It’s not obvious how Section 508 applies to PDF content, and that’s frustrating. What is for sure is that perceived accessibility and usability depend on making the document work well rather than work poorly, no matter how formally “compliant” it is. Here, we offer a few issues worthy of consideration when developing your Section 508 […]
View PostMyth: Section 508 doesn’t apply to PDF documents WRONG. Most website accessibility efforts begin with a focus on ensuring that HTML content complies with the terms of the law – which makes sense, because most websites are based in HTML Government websites often use PDF for a high proportion of overall site content, and in […]
View PostRecent versions of Adobe’s Acrobat and Reader software include a feature called “Read Out Loud” (ROL). A well-intentioned effort, ROL was (originally) meant to provide a snazzy new feature that would look good on sales calls, impress gullible executives, that sort of thing. It would just be super cool, it seemed, to be able to […]
View PostI recently returned from 4 days in Orlando, Florida, where committees of the International Standards Organization (ISO) met to discuss, among other things, the future and direction of the PDF format (ISO 32000) and various subset PDF standards, including PDF/A (Archive), PDF/E (Engineering) and PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility). PDF Standards set technical benchmarks for PDF technology […]
View PostNearly four years in the making, AIIM’s PDF/UA Committee today agreed to submit their draft standard to ANSI to be submitted to ISO as an ISO NWI (New Work Item). It’s the first formal step from the Working Group’s document to begin the full international process. AIIM and Adobe launched the PDF/UA effort knowing that […]
View PostAdobe today posted a new set of content designed to enhance end-user understanding of accessibility in PDF. These documents are edited by Adobe PDF accessibility specialist Greg Pisocky, and they pull together know-how from many sources. Anyone interested in Section 508 compliance and accessibility in PDF files should download and check them out! …and from […]
View PostOrganized by Christopher Smith’s AGI (recently acquired by Aquent), last week’s 2007 Adobe Acrobat PDF Conference in Orlando, Florida was a notable success. The co-location with the CRE8 conference for graphic designers expanded the scope to the benefit of all attendees. The Scene From the opening welcome party complete with Mickey Mouse and open bar, […]
View PostPDF was originally designed to do one thing: deliver an author’s intent to screen or printer in an efficient, precise and platform-independent manner. This “print paradigm” persists today, and colors the issue of accessible PDF in subtle but pervasive ways. To understand how the print orientation in PDF presents a challenge to accessibility, begin with […]
View PostThe PDF/Universal Accessibility (PDF/UA) Committee met at the AIIM Conference and Expo in Boston this past week. If you are interested, you can read the agenda from the public portion of PDF/UA’s Wiki. We welcomed new members and had a productive day-and-a-half of meetings covering a wide range of issues, from MathML to table structure, […]
View PostWhen I first tell someone that blind people can read PDF files, I often get a slightly puzzled expression. Sighted people sometimes appear to assume that the blind can’t read; that maybe somehow blind professors and programmers and lawyers are born, not taught. I digress. The fact is that blind and other disabled individuals can […]
View PostAIIM’s PDF/UA Committee needs your help! PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) is tasked with developing a Standard for accessible PDF with a goal of eventual adoption by the ISO. The Committee is made up of volunteers (don’t I know it!), and members may be of Observer or Voting status. Voting status requires participation. The Committee’s Wiki is […]
View PostAccessibility is not an especially familiar concept in the computing world. Most of us encounter the idea of accessibility often enough by way of special vehicle parking spaces, ramps, braille signage, beeping crosswalks, and so on. Improving accessibility is more than a courtesy, it is an accepted and vital goal of any advanced society. Both […]
View PostAccessibility: Why is it important to Adobe Systems? Government demands it. Schools need it. Users want it. But when it comes to making electronic documents friendly to assistive technology, the great strengths of the PDF format are also its weakness. The very flexibility of PDF and the tremendous power of Acrobat make real accessibility (also […]
View PostAdobe’s Current Strategy (as described on access.adobe.com) Enhance the PDF format with MSAA-aware capabilities (tags) that document developers may use to improve accessibility. This approach is rooted in the belief that accessibility is operationally defined as the ability to interact with the user’s choice of screen reader software. Usability is not part of this definition. […]
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