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Re: InDesign and adding Alt Text

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From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Sep 14, 2017 6:03PM

Over the years, there has been quite a lot of confusion on the use of Actual
Text and Alt-Text.



The key points are:

* It doesn't matter what authoring software you're using, Actual Text
and Alt-Text are defined by the PDF/UA and WCAG standards, not Adobe
InDesign, MS Word, or any other program.
* Alt-Text describes visually rich graphics, such as photos,
illustrations and bar charts.
* Actual Text reproduces text that is in graphical form, such as a
fancy headline designed in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop that is brought
into the InDesign layout. Another example is an embellished graphic of the
word "tip!" that is used to identify tip boxes in a layout. Since the
graphical text is the word tip, then the Actual Text would be the same,
"tip" without any additional information. Just the text that's in the
graphic, nothing more.
* Your graphics should use one or the other, not both which would be
redundant and a lot of extra work on your part with no benefit to the user.
* Assistive technologies should recognize both and present them
accordingly. If both appear in the PDF, then they should be programmed to
voice just one, not both.



Personally, I don't think the advice at the Penn State website you cited is
accurate or up-to-date. Well intentioned, of course, but not accurate.



--Bevi Chagnon

Author of the step-by-step guide "508 + InDesign + PDF"



- - -

Bevi Chagnon | <http://www.pubcom.com/>; www.PubCom.com

Technologists, Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers

for publishing & communication

| Acrobat PDF | Print | EPUBS | Sec. 508 Accessibility |

- - -

> On 9/14/2017 7:15:20 PM, Sean Keegan ( <EMAIL REMOVED> ) wrote:
> > I am working with an editor who is creating a document for staff on
> accessible InDesign files with the final output of tagged PDF. One of the
> topics is adding alternate text to images in InDesign.
>
> I know you can add your alternate text via the Object Export Options
dialog
> in InDesign and then set the Alt Text Source to Custom (or XMP:
Description
> if using Adobe Bridge). This is the recommended process at Adobe's site as

> well as other websites (e.g., Lynda.com).
>
> I have found a few separate resources that state the author must also set
> the Actual Text Source to Custom in the Tagged PDF tab. Here's an example
> at Penn State: http://accessibility.psu.edu/pdf/indesign/#ImageAlt
>
> I had only used the initial step of setting the Alt Text Source value for
> an image and not using the Actual Text Source, unless it pertained to a
> dropped capital or something similar.
>
> Is setting both the Alt Text Source and Actual Text Source to a value
> required to add alternate text for an image in InDesign?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Sean