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Thread: MSWord forms accessibility
Number of posts in this thread: 13 (In chronological order)
From: Ritz, Courtney L. (GSFC-7500)
Date: Wed, Jun 08 2011 3:24PM
Subject: MSWord forms accessibility
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Hi,
Can someone point me to some resources on creating accessible MSWord-based forms? I just ran across a Word form that contains lots of numbered text boxes, but the question text for each field is not associated with it. I'd like to direct the originator of the form to some info on how to fix this problem.
Thanks for your help.
Courtney
From: Angela French
Date: Wed, Jun 08 2011 3:48PM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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Check here: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/default.aspx . You might find what you need.
-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Ritz, Courtney L. (GSFC-7500)
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 2:26 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
Subject: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
Hi,
Can someone point me to some resources on creating accessible MSWord-based forms? I just ran across a Word form that contains lots of numbered text boxes, but the question text for each field is not associated with it. I'd like to direct the originator of the form to some info on how to fix this problem.
Thanks for your help.
Courtney
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Wed, Jun 08 2011 9:33PM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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What version of Word is the person using? Depending on the version,
their options change slightly.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 5:26 PM, Ritz, Courtney L. (GSFC-7500)
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Can someone point me to some resources on creating accessible MSWord-based forms? I just ran across a Word form that contains lots of numbered text boxes, but the question text for each field is not associated with it. I'd like to direct the originator of the form to some info on how to fix this problem.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Courtney
>
From: Debbie Malone
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 4:06AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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I am so glad the question was asked about WORD. I know how to make it accessible
with content controls (Office 2010). I found some good resources online.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/accessible-forms-in-word.asp,
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/accessible-forms-in-word.htm. There
are others, but it does depend on the version of WORD.
I also have a question along the same lines. How can I make a form that can be
used to be printed and then filled out as well as have the accessible features.
So far I have made 2 separate forms. There must be a way to combine them. Please
help.
Debbie Malone
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 4:30AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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One of the FS articles indicates that using the content controls does not
create an accessible Word form. This is a known issue and Microsoft is aware
of it. How are you making your content controls accessible?
The problem with the content controls is that even if you add the Alt Text
or ToolTip when a screen reader enters the content control it only seems to
have access to the "type here" default text without providing what needs to
be typed. It is the same issue with check boxes and radio buttons...there is
no access to the ToolTips for content controls.
Legacy controls can be used in Word 2007 or 2010 but I am cautious about the
content controls...OK, I tell people not to use them until they are
accessible.
Can you share the technique to make the content controls accessible?
Cheers, Karen
-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Debbie Malone
Sent: June-09-11 6:07 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
I am so glad the question was asked about WORD. I know how to make it
accessible with content controls (Office 2010). I found some good resources
online.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/accessible-forms-in-word.asp,
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/accessible-forms-in-word.htm.
There are others, but it does depend on the version of WORD.
I also have a question along the same lines. How can I make a form that can
be used to be printed and then filled out as well as have the accessible
features.
So far I have made 2 separate forms. There must be a way to combine them.
Please help.
Debbie Malone
From: Debbie Malone
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 5:54AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I don't use JAWS
myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I mistakingly assumed that
the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely change them over to legacy controls.
Thanks for the info.
Debbie Malone
From: Michael.Moore@dars.state.tx.us
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 6:33AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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One additional tidbit, there is a bug in JFW 11-12 that causes JAWS not to read the F1 help text in word forms. The status bar help text is limited to 128 characters (Microsoft design). In addition to not reading the F1 help, after encountering a legacy form field with F1 help, JAWS 11 and 12 stop reading the status bar text until you move backward in the form and/or hit JAWSkey+esc. The issue is not present in JFW 9 and we have not looked at the problem in JFW 10. Freedom Scientific is aware of the problem we are anticipating a patch for JFW 12 or for the problem to be resolved in JFW 13.
Michael Moore
-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Debbie Malone
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 6:55 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I don't use JAWS
myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I mistakingly assumed that
the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely change them over to legacy controls.
Thanks for the info.
Debbie Malone
From: Ritz, Courtney L. (GSFC-7500)
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 7:39AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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Hi,
The form was developed in Word 2003.
I'm guessing that the issue may have something to do with the fact that, in many cases, the text for several fields is located on one line separated by tabs, and the edit fields themselves are on the following line, again separated by tabs.
Thanks.
