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Thread: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
Number of posts in this thread: 22 (In chronological order)
From: Birkir Rúnar Gunnarsson
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 3:36PM
Subject: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
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Hello everyone
I am having issues with pdf fliers generated by a disabilities-organization.
I have been in touch with them and they say they simply use the "save
as pdf" option in Word (presumably Office 08 or 09 for Mac, I am not
entirely up-to-date on the office versions in OSX).
Does anyone have an accessible "save as .pdf" plug in or checker, or
advise, for Mac users?
Of course there is the alternative Word document option, which is not
bad, but if I could teach them to make their .pdfs better, that'd
definitely be helpful.
Thanks
-Birkir
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 4:00PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
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Birkir,
"Save as PDF" is an option in MS Office for Windows, not sure about the Mac version.
However, on the Mac that organization could use OpenOffice to export their Word file to PDF. Certainly, the price is right (free).
http://www.openoffice.org/
OpenOffice has the option to include tags in the output PDF. If the document's layout isn't too exotic and if the Word file is decently structured, etc., the end-result should be a reasonably well-tagged PDF file without any other intervention required (other than selecting "tagged pdf" as your output option).
Duff.
On Jan 6, 2011, at 5:35 PM, Birkir Rúnar Gunnarsson wrote:
> Hello everyone
>
> I am having issues with pdf fliers generated by a disabilities-organization.
> I have been in touch with them and they say they simply use the "save
> as pdf" option in Word (presumably Office 08 or 09 for Mac, I am not
> entirely up-to-date on the office versions in OSX).
> Does anyone have an accessible "save as .pdf" plug in or checker, or
> advise, for Mac users?
> Of course there is the alternative Word document option, which is not
> bad, but if I could teach them to make their .pdfs better, that'd
> definitely be helpful.
> Thanks
> -Birkir
>
From: Heather Parker
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 4:21PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
We have Macs at home and I will check it out.
We also use the free CutePdf a lot from all the PC computers here at work. It works a lot like the Mac pdf creator. I tried to find settings for the CutePdf, but it works like a printer and the settings are very much like a printer too. Not sure if it is configurable.
I'm really glad that pdfs are being discussed at we are started to load our dissertation proposals to a repository. The first few that we loaded didn't pass everything for accessibility using my Adobe Acrobat Professional. Not knowing exactly how to fix them and being pressed for time, we loaded them "as is" for now. A librarian is in charge of the project and I am just supporting her technically. She is supposed to sort out how to get accessible pdfs to upload. The trainer provided by the repository vendor was really interested in how our pdfs failed, but he didn't know how to fix them either. The company provides a service that will create good pdfs (not sure how accessible) for you, but you can load your own pdfs instead of paying for the service. I think it would be helpful if there was online training someplace that helped people like me with creating good accessible pdfs. A webinar or workshop would be wonderful.
We also used to have help guides in html, pdf and word format. Due to how laborious it was for me to update the help guides pages (someone else authors the guides), we now only use pdfs. I am trying to get the help pages moved over to a site with a content management system that other staff who don't know html can use. The guide pages would be webpages (in html), but depending on the content management system, I can see how this might not be better at all if the format isn't reader friendly.
Heather Parker
Electronic Resource Coordinator
Alliant International University Library
San Diego, CA
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 4:36PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Birkir, the problem might be that the source document is not accessible. My limited experience with the Save As PDF feature in Word 2007 is that it does a pretty good job of capturing all the structure of the document and the alt text for illustrations. But, as with Acrobat Professional, if the structure isn't in the source document, it won't magically appear in the PDF.
Heather, CutePDF captures text and links (including e-mail addresses), but does not capture structural tags when it creates a PDF.
So only documents that have no structure and need no structure can be converted to "accessible" PDF with Cute PDF.
Another way to put it is that if your document has any of these elements:
--Headings (even 1 in my book; some would argue that it takes more)
--Lists (bulleted or numbered)
--Meaningful images
--Data tables
--Perhaps more that I'm not thinking of off the top of my head
then the PDF created by CutePDF will not be accessible.
You can, using Common Look or a similar tagging tool, convert PDFs created by CutePDF into accessible documents. But then you're repeating all the work you did in creating the source document.
