WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced

for

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Nov 12, 2019 5:48AM

I would add that, like what is happening in other international arenas, those of us with disabilities can have a seat at the table but having a voice at that table is entirely different.

I have, and will continue to have, research based on user experience and remediator experience in making PDF accessible and have made it pointedly available to the major players in the software fields. It has not made any difference.

Tagging a PowerPoint today is worse in all four conversion tools (Acrobat, Foxit, PowerPDF and the Microsoft conversion tool) than it has ever been, to the point that I don't tag from PowerPoint anymore. I create the alternate format in Word and everyone gets that. There is still some clean-up and a plethora of garbage tags but nothing like what I see coming from PowerPoint.

I'm beginning to wonder if all of the other software developers are simply wrapping code around Acrobat or if the ISO specs are so "convoluted" that every development team is interpreting them in the same way resulting in horrid tagging and bloated Tags Trees. For example, EVERY conversion tool is breaking the TOC and EVERY conversion tool is including the text associated with a TOC as a TOCI even when it is clearly identified in the source document as either a Heading 2 or Subtitle.

I'm now seeing that lists are being mistagged even when properly created in Word - again in all four conversion tools. Surely not EVERY developer or development team is misinterpreting the ISO standards?

Cheers, Karen

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of L Snider
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2019 7:14 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced

Totally Bevi, thanks!

On Mon, Nov 11, 2019 at 7:53 PM < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Quote: "still don't get why this is so hard in 2019!" /End Quote
>
> Because we -- all of us from content creators to end users -- must
> tell our companies and vendors what we need.
>
> I beta test for many companies, small to large including "household name"
> companies. The decisions of every single one of them is made by the
> division that controls marketing and product development. This
> department considers 2 factors:
>
> 1. What they think they can advertise as a selling feature that puts
> them above their competition and makes you want to buy a new version
> of their software.
>
> 2. Feedback, feature requests, and suggestions from customers.
>
> I'd wager that factor number 1 controls about 90% of their decisions
> about product development, and 10% is based on customer feedback.
>
> And I've never met a Mar-Com person who knew anything about
> accessibility, Sec. 508 and other international laws, the WCAG and
> PDF/UA standards, or anything else about accessibility. Karen McCall's
> experience with the Kofax/Nuance representative is typical.
>
> There are 2 halves of accessibility:
>
> 1. A software program must give content creators the tools to make
> accessible files, and 2. A software program must give A T users the
> tools to access accessible files.
>
> The Kofax rep that Karen talked with clearly didn't understand this
> and only kept telling her to use their text-to-speech utility, the
> second half of accessibility.
>
> If we don't tell Kofax, FoxIt, Adobe, Microsoft, Freedom Scientific, etc.
> what we need, they won't build it.
>
> --Bevi
> — — —
> Bevi Chagnon, founder/CEO | <EMAIL REMOVED> — — —
> PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing consulting '
> training ' development ' design ' sec. 508 services Upcoming classes
> at www.PubCom.com/classes — — — Latest blog-newsletter – Accessibility
> Tips at www.PubCom.com/blog
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of
> L Snider
> Sent: Monday, November 11, 2019 3:33 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF
> Advanced
>
> Hi Karen,
>
> Thanks so much for the update. This is discouraging news...I wonder if
> they will understand how much business they can get if they made (and
> keep) their program better than Acrobat.
>
> I still don't get why this is so hard in 2019!
>
> Cheers
>
> Lisa
>
> On Mon, Nov 11, 2019 at 3:18 PM Karlen Communications <
> <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> > Duff:
> >
> > Yes, I was looking for a way, not to ad your e-mail to the post, to
> > have people contact you. I couldn't find anything called "Contacts."
> > Or "Contact Us."
> >
> > The Nuance update was not on my radar, but nice to know it will be
> updated.
> >
> > Kofax does have all of our serial numbers and contact information if
> > you've purchased Nuance PowerPDF Advanced, but you have to pro
> > actively call them to ask about updates. Their response is to
> > monitor the website to see if there are updates or upgrades. Not
> > very user friendly given the amount of $$$$ involved.
> >
> > Duff, can you keep us posted on any progress you or the PDF
> > Association is making regarding continued support for tagged PDF by
> > PowerPDF Advanced? Can I presume that the PDF Association is also
> > working with Foxit for Business to ensure that their entry into
> > tagged
> PDF will evolve and continue?
> >
> > Cheers, Karen
> >
> > Hi Karen,
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > > I think we also need to ask Duff Johnson of the PDF Association to
> > > contact Kofax and guide them through the understanding of ISO
> > > 32000 chapter 14 and ISO 14289 and how important a client base
> > > those of us with disabilities are.not to mention the legislation
> > > around accessible
> > digital content.
> >
> > Thanks for the shout-out! I hear ya!
> >
> > > Sigh, I just went to the PDF Association website and there is no
> > > contact area!
> >
> > Nuance's listing hasn't yet been updated, that's true (it takes a
> > while)… or did you mean PDF Association contacts <
> > https://www.pdfa.org/local-contacts/>?
> >
> > > Also, there are parts of the website that do not follow WCAG for
> > > accessibility as some of the images still have their graphic filename.
> > Sigh.
> >
> > We are working our way through the images… but I thank you for the kick.
> > If there's a decent WordPress plugin to help with finding missing alt.
> > text I'd love to know about it. :-/
> >
> > > I think we need to be quite proactive if we want tagged PDF to
> > > evolve and have more options as tools for tagging.
> >
> > Always… and thank you, as ever, for your efforts in pushing the
> > industry forwards!
> >
> > Duff.
> > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >
> > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >