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Thread: Re: SPAM?:Re: PDFs that read one word per line
Number of posts in this thread: 28 (In chronological order)
From: Moore,Michael (DARS)
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 6:51AM
Subject: Re: SPAM?:Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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Mark,
As you pointed out, the issues with screen reader support for PDF accessibility is definitely a significant part of the issue. This problem appears to be particularly complex. I have been doing quite a bit of testing of PDFs and PDF forms generated using Adobe, Open Office, Symphony, and a couple of other tools. I have been testing them on multiple systems with identical configurations using several versions of JAWS and one version of Window Eyes. JAWS seems particularly prone to problems with PDF tables. To make matters even more confusing, the tests are not repeatable, even on the same system, and frequently not even within the same session.
One quick example. Yesterday I was testing a PDF form that was created using Adobe Designer. The test system is a late model Dell running windows XP, JAWS 9 and Adobe Reader 9.2. On the first iteration of the test JAWS would fail to report the first form field at the top of each page. The user would need to tab past that form field then tab back to get it to read. I closed the file, reopened it and it was read fine. I repeated the test using JAWS 10 and JAWS 11 on the same system. In each case small problems were encountered during the first or second iteration of the test. Turning off autoforms mode in JAWS 10 seemed to make that version a bit more stable and using insert+escape to refresh the document when JAWS 11 got stuck helped in that case. I released the forms for publication, as they seem to be as accessible as they will get but I understand the frustration that our JAWS users have. We publish each form in a word version and a PDF version. People who use JAWS to compl
ete the forms almost exclusively use the Word version of the forms. Please note, the MS Word forms are not perfect either. We have a saying around here, each system is like a snowflake. I am afraid that it's more like each system is like a virus, constantly mutating.
In conclusion, don't blame Adobe for all of the problems with PDF, but don't claim that PDF is as accessible as HTML either. HTML simply performs in a more consistent manner.
Mike Moore
(512) 424-4159
From: Mark Magennis
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:42AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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> I guess Adobe
> and some screen tool vendors have more work to do to provide better
> "accessibility support".
Adobe are doing their bit and so are vendors of screen readers and
other assistive technologies. For example, PDFs produced with the
latest Adobe Acrobat and read using the latest JAWS are accessible for
most types of content, although, as Michael points out, there are some
unexplained inconsistencies in behaviour. For the most part, the
responsibility now lies with the producers of PDF documents to do two
things:
1. Make new PDFs as accessible as possible using these latest tools.
2. Make alternative and equitable arrangements for people who will
still not be able to access these new PDFs, on account of not having
access to the latest assistive technologies.
Of course users themselves have a responsibility to acquire and learn
to use the latest technologies if they are available and affordable.
The problem is affordability. These assistive technologies cost a lot
and many people with disabilities are unemployed or on very low
incomes and do not have grant assistance. There's not a lot that
Adobe, the assistive technology vendors or PDF authors can do about
that.
Mark
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From: Mark Magennis
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:48AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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Michael,
The results of the accessibility support testing you describe here are
very useful to know. Have you written a report containing all this
information, or do you intend to write and publish something in the
future? It would be a welcome contribution. Equally, I was interested
to read your recent description of what you have to do to make MS Word
interactive forms accessible to screen readers. All this is good
information and I'm grateful to you for sharing it.
Mark
********************************************************************
National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company
limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) .
Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626).
NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments
is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of
the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify
the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to
delete it and any attachments from your system.
NCBI endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated
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it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are
transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments.
Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email
and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily
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From: deblist
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:51AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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Chuck wrote:
> How accessible is Open Office for Screen readers?
I can't speak to OpenOffice's accessibility with screen readers,
but I can say something about its accessibility with dictation.
Given the limitations of being written not natively for Windows,
OpenOffice has been a pretty decent job. As of last time I used
it, there were keyboard substitutions for everything I wanted to
do. However, since it's not written natively for Windows, I don't
have direct access to seeing the menus. For example, I can't just
say "File," and get the file menu.
As of Firefox 3, I know Mozilla Firefox has addressed some of
these problems, but I admit I'm not sure if technologically how,
so I don't know if the OpenOffice people could use the same
method.
So my take away is that OpenOffice is accessible, but not as
conveniently written to interact with NaturallySpeaking.
-Deborah
From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:54AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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Well, one thing that we can and are doing is work with free tools such as NVDA so that there are additional options for users...
Andrew Kirkpatrick
Senior Product Manager, Accessibility
Adobe Systems
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
----- Original Message -----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: Webaim Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Thu Jan 28 06:42:26 2010
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDFs that read one word per line
> I guess Adobe
> and some screen tool vendors have more work to do to provide better
> "accessibility support".
Adobe are doing their bit and so are vendors of screen readers and
other assistive technologies. For example, PDFs produced with the
latest Adobe Acrobat and read using the latest JAWS are accessible for
most types of content, although, as Michael points out, there are some
unexplained inconsistencies in behaviour. For the most part, the
responsibility now lies with the producers of PDF documents to do two
things:
1. Make new PDFs as accessible as possible using these latest tools.
2. Make alternative and equitable arrangements for people who will
still not be able to access these new PDFs, on account of not having
access to the latest assistive technologies.
Of course users themselves have a responsibility to acquire and learn
to use the latest technologies if they are available and affordable.
