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Re: Use of <H> tag in PDF

for

From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Aug 29, 2013 1:09PM


Thanks, Duff.
My thoughts are similar and I wanted to get another opinion before replying
to my client.
Although our testers could voice <H>, they said it didn't give them enough
of the information they wanted that <H1> does.
-Bevi
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-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Duff Johnson
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 9:19 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Use of <H> tag in PDF

> Trying to get clarification for a client who was instructed by his
> agency's accessibility office to use the <H> tag in PDFs, not <H1>, <H2>,
etc.
>
> <H> is a predefined accessibility tag in Acrobat, but does anyone
> actually use it? If so, are there any drawbacks to using it for all
> headings or maybe just the top-level heading or title of a document?

The correct use of the <H> tag in PDF depends on valid nesting of the tag
tree. For this reason (among others) I do not believe that <H> is as
well-supported by today's AT as are enumerated headings (corrections are
welcome).

> I think the client was misguided and should use <H1>, <H2>, etc., but
> he's afraid of getting cited for not obeying his agency's "rules."

No-one's "rules" should require the use of <H> over <H#>; that's absurd. H2,
H3, etc. are *certainly* safer than <H> in terms of AT support.

> Maybe another way to ask my question is: Do you think it is wrong to
> use <H> for either the title of a document or all the headings in a
document?

Yes.

HTH

Duff.
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