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability assessment coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> On 1/6/2011 at 5:16 PM, in message < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >, Heather Parker < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
We have Macs at home and I will check it out.
We also use the free CutePdf a lot from all the PC computers here at work. It works a lot like the Mac pdf creator. I tried to find settings for the CutePdf, but it works like a printer and the settings are very much like a printer too. Not sure if it is configurable.
I'm really glad that pdfs are being discussed at we are started to load our dissertation proposals to a repository. The first few that we loaded didn't pass everything for accessibility using my Adobe Acrobat Professional. Not knowing exactly how to fix them and being pressed for time, we loaded them "as is" for now. A librarian is in charge of the project and I am just supporting her technically. She is supposed to sort out how to get accessible pdfs to upload. The trainer provided by the repository vendor was really interested in how our pdfs failed, but he didn't know how to fix them either. The company provides a service that will create good pdfs (not sure how accessible) for you, but you can load your own pdfs instead of paying for the service. I think it would be helpful if there was online training someplace that helped people like me with creating good accessible pdfs. A webinar or workshop would be wonderful.
We also used to have help guides in html, pdf and word format. Due to how laborious it was for me to update the help guides pages (someone else authors the guides), we now only use pdfs. I am trying to get the help pages moved over to a site with a content management system that other staff who don't know html can use. The guide pages would be webpages (in html), but depending on the content management system, I can see how this might not be better at all if the format isn't reader friendly.
Heather Parker
Electronic Resource Coordinator
Alliant International University Library
San Diego, CA
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 4:48PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Heather, I missed at first that your inaccessible PDFs were created with Acrobat Professional. Oops!
If you're still using Word 2003, then it and Acrobat Professional weren't speaking the same language when it came to language specification. After creating the PDF from Word 2003, you have to set the language specification (under File, Properties, Advanced) in the PDF and, of course, save before running the accessibility check.
This problem went away with Word 2007, but the problem is with the *file* format and can't be changed simply by opening a Word 2003 file in a later version of Word. Before the language specification will be picked up in the creation of the PDF, you have to convert the file to a Word 2007 (or 2010) file (using the "Convert" command under the Office button in 2007; I guess it's under "File" in Word 2010).
And, of course, you should save the file and then convert it to a PDF.
If the PDF lacks a language specification, Acrobat Pro won't tell anything about the accessibility of the file except that it lacks a language spec. So merely changing the language spec in the "inaccessible" PDF will make it fully accessible if that was, in fact, its only problem.
But if other problems exist, they won't appear in the report until after the language spec is fixed.
Cliff
>>> On 1/6/2011 at 5:16 PM, in message < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >, Heather Parker < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
We have Macs at home and I will check it out.
We also use the free CutePdf a lot from all the PC computers here at work. It works a lot like the Mac pdf creator. I tried to find settings for the CutePdf, but it works like a printer and the settings are very much like a printer too. Not sure if it is configurable.
I'm really glad that pdfs are being discussed at we are started to load our dissertation proposals to a repository. The first few that we loaded didn't pass everything for accessibility using my Adobe Acrobat Professional. Not knowing exactly how to fix them and being pressed for time, we loaded them "as is" for now. A librarian is in charge of the project and I am just supporting her technically. She is supposed to sort out how to get accessible pdfs to upload. The trainer provided by the repository vendor was really interested in how our pdfs failed, but he didn't know how to fix them either. The company provides a service that will create good pdfs (not sure how accessible) for you, but you can load your own pdfs instead of paying for the service. I think it would be helpful if there was online training someplace that helped people like me with creating good accessible pdfs. A webinar or workshop would be wonderful.
We also used to have help guides in html, pdf and word format. Due to how laborious it was for me to update the help guides pages (someone else authors the guides), we now only use pdfs. I am trying to get the help pages moved over to a site with a content management system that other staff who don't know html can use. The guide pages would be webpages (in html), but depending on the content management system, I can see how this might not be better at all if the format isn't reader friendly.
Heather Parker
Electronic Resource Coordinator
Alliant International University Library
San Diego, CA
From: Heather Parker
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 4:54PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Thank you Cliff,
Your response is very helpful and would explain why the CutePdf files didn't pass the Acrobat test.
