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Re: How is PDF accessibility evaluated?

for

From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Feb 8, 2015 2:10PM

> I validate PDF's based on corporate standards that were created from the WCAG 1.0 & 2.0 PDF techniques

This is a misconception that we all too often see with techniques, especially sufficient techniques. Organizations adopt them as their standards when in fact the sufficient techniques are only that -- techniques that are known to work with a common technology stack to meet a success criteria. Use of the documented sufficient techniques are not required to meet WCAG success criteria -- in fact there are often many sufficient techniques listed where only one is needed to meet the criteria but all are listed as known techniques. Even with failure techniques, a success criteria can still be met other ways even when a failure technique fails. Failure techniques are often a stronger bet that a success criteria won't be met -- but as I said no guarantee. Unfortunately there are some success criteria with no documented failures -- so organizations can't rely on failure techniques either as a checklist.

Text discussing this appears at the top of each technique but still there is and has been confusion about this in the community around this.

I see PDF/UA as a standard that also happens to provide sufficient techniques that will get you most of the way to meeting the WCAG 2 guidelines.

Jonathan

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Jonathan Avila
Chief Accessibility Officer
SSB BART Group
<EMAIL REMOVED>

703-637-8957 (o)
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