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Re: Accessible Word Docs - Need Help

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From: Jon Metz
Date: Jun 14, 2016 8:53AM

Completely shameless plug here, but I made a series of videos to take a Word document and turn it into a PDF/UA compliant PDF (https://youtu.be/BeFt-Qa3mjM?list=PLmfVOnJxeSEXsEKv2i20nYMHYuFEcl4fO). However, you could ignore the last video unless there's a requirement to do that, or you need a way to validate that it works as an accessible PDF. Up to the 3rd video explains how to make a tagged document and make it as accessible as possible before going all out compliant.

The first video goes through what's necessary to make the Word file as accessible as possible. I'd avoid adding forms in Word first before moving to PDF, because more headaches happen in the translation to PDF.

I'm still getting around to editing the last video which goes over testing, but I did a short session on it for ID24 you can check out here: https://youtu.be/1CCQ5TGlM0I?list=PL95LOQw9SLWxmcZtzBiFuT9HAJKFJnl2n. Just know that in order to validate accessibility, you would have needed to suffer through all 4 of those videos.

Once you're in the 3rd video, simply refer to Adobe's guidance on creating an accessible form in Acrobat (http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/creating-accessible-forms.html) or Joseph's tutorial (which I haven't looked at yet). Hope this helps you.

Cheers,
Jon Metz



On 6/10/16, 2:18 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]" < <EMAIL REMOVED> on behalf of <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

>Carolyn,
>
>The changes you make will also make it possible for those who are sighted and/but are using speech recognition software. My sense or experience is that online forms are the easiest to fill-in but probably much more involved on the backend, involving developers or database management, than just issuing Word or PDF-based forms.
>
>Gary
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tyllick,Cliff S (DADS) [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2016 4:59 PM
>To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Accessible Word Docs - Need Help
>
>Joe, your approach is similar to "Creating Accessible Microsoft Word Forms the DARS Way": http://accessibility.hhs.texas.gov/docs/word/WordFormsDARSWay.docx
>
>Also available on Youtube:
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oimoTFdXKLo&feature=youtu.be
>
>The DARS Way offers two ways around the 138-character limit.
>
>First, the Help Text property for a form control in Word offers two fields for content:
>- Status Bar has room for 138 characters. Anything entered here is automatically announced by the screen reader when the form control accepts focus.
>- Help Key (F1) has room for another 213 characters. If this field contains anything--even a blank space--the screen reader should announce "Press F1 for Help" as soon as it finishes announcing the contents of the Status Bar.
>
>So between those two fields, you have room for 351 characters. There is a bit of art to separating the information when it runs over 138, but it usually isn't hard to find a reasonable approach.
>
>The second method is not my favorite, but it does work for many people. When 351 characters isn't enough, the DARS Way is to add more text input controls and use their Status Bar and Help Key fields as a container for the rest of those instructions. Of course, this has a few problems:
>- As a text input, this container will accept keystrokes. Information entered here should get ignored, but if the user presses a key for a character, it will populate this input.
>- You have to hide this container from people who can see.
>
>The DARS Way offers a simple workaround to let people who cannot see know that they should not enter text in this form input: start the contents of the Status Bar with "Info." This gives them a clue to ignore the "Edit" prompt announced by the screen reader after it has announced the Status Bar.
>
>In the DARS Way, you can hide these additional text inputs--I'll call them Info fields--from the visual interface by making them narrow. In the properties of the Info field, set Maximum Width to 1 character. (If you set it to 0 characters, Word will skip right past the field. With or without a screen reader, you won't know it's there.)
>
>To make the Info field become a sliver, select it and change the font size to 1 point. (You will have to key the "1" in; the lowest you can select is 8 point.) While you're in the Font interface, you can reduce the Info field to a pinpoint by making the font super- or subscript, too.
>
>Unfortunately, hiding the Info fields doesn't give us fewer problems. It just changes the nature of the problem. When a document is set up to be completed as a form in Word, it's protected so the user can change only the content and state of the form controls. To move from field to field, you must press the tab key.
>
>So you open the form, and the focus is in an Info field--not "Name," or whatever your first actual form field is. If you start typing, you will see no change--unless your eyes are very sharp--and you will hear a beep or see a flash when you enter more than the maximum number of characters the Info field will accept.
>
>If there is a lot of text, you might have to press the tab key several times before a real form input takes focus. You will have to stay alert to make sure you are always entering information in a real field--and that it's the right field.
>
>If you can't see well, it can be that much more frustrating to have to press the tab more than once to skip from one field you must complete to the next.
>
>And that's why Joseph suggested you use PDF or HTML.
>
>Cliff
>
>Cliff Tyllick
>EIR Accessibility Coordinator
>Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS)
>512-438-2494
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Krack, Joseph@DSS
>Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2016 1:35 PM
>To: WebAIM Discussion List
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Accessible Word Docs - Need Help
>
>Carolyn,
>
>I would recommend making this an accessible PDF form. It is possible to make an accessible Word form, but the limit of 138 characters in the Help Text would really make this impossible.
>
>Someone using a screen reader may hear something that is easier on the ear if you change the way you make the lines, but they still would be unable to fill it in. All forms can be printed and filled in by hand, and I would encourage that all forms be made to be accessible.
>
>I am working on creating a new training for creating accessible forms, but when I was with the Department of Rehabilitation I put together a short booklet on creating accessible forms in Word and PDF that you can take a look. Please let me know if you find the booklet useful, or if you have any questions. (http://www.dor.ca.gov/DisabilityAccessInfo/How-do-I-Construct-Accessible-Documents.html)
>
>I hope this helps.
>
>Joe Krack
>Manager, Accessibility and Policy Unit
>ADA Coordinator, Department of Social Services
>744 P Street, MS T8-4-70
>Sacramento, CA 95814
>(916) 651-5647 (direct)
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Carolyn Dudas
>Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2016 11:09 AM
>To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Subject: [WebAIM] Accessible Word Docs - Need Help
>
>I'm working with staff to help them make their Word documents accessible.
>Most of the Word documents are forms which are meant to be printed and completed by hand. By forms, I mean that there are fields which are followed by what appears to be a solid line, but in actuality is just the underscore character repeated multiple times. For instance, there are fields called "First Name" and "Last Name" which are followed by a series of underscore characters. Example: First Name__________________ Last Name________________.
>
>Also, there is an essay question on the form. Again, the author originally typed the underscore character multiple times (for a total of 9 lines) so that someone can write their response. Example:
>"Why would you be a good candidate for this program?">>>
>To make this document accessible for a person reading it via a screen reader, I've advised staff to use a leader tab formatted with an underscore rather than typing the underscore multiple times. Is the leader tab the recommended method for creating underlines for this type of form?
>Is this OK in terms of accessibility --- can a screen reader correctly read the document?
>
>Recommendations would greatly be appreciated.
>
>I'd especially like if someone who is proficient in using a screen reader or uses one daily could actually "read" my sample document to see if it's accessible. If you are willing to do this, please let me know offline and I'll send it to you as an attachment. Thanks.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>Carolyn Dudas
>>>>>>>