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 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 PostPDF/UA is the ISO standard, ISO 14289-1 published in 2012, that provides a set of guidelines for producing universally accessible PDF documents as well as specifications for compliant assistive technology (such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, or joysticks) and PDF reading software. If the PDF/UA technical and semantic requirements are followed, universally accessible files can be created […]
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 PostContents Executive Summary Introduction The Australian Government’s Report What the Report Gets Right What the Report Misses What the Report Gets Wrong Conclusions References & Endnotes Appendix: Four Basic Policies to Promote Accessible Documents Executive Summary This article analyzes the recent Australian Government’s study into the Accessibility of the Portable Document Format for people with a […]
View PostWhy PDF “reading order” is irrelevant to accessibility Introduction This article attempts to explain the concept of “reading order” in PDF files. Why is this necessary? End users are often frustrated by inconsistent and often illegible results when attempting to read PDF files on mobile devices, search for PDF content online, or when using assistive […]
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 […]
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