Screen Reader Accessibility Error Workaround for Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader DC The AVAiCDialog dialog used by Adobe Acrobat DC to display online storage options for opening and saving PDF files cannot be read by popular screen readers such as JAWS for Windows, NVDA, and Window Eyes. A workaround is available which involves bypassing this […]
View PostAlternative text or “Alt” text is text associated with an image that serves the same purpose and conveys the same essential information as the image. For example, imagine a color photograph of planet Earth taken by NASA astronauts from their space craft in outer space that might appear in a document or on a web […]
View PostThere is lots of advice on just what is involved in making electronic documents like Microsoft Word documents and PDF files accessible and that, as it turns out, may be a bit of a problem. While Accessibility is universally acknowledged to be a good and desirable thing, you would be hard pressed to find […]
View PostMillions of people are visually impaired and must use assistive technology (AT) to read electronic content. Assistive technology software is sometimes called screen readers. To ensure equal access to information, the US Congress enacted legislation in 1998 to require U.S. Federal agencies and contractors to procure accessible software and to produce accessible electronic documents. The […]
View PostMost businesses and government agencies rely on PDF technology for everything from invoicing to project management to records storage. But what do CIOs, IT managers and ECM strategists really know about the electronic document format prevalent worldwide? Do they leverage the power of PDF to reduce costs, mitigate risks and create new opportunities for serving […]
View PostPDF/UA is the ISO standard for accessible PDF technology. The PDF Association’s PDF/UA Competence Center has released an algorithm encompassing all “shall” statements in ISO 14289-1 (PDF/UA). This document, the Matterhorn Protocol, provides the definitive technical blueprint for accessible PDF files. There’s already an implementation of the Matterhorn Protocol in PAC 2.0, the free accessibility checker […]
View PostPeople have been using Adobe Acrobat to convert paper forms to electronic ones for many years now, but developments from Adobe have created confusion about the best way to create and use PDF forms. Here we will explain the different methodologies Adobe uses with forms; from the backend database to form design interface; and, how […]
View PostUsing the Portable Document Format (PDF) can eliminate a number of problems when sharing files. From fonts and formatting to images, tags, bookmarks and more, PDF ensures your document looks exactly as you intended when it is opened by the recipient. Depending on how your file was created, it could be a larger file size […]
View PostA significant portion of people around the world use assistive technology to aid sensory, motor or cognitive disabilities, but improperly designed website elements render these tools nearly useless. Every aspect from navigation to website text to images to downloadable documents should be available to those who use assistive technology. Section 508 compliance is an involved process with no easy fixes. However, there are some initial, cost-effective steps you can take on your way to becoming compliant.
View PostJust as physical accessibility to stores, offices and public buildings is now commonplace, so should access to information in documents and on websites. However, experts say that’s the last thing on many web developer’s minds. “It is disappointing to me that we have seen lots of mainstream technology get easier and more attractive, but the […]
View PostCutting operational costs, moving to greener methods and even regulatory compliance are all factors driving the move away from paper records and other documents and towards secure electronic equivalents. A leading part of more “secure” electronic equivalents is the digital signature. While Europe has seen a steady increase, the United States is slowly adopting digital […]
View PostMillions of US citizens must use assistive technology (AT) to read electronic content. A decade ago this month, the US Federal government’s Section 508 regulations went into effect to ensure equal access to information. Just as intended, the regulations – applicable to both the Federal government and its contractors – accelerated commercial activity around meeting […]
View PostHighlights from last week’s meetings in Salt Lake City. Determining the future trajectory of a technology – if you’re interested in the technology and in the uses to which that technology is put – can be fascinating. If your business or institution has a significant investment in electronic document technology, then you’ll probably find it useful to […]
View PostCIOs and IT managers care a very great deal about keeping the computer systems on their networks free of viruses. Most don’t concern themselves with the details of antivirus strategy. Very understandably, they prefer to leave the inner-workings of virus-scanning to the software vendors. No one wants to second-guess their vendor. But maybe you should. […]
View PostAV vendors once again claim to be “surprised” by an attack vector they should have expected. A new complaint is running rife in the antivirus community, this time about PDF and Adobe Reader, the new frontier for viruses, worms and other cyber creepy-crawlies. Let’s unpack a paragraph from the Avast! blog post: Another nasty trick […]
View PostSome secrets are trivial, some are critical. It’s probably a matter of perspective, but failing to redact key information from sensitive military memos on nuclear submarine operations would tend to fit most definitions of “critical”. Ignorance of basic realities about computers and the lack of proper procedures for releasing information is a toxic combination for […]
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