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Re: adobe 6.0 accessibility

for

From: Laurie Davis-Covin
Date: Oct 14, 2003 6:56AM


Wayne,
I tried doing as you suggested with a document authored using Word. I'm
not getting the wrap. Have tried using Adobe Reader 5.0 and 6.0. And I
don't find "reflow text" under View. Am I missing something?

-Laurie

At 01:25 PM 10/10/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>Wayne,
>In addition to Jared's comments, I'll add that a PDF document that has been
>authored accessibly can address several of your concerns.
>
>Acrobat Reader can wrap the text in some PDF documents. Try this: open a
>pdf file, increase the magnification to 400%(or whatever you like), then hit
>ctrl+4 (reflow text under the view menu).
>
>This will not work for a document that is scanned into PDF, but it does work
>for documents that are turned into PDFs from Microsoft Word or other sources
>where the text is...text.
>
>I have seen other documents in PDF that don't cooperate with this feature,
>but don't know how they were authored and therefore don't know why they
>aren't cooperating.
>
>AWK
>
>
>
> > 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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> > visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
> >
>
>--
>Andrew Kirkpatrick
>CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
>125 Western Ave.
>Boston, MA 02134
>E-mail: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
>
>617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
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>
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>
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>
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Laurie Davis-Covin, Web Specialist/Writer
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive
Admin. Building, Room E 220
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Ph: 301-975-8027





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