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RE: A page of links to PDF files

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From: jeb
Date: Aug 13, 2003 3:41PM


Ed, You may want to take a look at what we here in Maine wrote regarding
Accessibility Standard. On the official policy (see link below) there are a
couple of paragraphs that deal with PDFs. The general rule is to avoid them.
Here is the link: http://www.state.me.us/CIO/accessibility/webpolicy.html

I would also note that it is in your state's best interest to make sure all
of their communications are accessible to all citizens. Without such a
policy or provision, you will be open to litigation and that costs money.
Maine has, for a number of years, been trying to create a very
citizen-friendly web presence where most, if not all services are provided
on-line. If you follow the concept of Universal Design, you will see that
accessible web design helps all citizens, not just those with disabilities.
It is also much more economical to post publications in HTML on-line than to
do DTP, print on paper and mail them. Your taxpayers might be interested in
this dimension. If you are like most state departments, you probably have
boxes and boxes of publications stuffed in corners around your office that
are just collecting dust. The same information is saved on a few electrons.
Think about it.

jeb

John E. Brandt
Augusta, ME 04330

<EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
www.jebswebs.com <http://www.jebswebs.com>;





-----Original Message-----
From: ED COHEN [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 2:34 PM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: A page of links to PDF files


Hello,
Our publication's office is preparing a large report for the Web that will
have an HTML table of contents. The TOC will have as many as a dozen
chapters.

They say that every link on the page will lead to a PDF file. We'll list
the file size of each downloadable, next to each chapter title. A link to
download Acrobat Reader will appear on the page.

We are adhering to Section 508 which as you know is silent on PDF issues.

Question: How best to offer the hyperlink to the downloadable and the "PDF
logo"?

Options:
1. State at the top of the page that all the links on that page lead to PDF
files and place the PDF logo once. Hyperlink each chapter title to the
downloadable file.

2. Place the PDF logo next to each link and make the logo a clickable
graphic that downloads the file. The graphic's <ALT> would be "Download
chapter # / title".

3. State at the top of the page that all the links on that page lead to PDF
files. Place the PDF logo next to each chapter title, but hyperlink the
chapter title to download the file. Is a null Alt tag apporpropriate for
the graphc in this case?

4. Something else?

I'm partial to #2, but they don't like the idea of all those PDF logos.
What do others think?

Thank you,
Ed Cohen



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