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Re: PDFs and Smartphones-A Match Not Made in Heaven?

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From: L Snider
Date: Nov 28, 2014 6:32AM


Oh and my next question would be, would PDF/UA help solve this issue? I
have been researching it to see if I will use it, and now I am researching
it more to see if it can help? Advice?

On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 7:26 AM, L Snider < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Hello Gijs and Marco,
>
> So nothing has improved? This makes me mad...I just don't get it. I was
> hoping someone would say that I was wrong and missed something...
>
> So my next question is-what do we do?
>
> Do people who are blind use apps that show the structure?
>
> If not, then how can we use PDF at all? I try to structure PDFs so they
> are readable, but without tags it is just a jumble...
>
> What if a PDF is warranted (as is the case for most of what I have to look
> at or produce)? I am now thinking of offering HTML as an alternative, so at
> least that might help. Does anyone have any good Word>HTML convertors that
> take out the mess of Word code? I haven't had to do that in a while, so if
> anyone has a favourite do let me know.
>
> Wow, this is really going back to the early 2000s, how sad.
>
> Cheers
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 5:54 AM, Marco Zehe < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> my experience is that, aside from Adobe Reader on Windows plus
>> supporting screen readers, PDF tags or whatever it's called nowadays
>> isn't supported by anyone. Even apps such as Voice Dream Reader do not,
>> as far as I know, expose PDF tag information. And neither does Adobe
>> Reader for iOS. The Mac version of that isn't even VoiceOver accessible
>> at all.
>>
>> On Android, according to my limited testing, the situation is just as
>> dismal.
>>
>> Marco
>>
>> On 28.11.2014 09:31, Gijs Veyfeyken wrote:
>> > Apple doesn't support PDF tags.
>> > All the structural information in tags (tables, headings, lists,
>> alt-texts, etcetera) is lost for VoiceOver users.
>> > Not only in iOS but also in Mac OS.
>> > http://duff-johnson.com/2013/03/01/inaccessible-by-choice-pdf-on-macos
>> >
>> > Gijs
>> >
>> >> On 27 Nov 2014, at 20:00, <EMAIL REMOVED> wrote:
>> >>
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>> >> Today's Topics:
>> >>
>> >> 1. PDFs and Smartphones-A Match Not Made in Heaven? (L Snider)
>> >>
>> >> From: L Snider < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>> >> To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>> >> Date: 26 Nov 2014 20:37:08 CET
>> >> Reply-To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>> >> Subject: [WebAIM] PDFs and Smartphones-A Match Not Made in Heaven?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> HI Everyone,
>> >>
>> >> My last discussion got me thinking about PDFs, iphones and android
>> phones.
>> >>
>> >> I can make a pretty accessible PDF (using a pretty accessible Word
>> doc).
>> >> However, I am now researching PDFs and smartphones, which don't seem
>> that
>> >> smart now...
>> >>
>> >> I have read about apps that might help with 'reading' the PDF, but in
>> the
>> >> end are PDFs doomed? What if one needs to use a PDF that has tables,
>> etc.
>> >> for a specific use, ie: a handbook that does not lend itself to html?
>> >>
>> >> I can still produce my lovely pretty accessible PDF, but if a mobile
>> user
>> >> who has VoiceOver reads it, then they rely on reading order alone for
>> the
>> >> most part? Would love to hear what all of you think and what you are
>> doing
>> >> with your PDFs.
>> >>
>> >> Cheers
>> >>
>> >> Lisa
>> >>
>> >> PS-Two articles were of particular interest:
>> >> I found a couple of articles that peaked my interest:
>> >>
>> http://webguide.gov.au/accessibility-usability/accessibility/pdf-accessibility/
>> >>
>> https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/blog/2013/09/06/pdf-accessibility-on-mobile-devices/
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> > >>
>> >> >> >>
>
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