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Re: PDF editing and Jaws

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From: Karlen Communications
Date: Jan 9, 2018 7:05AM

It is not possible to completely edit a PDF document while using a screen reader. While a screen reader might have access to the tags Tree and edits can be made to Tags, someone who cannot see the visual representation of the document cannot tell if content has been missed and if content has been missed, cannot reliably select it and Tag it. This is because a screen reader is always in virtual view of the document. We can't reliably tell where the missing content is on the page and select it because a screen reader (and Text-to-Speech tools) need the content to be tagged in order to identify/read it.

This is the reason we also can't reliably use Comments in PDF documents. Where we insert a Sticky Note on a PDF document is not necessarily where the screen reader is reading due to virtual view of the document.

We also can't add form controls to PDF documents because we need visual access to the page in order to place the form controls with their corresponding content.

You need some vision to work with PDF documents to make them accessible. I use a screen reader but I have enough vision to see if content is missing and to Tag it, to place Sticky Notes where they should be and to place the form controls where they should be. I would not be able to remediate PDF documents if I didn't have some usable vision. I also cannot rely on my screen reader to read the information I need in the Tags Tree as it crashes a lot or simply goes silent. I have to depend on my vision for most remediations.

I can use a screen reader to go down the Tags Tree and then Press F2 to go into Edit mode then change the Tag but I have to be able to see how that content is displayed visually on the page in order to know what Tag to make it. Remediation is a bit easier if I have the source document and the source document is accessible (not a desktop published document) because I can then open the Tag and match the content with the content in the source document. However, if I get something like a <P> Tag with PathPath under it, I have no idea where that is on the page or what it represents. I know that PathPath is how a <Figure> is represented in a <Figure> Tag and I know that you can't have PathPath in a <P> Tag, but what am I "looking" at? A figure, parts of a table gridline? A space between words? Part of the background? And without being able to see these types of errors and remediate them, I would have to pass the document along to someone who can see the Tag and the corresponding content to make the remediation.

Cheers, Karen