I have the Acrobat Professional version, but then it took me about 8 months to get it via an IT request and our department paid for it! We specifically bought it so that I could create accessible pdfs. I tried for a while. I know I have used CutePdf sometimes as Acrobat takes longer, but now I know why! Since I know the difference now I will try to always use Acrobat.
All the other computers have the CutePdf, so the task of creating accessible pdfs would end up by default being my project. I will suggest trying http://www.openoffice.org/ for the other staff to use if they are going to be sending me the pdf to post on our website.
Thanks for your help!
Heather
Alliant Int'l Univ
From: Heather Parker
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 5:03PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
I have 2003 & Acrobat Pro 8 on my PC, but the laptops have 2007. Some of our department computers have 2003 and others have 2007. Some of the computers in other departments have 2010.
I could ask for 2007 if it would help me. They would be happy to upgrade me.
"After creating the PDF from Word 2003, you have to set the language specification (under File, Properties, Advanced)..."
So I just can't turn it on and leave it on?
I think most of the errors where heading problems. I'll run one of the proposals through and see what the errors are. The proposals were created with CutePDF by the librarian.
Thanks again,
Heather
Alliant Int'l Univ
From: Birkir Rúnar Gunnarsson
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 7:09PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Hey gang
Thanks for the suggestions.
I am just wondering if "save as pdf" on the Word for Mac is different
from the PC, if you have to turn on tagging manually, or if tagging is
not supported at all.
The file I get is not tagged at all, has one word per line and looks
extremely inaccessible (in fact it manages to crash Adobe Reader X,
but not versions 8 and 9, I have sent this to Adobe who have recreated
the issue).
I use the Eccentric pdf plug in for Word 2007 on my
Windows 7 machine and, besides a few acccessibility issues with the
converter itself, I am very happy with the result.
If any of you have Macs with the latest Office on it and can try the
"save as pdf" plug in on a document with a few headers, some lists and
a small table, that would be extremely helpful.
If not, I could create such a Word document and email it to you for
testing purposes.
Thanks for all the help and interesting discussions.
=Birkir
On 1/6/11, Heather Parker < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I have 2003 & Acrobat Pro 8 on my PC, but the laptops have 2007. Some of
> our department computers have 2003 and others have 2007. Some of the
> computers in other departments have 2010.
>
> I could ask for 2007 if it would help me. They would be happy to upgrade
> me.
>
> "After creating the PDF from Word 2003, you have to set the language
> specification (under File, Properties, Advanced)..."
>
> So I just can't turn it on and leave it on?
>
> I think most of the errors where heading problems. I'll run one of the
> proposals through and see what the errors are. The proposals were created
> with CutePDF by the librarian.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Heather
> Alliant Int'l Univ
>
From: Heather Parker
Date: Thu, Jan 06 2011 7:42PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Below is the link to the Microsoft website for their PDF convert. Is this the same one? Or can you provide a link to find the "Eccentric pdf plug in"?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&;displaylang=en
Thanks,
Heather
Alliant Int'l University
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 5:15AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
I would ask for Office 2010 as Word, PowerPoint and excel have an
accessibility checker. There is also a Navigation Pane where you can review
headings, the ability to import and export styles and a styles
manager/organizer that is useful. Office 2007 has all of these except the
accessibility checker. Office 2010 has the save as PDF add-in built in
whereas Office 2007 needs a download and install for the add-in.
One other note of importance is that with Office 2010 you would need Acrobat
X to use the integrated Adobe add-in to convert documents directly from
Office. I know Acrobat X does NOT support a 64-bit install of Office 2010 So
you would need to ensure that the 32-bit version of Office was installed. My
version of Office 2010 is 64-bit only so I do not have access to the Adobe
add-in. I have to either use the Microsoft save as PDF tools or open the
document in an Office 2007 version/on another computer to use the
integrated Adobe add-in. This means I still have to have two computers to
create PDF: one with Office 2010 and Acrobat 9/which has the standard menus,
and one with Office 2007 32-bit and Acrobat X/which has an entirely new UI
that is minimally accessible using the keyboard/has most of the menus
removed.
Cheers, Karen
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 10:00AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
I can test that for you this weekend, Birkir. I'll let you know.
My guess is the source files are created the wrong way. There is a
switch for tagging the PDF, but it should be on by default.
