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Re: Re[2]: adobe 6.0 accessibility

for

From: Wayne Dick
Date: Oct 10, 2003 11:22AM

Jared,

That is a wise approach. I will integrate that into our program.

We are already working on a "limited template project" on our campus for
University web publications. The idea here is to provide a limited but
adequate set of web interface templates to satisfy the needs of our
departments and faculty. We will then focus on making this restricted set
of templates highly accessible and easy to manage by content managers. It
this effort we are going to offer ease of publication as the reward for
using accessible templates.


Thanks for the gentle insight,

Wayne

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jared Smith" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
To: < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2003 9:53 AM
Subject: Re[2]: adobe 6.0 accessibility


> Wayne-
>
> I totally agree with your argument that, in most cases, Adobe Acrobat
> falls short when it comes to accessibility for diverse groups. PDF
> documents do, however, play a role in Web content - as you state, "the
> main purpose for PDF is to create exact images of printed pages".
>
> Instead of trying to enact a ban on PDF for the sake of accessibility
> (something that will undoubtedly bring resistance in a campus
> setting), perhaps work on implementing a 'Web first, print second'
> policy. This is really the dilemma with PDF documents, they are
> typically designed as the first iteration of media. Developers then
> struggle to make an HTML alternative or attempt in vain to make the
> PDF itself universally accessible. If content were created for the Web,
> in accessible HTML first, then provided as an alternative in PDF format
(the
> HTML to PDF conversion is simple), then the PDF document is there to
> serve its function, you don't have the resistance you'd confront with
> an anti-PDF campaign, and you get better accessibility. In doing so, I
> think you'd find that the use of PDF will dramatically decrease on its
> own, as designers and end users will typically choose HTML over PDF
> any day.
>
> Jared Smith
> WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind)
> Center for Persons with Disabilities
> Utah State University
>
>
>
> ***************
> On Friday, October 10, 2003 you sent:
> WD> Jeb and all.
>
> WD> As a low vision user, I have found PDF the worst product for
accessibility
> WD> out there. The problem is simple. The main purpose for PDF is to
create
> WD> exact images of printed pages. Well, print never worked for any
visually
> WD> impaired people. So here we have an example of brilliant mathematics
and
> WD> engineering spent on giving us an electronic version of something that
never
> WD> worked.
>
> WD> Most low vision users, expecially those between 20/80 and 20/200
prefer,
> WD> large print, well spaced output that has been reformatted to fit the
> WD> available screen space. Most word processors do this extremely well.
The
> WD> problem with PDF is that it does not enlarge intelligently. You
cannot
> WD> control the spacing between lines. It doesn't port well into any
accessible
> WD> visual interface.
>
> WD> Any product that enlarges without word wrapping is not accessible to
low
> WD> vision users.
>
> WD> There is a large faculty that is assumed by many if not most in the
> WD> accessiblity business. That is that one size fits all. Audio output
is not
> WD> the best or even the reasonable accommodation for people who can see,
but
> WD> not a lot. The fact that PDF, or any format can be ported to screen
readers
> WD> does not make it accessible. Any interface that cannot be enlarge by
a
> WD> factor of 4 intelligently, is not really accessible. Also, without
user
> WD> control of color, most products are marginal.
>
> WD> Poorly formated PDF is useless. Well formatted PDF is difficult to
use, but
> WD> marginally possible. I usually spend about 10 minutes per page to
obtain a
> WD> good readible document.
>
> WD> This year befor my term as Academic Senate Chair ends I hope to enact
a
> WD> complete ban of PDF use on my campus. Next, I will try to extend it
to the
> WD> entire CSU System.
>
> WD> Wish me luck,
>
> WD> Wayne Dick
> WD> Chair Academic Senate
> WD> Professor Computer Engineering and Computer Science
> WD> CSU Long Beach
>
>
>
> WD> ----
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> WD> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
>
> ***************
>
>
> ----
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