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Re: Checking and Fixing PDFs With a Screen Reader?

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From: Karlen Communications
Date: May 23, 2019 6:51AM

The first issue is that for those of us who use screen readers, we can't
"see" the visible page," we can only see the parts of the page that are
tagged. So, we don't know if content that should be tagged has been tagged.

The second issue is that we are always in "virtual view" of HTML and PDF.
This means we read the content via the Tags and the screen reader buffer
goes ahead, gathers the content and then renders it to us in a more even
flow of information...instead of starting and stopping while more
content/Tags are accessed.

So, someone who is wholly dependent on a screen reader cannot effectively
remediate PDF documents. It is the nature of the format.

If we try to use something like PAC, we don't have access to the visual part
of the PAC window that shows us the page and location of the errors. Screen
reader view is meant only to give a more visual look at what screen readers
will "see" and not four use by those of us who do use screen readers.

Remediating and providing quality assurance for PDF is a very visual, often
mouse driven activity. In terms of using our mouse cursors, we start and
stop at the point in the buffer, not necessarily the point on the visible
page which makes using the mouse cursor impossible/not practical for any
type of remediation.

We CAN go down the Tags Tree and use F2 to edit Tags if we determine that
the Tags are wrong, or to add Tags and structure if we determine that the
Tags added are not correct, but we can't determine if content is not tagged
and add it if we depend on a screen reader for access to PDF documents.

Cheers, Karen