Alternative 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 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 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 PostBefore diving into PDF accessibility and Section 508 compliance, we’d like to introduce you to a few basic facts. You’ll hear these again as you learn more about what it takes to make PDFs comply with Section 508, but if you want a FAST overview to get you started, this is it. Almost any PDF […]
View PostEnsuring PDFs are compliant with Section 508 means enabling content for use by devices that suit the needs of a wide variety of disabled users. For those implementing Section 508, it’s important to know what this really means. This document is a PDF-specific guide to the Section 508 regulations, as adapted from § 1194.22 Web-based […]
View PostThe latest International Standard for PDF is almost here! Today in Schaumburg, near Chicago, Illinois, Adobe’s Greg Pisocky, Appligent’s Duff Johnson and Microsoft’s Cherie Ekholm together offered a presentation describing ISO/DIS 14289, better known as PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility). This page includes a very basic overview of the new Standard. Scroll down for the ATIA presentation. The […]
View Post(Duff Johnson gave this testimony at the US Access Board’s public hearing in Washington DC on May 12, 2010) Mr. Chairman, members of the U.S. Access Board, it is an honor to be here today to discuss the refresh of Section 508 as it pertains to the PDF file-format. I am here to offer my […]
View PostIt’s pretty sad that Congress itself isn’t yet up to speed on Section 508, to say nothing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On April 22, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee for the Judiciary displayed it’s own disability. It seems this committee of Congress can’t meet a simple requirement for equal […]
View PostSo, you think PDF is a problem when it comes to accessibility and Section 508 compliance? Let’s talk about that expensive and widely used word-processing software known as Microsoft Word. Word appears unaware of Section 508 requirements for tables. In Word, column heading cells occur only when an option to repeat headings on following pages […]
View Post“Tags” sounds like HTML, doesn’t it? What’s that got to do with PDF? PDF was invented to provide an electronic equivalent of paper. As such, it’s perfectly natural for PDF files to contain characters and images located at such-and-such coordinates on a page – and that’s it. No concept of paragraphs, sentences or even words. […]
View PostIt’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 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, […]
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