Heather, I believe the Eccentric plug-in Birkir is using quickly became
the Office plug-in you found. At any rate, the one you found will work.
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability assessment coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> On 1/6/2011 at 8:09 PM, in message
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >,
Birkir Rúnar Gunnarsson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
Hey gang
Thanks for the suggestions.
I am just wondering if "save as pdf" on the Word for Mac is different
from the PC, if you have to turn on tagging manually, or if tagging is
not supported at all.
The file I get is not tagged at all, has one word per line and looks
extremely inaccessible (in fact it manages to crash Adobe Reader X,
but not versions 8 and 9, I have sent this to Adobe who have recreated
the issue).
I use the Eccentric pdf plug in for Word 2007 on my
Windows 7 machine and, besides a few acccessibility issues with the
converter itself, I am very happy with the result.
If any of you have Macs with the latest Office on it and can try the
"save as pdf" plug in on a document with a few headers, some lists and
a small table, that would be extremely helpful.
If not, I could create such a Word document and email it to you for
testing purposes.
Thanks for all the help and interesting discussions.
=Birkir
On 1/6/11, Heather Parker < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I have 2003 & Acrobat Pro 8 on my PC, but the laptops have 2007.
Some of
> our department computers have 2003 and others have 2007. Some of
the
> computers in other departments have 2010.
>
> I could ask for 2007 if it would help me. They would be happy to
upgrade
> me.
>
> "After creating the PDF from Word 2003, you have to set the language
> specification (under File, Properties, Advanced)..."
>
> So I just can't turn it on and leave it on?
>
> I think most of the errors where heading problems. I'll run one of
the
> proposals through and see what the errors are. The proposals were
created
> with CutePDF by the librarian.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Heather
> Alliant Int'l Univ
>
From: John E Brandt
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 10:27AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
It has been a while since I did the background research on MS Office 2008
for Mac and accessibility, but as I recall, there were some major
shortcomings of that product in terms of making accessible documents. The
biggest and most obvious one was that there was no way to add an Alternative
Description to an image in Word 2008 for Mac like you can in the MS-Office
for Windows OS. This would mean that any conversion from the .doc or .docx
to .pdf would result in a flawed document in terms of accessibility.
I've scouted though some of my notes and articles about this, but can't put
my finger on my notes regarding this. But as I recall (and it has been a
couple of years since I did this work), the only solution I found at the
time was to use Adobe Acrobat Professional to check and edit the PDF and
make it accessible. But note that the original Word document will remain
inaccessible.
I have not had the opportunity to upgrade my Mac to MS Office 2011 for Mac,
so I don't know if this editing function was built into the new version. I
do not use the Mac to produce content that will be shared with others for
this reason.
BTW, Pages in Apple iWork '09 also does not have the ability to add
Alternative Descriptions to images. The same is true of all of the
applications in the iWork suite, none appear to allow you to add Alternative
Descriptions to images.
I think I used recommend to Mac users to use OpenOffice, but at the very
least they needed to use Adobe Acrobat Pro if they were going to create PDFs
from word processor documents made on a Mac.
If there is anyone on the list who is using MS Office on Mac 2011, perhaps
they could check this out for us.
~j
John E. Brandt
www.jebswebs.com
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
207-622-7937
Augusta, Maine, USA
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 11:00AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
In Office for Mac 2011 Outlook replaces Entourage and Microsoft has made
progress in making it accessible with VoiceOver. However I find that I had
to use the mouse to hover over e-mail content and the list of messages in
order for VoiceOver to read them and it will not read them
consistently...one time it reads the text and the next time it doesn't.
Office 2011 for Mac now has the Ribbons for Office applications however
Word, Excel or PowerPoint are still not accessible with VoiceOver.
So some progress for those of us using VoiceOver but not enough to make it a
functional alternative to a Windows version of Office.
I haven't tried saving a document as a tagged PDF document to see if that is
possible.
Cheers, Karen
From: Jim Allan
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 11:09AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
I have office 2010 and acrobat x, on simple documents (headings,
lists) the pdf is created just fine, when you get to forms creating a
pdf crashes word 2010. have been researching it online, seems to be a
known issue, but no solution yet.