Courtney
-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Ryan E. Benson
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 11:34 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
What version of Word is the person using? Depending on the version, their options change slightly.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 5:26 PM, Ritz, Courtney L. (GSFC-7500) < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Can someone point me to some resources on creating accessible MSWord-based forms? I just ran across a Word form that contains lots of numbered text boxes, but the question text for each field is not associated with it. I'd like to direct the originator of the form to some info on how to fix this problem.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Courtney
>
From: Hoffman, Allen
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 7:57AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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It sure would be nice to have real testing tools for this kind of thing.
-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie Malone [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:55 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I don't use JAWS
myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I mistakingly assumed that
the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely change them over to legacy controls.
Thanks for the info.
Debbie Malone
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Thu, Jun 09 2011 10:33PM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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While it pains me to say it, your best bet is to design in Word and
export it to PDF. As I mentioned before, the best tool for this is
NetCentric's PAW. Currently, you need to use the legacy text boxes
versus the new types for them to be seen by PAW and to be put into the
PDF. While I haven't dug into it much, the new "textboxes" aren't
actual textboxes but are simply placeholders that vanish.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Hoffman, Allen < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> It sure would be nice to have real testing tools for this kind of thing.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Debbie Malone [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:55 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
>
> I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I don't use JAWS
> myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I mistakingly assumed that
> the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely change them over to legacy controls.
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Debbie Malone
>
>
>
>
>
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jun 10 2011 5:06AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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Normally you can't add the Word form controls to the Word document and
convert it to PDF retaining the Word form controls. The form controls for a
PDF document usually have to be added in either Acrobat or LiveCycle
Designer. Word can be used to design the layout of a form. Does the
NetCentric tool keep the Word form controls when converting to tagged PDF?
Is this the PAWS tool? Can that form then be validated in either Acrobat or
CommonLook?
Cheers, Karen
-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Ryan E. Benson
Sent: June-10-11 12:30 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
While it pains me to say it, your best bet is to design in Word and export
it to PDF. As I mentioned before, the best tool for this is NetCentric's
PAW. Currently, you need to use the legacy text boxes versus the new types
for them to be seen by PAW and to be put into the PDF. While I haven't dug
into it much, the new "textboxes" aren't actual textboxes but are simply
placeholders that vanish.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Hoffman, Allen < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:
> It sure would be nice to have real testing tools for this kind of thing.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Debbie Malone [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:55 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
>
> I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I
> don't use JAWS myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I
> mistakingly assumed that the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely
change them over to legacy controls.
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Debbie Malone
>
>
>
>
>
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Fri, Jun 10 2011 6:00AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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Karlen,
Yes usually form fields get stripped out using a converter, however
PAWS keeps the controls as long as they are that legacy type vs the
new one. PAWS runs your doc through a checklist and the controls too,
letting you check/see what a screen reader will speak. Then it
converts it to a PDF. I haven't used CommonLook yet (don't ask why),
however PAWS is a Word to 508/accessible PDF add in to Word.
CommonLook is a tool for Acrobat. People at work have CommonLook and
want to pull their hair out somedays -- but they aren't the most
technical people. Since I haven't used it I cannot judge their
opinions.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 7:05 AM, Karlen Communications
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Normally you can't add the Word form controls to the Word document and
> convert it to PDF retaining the Word form controls. The form controls for a
> PDF document usually have to be added in either Acrobat or LiveCycle
> Designer. Word can be used to design the layout of a form. Does the
> NetCentric tool keep the Word form controls when converting to tagged PDF?
> Is this the PAWS tool? Can that form then be validated in either Acrobat or
> CommonLook?
>
> Cheers, Karen
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Ryan E. Benson
> Sent: June-10-11 12:30 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
>
> While it pains me to say it, your best bet is to design in Word and export
> it to PDF. As I mentioned before, the best tool for this is NetCentric's
> PAW. Currently, you need to use the legacy text boxes versus the new types
> for them to be seen by PAW and to be put into the PDF. While I haven't dug
> into it much, the new "textboxes" aren't actual textboxes but are simply
> placeholders that vanish.
>
> --
> Ryan E. Benson
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Hoffman, Allen < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>> It sure would be nice to have real testing tools for this kind of thing.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Debbie Malone [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:55 AM
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] MSWord forms accessibility
>>
>> I didn't realize that the content controls were not accessible. I
>> don't use JAWS myself, but all the articles I read said to use them. I
>> mistakingly assumed that the ToolTip did not work. I will definitely
> change them over to legacy controls.
>> Thanks for the info.
>>
>> Debbie Malone
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
From: Debbie Malone
Date: Fri, Jun 10 2011 6:15AM
Subject: Re: MSWord forms accessibility
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This is great information. I will try it out. Thanks a bunch.
Debbie Malone