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Re: PDF remediation

for

From: Bim Egan
Date: Oct 19, 2017 2:10PM

Hi Bevi,

I agree with everything you say.

If I weren't an almost blind screen reader user I would have upgraded years
ago. In fact, if memory serves, I did; but found the adjustment to new
processes / shortcuts / other changes too difficult. Partly because
interaction with Acrobat was occasional rather than regular. . I use it only
for evaluation and most of my evaluation work is on web pages and most of
PDF error spotting can be done with the screenreader as the primary tool.

The only thing Acrobat does that Reader can't do equally well in error
spotting is expose the existence and exposure state of the file title. Plus,
of course, which software was used to create the original file. For that I
used Acrobat. Obviously I needed to know the originating software, so that
remedial action recommendations could be made as relevant as possible.

Best,

Bim


-----Original Message-----
From: Chagnon | PubCom [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: 19 October 2017 18:53
To: <EMAIL REMOVED> ; 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: RE: [WebAIM] PDF remediation

<< I've been struggling for years with Acrobat 9 >>

Acrobat 9 is grossly out of date (2008, 9 years ago) and didn't have good
enough tools to check and remediate PDFs. Certainly didn't have a checker
geared to WCAG 2.0 and PDF/UA-1.

Update to DC Pro (aka, version 12). And if Adobe keeps to its usual 2-year
upgrade schedule, we should see the next version within the next 6 months.

But why not remediate the source document?
Or instruct the author to remediate it?
Or develop accessible templates for authors to use in Word, PowerPoint, and
Adobe InDesign that create accessible PDFs?

Isn't it sounder to create the file correctly from the start...and not have
to spend the time or money to fix it afterwards?

Does anyone have the time and budget today to fix thousands of PDFs every
year that should have been created correctly from the start?

Love CommonLook...it saves the day when needed.
But it is a very costly and time-consuming solution to the problem, PDF
after PDF after PDF.

--Bevi Chagnon

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





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