I read yesterday, while searching for a solution to the crashing, that
saving as pdf does not tag the document and I believe it looses
structure. can't seem to find the reference. does any one else know
about this?
Jim
On Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 6:14 AM, Karlen Communications
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I would ask for Office 2010 as Word, PowerPoint and excel have an
> accessibility checker. There is also a Navigation Pane where you can review
> headings, the ability to import and export styles and a styles
> manager/organizer that is useful. Office 2007 has all of these except the
> accessibility checker. Office 2010 has the save as PDF add-in built in
> whereas Office 2007 needs a download and install for the add-in.
>
> One other note of importance is that with Office 2010 you would need Acrobat
> X to use the integrated Adobe add-in to convert documents directly from
> Office. I know Acrobat X does NOT support a 64-bit install of Office 2010 So
> you would need to ensure that the 32-bit version of Office was installed. My
> version of Office 2010 is 64-bit only so I do not have access to the Adobe
> add-in. I have to either use the Microsoft save as PDF tools or open the
> document in an Office 2007 version/on another computer to use the
> integrated Adobe add-in. This means I still have to have two computers to
> create PDF: one with Office 2010 and Acrobat 9/which has the standard menus,
> and one with Office 2007 32-bit and Acrobat X/which has an entirely new UI
> that is minimally accessible using the keyboard/has most of the menus
> removed.
>
> Cheers, Karen
>
>
>
>
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 11:15AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Jim, I have created tagged PDFs with the Save As PDF feature. It works just fine.
I hope my experience is not a fluke, because we just announced to our whole agency that it was the way to create PDFs from Office documents.
Interesting to hear about the forms issue, but perhaps just another reason to create forms in html or with LiveCycle Designer.
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability assessment coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> On 1/7/2011 at 12:06 PM, in message <AANLkTikqyMcPiTnDz9DTVF7Jpw2+ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >, Jim Allan < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
I have office 2010 and acrobat x, on simple documents (headings,
lists) the pdf is created just fine, when you get to forms creating a
pdf crashes word 2010. have been researching it online, seems to be a
known issue, but no solution yet.
I read yesterday, while searching for a solution to the crashing, that
saving as pdf does not tag the document and I believe it looses
structure. can't seem to find the reference. does any one else know
about this?
Jim
On Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 6:14 AM, Karlen Communications
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I would ask for Office 2010 as Word, PowerPoint and excel have an
> accessibility checker. There is also a Navigation Pane where you can review
> headings, the ability to import and export styles and a styles
> manager/organizer that is useful. Office 2007 has all of these except the
> accessibility checker. Office 2010 has the save as PDF add-in built in
> whereas Office 2007 needs a download and install for the add-in.
>
> One other note of importance is that with Office 2010 you would need Acrobat
> X to use the integrated Adobe add-in to convert documents directly from
> Office. I know Acrobat X does NOT support a 64-bit install of Office 2010 So
> you would need to ensure that the 32-bit version of Office was installed. My
> version of Office 2010 is 64-bit only so I do not have access to the Adobe
> add-in. I have to either use the Microsoft save as PDF tools or open the
> document in an Office 2007 version/on another computer to use the
> integrated Adobe add-in. This means I still have to have two computers to
> create PDF: one with Office 2010 and Acrobat 9/which has the standard menus,
> and one with Office 2007 32-bit and Acrobat X/which has an entirely new UI
> that is minimally accessible using the keyboard/has most of the menus
> removed.
>
> Cheers, Karen
>
>
>
>
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 11:45AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
For both Office 2007 and 2010 using either the save as PDF add-in or the now
built-in save as PDF functionality you can create a tagged PDF. There is a
check box in the PDF options once you choose to save the document as a PDF
that should be checked by default to Tag the document. You will have to
check the check box to create Bookmarks from headings.
There is only one major issue I've come across which is one that is common
to both Acrobat 9 and X and the save as PDF add-in which is based on the
same PDF specs. If Your document has images in it, all <Figure> Tags will
get put at the top or near the top of the Tags Tree instead of their logical
place in the document. In addition if you look in the Order Panel images are
always the last item in the page order rather than their logical place on
the page. Adobe knows about this bug as does Microsoft.
Thank heaven I always put captions on images as this lets me relegate the
images to Artifacts which takes less time than dragging the Tags around the
Tags Tree.
