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Re: How is PDF accessibility evaluated?

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From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Feb 6, 2015 2:32PM

Duff is correct; WCAG has only techniques & methods for making accessible PDFs. They are not standards nor guidelines. Far from it!

Because they are not standards, they cannot be used, for example, to assess whether a PDF is in fact accessible. Governments can't formally adopt them into law as they have WCAG itself. You can't file a complaint using techniques to back up your claim because techniques can't hold up in court. So think of what WCAG has published as only suggestions on how to make an accessible PDF.

For better guidance on standards for PDFs, see the PDF/UA Competence Center's website at http://www.pdfa.org/competence-centers/pdfua-competence-center/ You'll learn about the ISO 14289 standard for Universally Accessible PDFs ... a real standard.

And you'll also Duff's smiling mug gracing the website's banner <grin>

--Bevi Chagnon

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Bevi Chagnon | www.PubCom.com
Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers
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-----Original Message-----
> WCAG 2.0 has standards for PDF's located here:
> http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf.html

From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Duff Johnson
Clarification: these are Techniques, not Standards… a non-trivial distinction.