain.htm

NetCentric CommonLook Plug-in to Adobe Acrobathttp://www.commonlook.com/products/cl_s508_adobe.aspx

WebAIMhttp://www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/

WCAG Samurai on PDFhttp://wcagsamurai.org/errata/pdf.html

Thank you

Sean Keegan

High Tech Center Training Unitfor the California Community Colleges

http://www.htctu.net