Other than that I've used the save as PDF add-in for both Office 2007 and
2010 to create tagged PDF documents. No problems in retaining structure that
is present in my source documents.
I'd be curious to know more about the forms issue. Word should be used to
create the template for the form as Word form controls do not convert to PDF
form controls...this has always been the case.
Cheers, Karen
From: John E Brandt
Date: Fri, Jan 07 2011 3:54PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Just a heads up for a point of clarification: that there seems to be two
conversations going on here. The initial question was directed at MS-Office
for the Mac. However, some folks have been discussing the Windows version of
MS-Office. These have been two very different products that do not work the
same way. There have been a number of things in the Mac versions that are
dramatically different from the Windows version.
In the Windows version of MS-Office there have been several PDF conversion
plugins over the years including one that was produced by Adobe and that
only got installed when you installed Adobe Acrobat AFTER you have installed
MS-Office.
My experience with both MS-Office v2007 and v2010 - both in Windows - has
shown that the native "Save as PDF" worked just fine in converting a Word
.docx file to an accessible .pdf file if the original Word document is
correctly created with all of the appropriate accessibility guidelines met.
I note that files that were from the older version of Word (v2003 and using
.doc extension) did not convert smoothly.
None of the files created in MS-Office for Mac 2009 were able to create an
accessible Word or PDF file because you cannot add ALT descriptions to
images.
John E. Brandt
www.jebswebs.com
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
207-622-7937
Augusta, Maine, USA
From: Kroon.Kurtis
Date: Mon, Jan 10 2011 11:36AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
I use a Mac at home, and there's another often-overlooked way to
create a PDF that no one has mentioned yet, but which is works in
*any application that allows you to print*:
1. File > Print ...
2. PDF button
3. Select "Save as PDF" from the dropdown menu
4. Select a location to save and name the output file
5. OK (and you're done)
There is a MAJOR problem with creating PDFs this way: the PDF version
of the resulting file is 1.2 ... or "compatible with Acrobat 3". PDFs
produced to this version of the spec do not support tagging, which (I
believe) is a fundamental requirement to make them accessible.
So, since it isn't accessible, why would I mention this method? It's
possible that this is how Birkir's colleagues produce the PDFs that
have been giving him so much trouble.
I am also interested in finding a "save as accessible PDF" plug-in and
am watching this conversation quite closely.
Thanks!
Kurtis Kroon
WebBiz | California Franchise Tax Board
916.845.5603
From: Monir ElRayes
Date: Mon, Jan 10 2011 12:27PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
If you are interested in a "Save as Accessible PDF" solution for MS Word on
Windows you may want to take a look at PAW (PDF accessibility Wizard) from
NetCentric (www.net-centric.com/paw/).
PAW takes you through the Word document and addresses any accessibility
issues (with the goal of producing a Section 508 compliant document),
including alt text, tables, lists etc. This will typically require user
input (for example to verify/provide the textual description of an image or
confirm the table headers).
Best Regards,
Monir ElRayes
President
NetCentric Technologies
613-270-9582 ext 203
613-797-8563
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
www.net-centric.com
From: Heather Parker
Date: Mon, Jan 10 2011 4:54PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Thanks Cliff,
I have a goal this month to get the PDF's sorted out so that they are accessible. I've put off thinking too much about knowing that they weren't up to snuff, but not having a lot of time to work on it.
Sincerely,
Heather Parker
Alliant International University
From: Kroon.Kurtis
Date: Tue, Jan 11 2011 6:03PM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | Next message →
Sorry, I wasn't clear: I'm specifically looking for a plug-in that works
on Mac OS X.
I think that I already know the answer, but I'll ask the question
anyway:
Do you make a version of this plug-in that works on Mac OS X (Leopard)?
Thanks!
Kurtis
WebBiz | FTB
916*845*5603
From: Monir ElRayes
Date: Fri, Jan 14 2011 5:30AM
Subject: Re: Accessible "save as PDF" plug ins for Word on OSX
← Previous message | No next message
Unfortunately we don't at the moment.
Best Regards,
Monir ElRayes
President
NetCentric Technologies
613-270-9582 ext 203
613-797-8563
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
www.net-centric.com
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