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Re: PDFs: Logical Reading Order and Tags

for

From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Jun 1, 2016 7:09AM

Wow. Did you bring up a sore point for me!
Just posted to an Adobe list about this...for the umpteenth time, too.

#1. Please please please file a bug report/feature request in the Adobe forums http://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html. They've known about this problem for 6 years, yet it's not getting fixed. Push them.

#2. In Acrobat, you need to check your Role Map (options menu from the Tag panel) and make sure that every instance of the crazy-named tags from InDesign is mapped to a standard PDF accessibility tag. Example: if the crazy-named tag is <Big_Blue_Title> but it should be <H1>, the Role Map utility should show it as Big_Blue_Tible / H1.

Check every single tag and make sure it's mapped to the correct standard tag. Role Map is a global tool, so all instances of <Big_Blue_Title> will map to <H1> throughout the document.

#3. Here's a trick I teach in my InDesign + Accessibility classes. Name your styles with the standard tag name so that it either converts to the correct tag in the PDF, or is easier to check in the Role Map. Examples:

Big Blue Title, rename it H1
Section Title, rename it H1 - Section
Big subhead, rename it H2
Sidebar head, rename it H2 - Sidebar

This trick will help minimize the pain of this very costly, painful difficiency in InDesign.

Next item: reading order.
Yes, it's critical to have the tags sequenced top-down in a logital reading order. But that's not something to address in an online post. I teach a 2-day class in that!

—
Bevi Chagnon | www.PubCom.com
Technologists, Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers
for publishing & communication
| Acrobat PDF | Print | EPUBS | Sec. 508 Accessibility |

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Alan Zaitchik
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2016 8:38 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [WebAIM] PDFs: Logical Reading Order and Tags

When we get a PDF generated out of InDesign the tags are usually non-HTML5-standard tags in a jumbled order. Yet often the logical reading order is fine, or can easily be fixed using the Acrobat tool for doing so. Testing in a screen reader like JAWS or NVDA seems to yield a pass as well- the content is read in the correct order.
How important is it that the tags themselves be (1) rearranged to match the logical reading order, and (2) thoroughly reworked to use only HTML5 standard tags?
I imagine this turns on the question whether there are AT tools other than JAWS and NVDA that depend on these tags being standard and reordered.
Thanks,
A