WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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RE: adobe 6.0 accessibility

for

From: Jon Gunderson
Date: Oct 13, 2003 8:08AM

There is a new free tool available from the University of Illinois to
convert Power Point Presentations to highly accessible HTML versions. It
is a Wizard that provides an alternative to the standard save to web
feature of Power Point.

More information and download at:

http://www.rehab.uiuc.edu/software/office

Jon


At 03:25 PM 10/10/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>I don't know Wayne, from my personal experience, PowerPoint ranks right up
>there for worst accessibility problems.
>Maureen Hencmann
>SPS Distance Learning
>Regis University
>303.964.3652
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Wayne Dick [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>Sent: Friday, October 10, 2003 9:55 AM
>To: <EMAIL REMOVED> ; <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Subject: Re: adobe 6.0 accessibility
>
>
>Jeb and all.
>
>As a low vision user, I have found PDF the worst product for accessibility
>out there. The problem is simple. The main purpose for PDF is to create
>exact images of printed pages. Well, print never worked for any visually
>impaired people. So here we have an example of brilliant mathematics and
>engineering spent on giving us an electronic version of something that never
>worked.
>
>Most low vision users, expecially those between 20/80 and 20/200 prefer,
>large print, well spaced output that has been reformatted to fit the
>available screen space. Most word processors do this extremely well. The
>problem with PDF is that it does not enlarge intelligently. You cannot
>control the spacing between lines. It doesn't port well into any accessible
>visual interface.
>
>Any product that enlarges without word wrapping is not accessible to low
>vision users.
>
>There is a large faculty that is assumed by many if not most in the
>accessiblity business. That is that one size fits all. Audio output is not
>the best or even the reasonable accommodation for people who can see, but
>not a lot. The fact that PDF, or any format can be ported to screen readers
>does not make it accessible. Any interface that cannot be enlarge by a
>factor of 4 intelligently, is not really accessible. Also, without user
>control of color, most products are marginal.
>
>Poorly formated PDF is useless. Well formatted PDF is difficult to use, but
>marginally possible. I usually spend about 10 minutes per page to obtain a
>good readible document.
>
>This year befor my term as Academic Senate Chair ends I hope to enact a
>complete ban of PDF use on my campus. Next, I will try to extend it to the
>entire CSU System.
>
>Wish me luck,
>
>Wayne Dick
>Chair Academic Senate
>Professor Computer Engineering and Computer Science
>CSU Long Beach
>
>
>
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>
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Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
MC-574
College of Applied Life Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: <EMAIL REMOVED>

WWW: http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/
WWW: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund



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