WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: PDF Accessibility

for

From: Geoff Freed
Date: Jan 20, 2010 8:12AM

> Unfortunately, for screen reader users, many people who are creating PDFs
> don't know how to format the original documents correctly.
> Education is key to resolving these issues.

I agree- addressing accessibility at the source-document level, when possible, is the best approach. With this in mind, NCAM recently published a set of accessible-multimedia/PDF guidelines on iTunes U:

http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/wgbh.org.2010579900

You can download the document directly from http://ncam.wgbh.org/file_download/103 if you don't have access to iTunes. Chapter 5 deals with PDF accessibility and shows how to use OpenOffice to generate accessible PDFs.

These guidelines were published as an accessible PDF; let me know if you have questions about or problems with the document.

Geoff Freed
WGBH/NCAM
WGBH Educational Foundation
http://ncam.wgbh.org




On 1/20/10 8:22 AM, "Julie Romanowski" < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

Creating accessible PDFs is actually rather easy as long as the original
document has been created to be accessible. Unfortunately, for screen
reader users, many people who are creating PDFs don't know how to format
the original documents correctly. Education is key to resolving these
issues. If you encounter inaccessible PDFs, let the document owners
know. Point them to resources that can provide assistance, such as Adobe
and Microsoft. Speaking from my experience, most people want to do
what's right and are happy to fix their inaccessible documents if
they're shown how. Don't just tell them there's a problem. Offer to help
them find a solution.

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Geof Collis
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 6:31 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Accessibility

I have to ask who are people making pdf's accessible for? I've been
trying to like them but as far as I am concerned it is hopeless.

I have the latest technology and still I cannot read them any better
than I could with my old technology, I only open them in hopes that one
day I will be able to read them effortlessly but that is just not
happening so I fall back to my usual plan and that is to ask them to be
converted to a more accessible format, so I ask why bother in the first
place, I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this.

We have legislation that gives me this option so perhaps Adobe would do
better to make the conversion process better, you cant force people to
drive cars they dont like so why do it with documentation.

cheers

Geof