The problem is affordability. These assistive technologies cost a lot
and many people with disabilities are unemployed or on very low
incomes and do not have grant assistance. There's not a lot that
Adobe, the assistive technology vendors or PDF authors can do about
that.
Mark
********************************************************************
National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company
limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) .
Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626).
NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments
is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of
the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify
the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to
delete it and any attachments from your system.
NCBI endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated
by its staff are free from viruses or other contaminants. However,
it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are
transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments.
Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email
and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily
represent the views of NCBI
********************************************************************
From: Mark Magennis
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:57AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
> Well, one thing that we can and are doing is work with free tools
> such as NVDA so that there are additional options for users...
Absolutely! If low cost or no cost assistive technologies are able to
provide the required accessibility support then that's fantastic.
Mark
********************************************************************
National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company
limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) .
Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626).
NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments
is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of
the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify
the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to
delete it and any attachments from your system.
NCBI endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated
by its staff are free from viruses or other contaminants. However,
it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are
transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments.
Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email
and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily
represent the views of NCBI
********************************************************************
From: E.J. Zufelt
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 8:12AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
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Good morning,
I think that it is great that Adobe works with AT vendors like NVDA to
assist in making Adobe products accessible to a greater number of
individuals.
Not to detract from the former, however, another barrier to
information accessibility are training facilities who teach one
assistive technology to the virtual exclusion of any other. This
obviously works reasonably well if the students have access to the
technology on which they are being trained. But is less helpful for
students who cannot afford to acquire the technology for personal use
after they have completed the training.
Thanks,
Everett
Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/ezufelt
View my LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ezufelt
On 28-Jan-10, at 9:46 AM, Andrew Kirkpatrick wrote:
> Well, one thing that we can and are doing is work with free tools
> such as NVDA so that there are additional options for users...
> Andrew Kirkpatrick
> Senior Product Manager, Accessibility
> Adobe Systems
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> >
> To: Webaim Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Thu Jan 28 06:42:26 2010
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDFs that read one word per line
>
>> I guess Adobe
>> and some screen tool vendors have more work to do to provide better
>> "accessibility support".
>
> Adobe are doing their bit and so are vendors of screen readers and
> other assistive technologies. For example, PDFs produced with the
> latest Adobe Acrobat and read using the latest JAWS are accessible for
> most types of content, although, as Michael points out, there are some
> unexplained inconsistencies in behaviour. For the most part, the
> responsibility now lies with the producers of PDF documents to do two
> things:
>
> 1. Make new PDFs as accessible as possible using these latest tools.
> 2. Make alternative and equitable arrangements for people who will
> still not be able to access these new PDFs, on account of not having
> access to the latest assistive technologies.
>
> Of course users themselves have a responsibility to acquire and learn
> to use the latest technologies if they are available and affordable.
> The problem is affordability. These assistive technologies cost a lot
> and many people with disabilities are unemployed or on very low
> incomes and do not have grant assistance. There's not a lot that
> Adobe, the assistive technology vendors or PDF authors can do about
> that.
>
> Mark
>
> ********************************************************************
> National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company
> limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) .
> Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
> NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626).
>
> NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments
> is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended
> recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of
> the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify
> the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to
> delete it and any attachments from your system.
>
> NCBI endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated
> by its staff are free from viruses or other contaminants. However,
> it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are
> transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments.
>
> Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email
> and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily
> represent the views of NCBI
>
>
> ********************************************************************
>
>
>
>
>
From: Moore,Michael (DARS)
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 10:39AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
What are people using to check to see if a pdf is accessible?
We use Adobe Acrobat Pro, JAWS with Adobe Reader, and also run a keyboard only test in reader for forms.
Mike
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 11:27AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
So there's no tool like Webaim's Wave?
cheers
Geof
At 12:39 PM 1/29/2010, you wrote:
>What are people using to check to see if a pdf is accessible?
>
>We use Adobe Acrobat Pro, JAWS with Adobe Reader, and also run a
>keyboard only test in reader for forms.
>
>Mike
>
>
From: Moore,Michael (DARS)
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 12:15PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Common Look comes close and will allow you to test and repair PDFs with Adobe Standard.
Mike Moore
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 12:18PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Sorry, never heard of it. :O)
cheers
Geof
At 02:13 PM 1/29/2010, you wrote:
>Common Look comes close and will allow you to test and repair PDFs
>with Adobe Standard.
>
>Mike Moore
>
>
>
From: Langum, Michael J
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 12:30PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
I concur with Mike Moore's use of CommonLook.
We have used CommonLook for the past 6 or 7 years, and could not do our work without it.
Monir ElRayes (who is a member of this list and has made several comments on this thread) can give you all the details.
-- Mike
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 12:42PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Mike
Thanks. :O) Don't want to cut into anyone's business, just want to be
able to say with certainty if a pdf is tagged properly when I need to.
cheers
Geof
At 02:28 PM 1/29/2010, you wrote:
>I concur with Mike Moore's use of CommonLook.
>
>We have used CommonLook for the past 6 or 7 years, and could not do
>our work without it.
>
>Monir ElRayes (who is a member of this list and has made several
>comments on this thread) can give you all the details.
>
>-- Mike
>
>
>
>
From: Langum, Michael J
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 1:06PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Geof says:
"just want to be able to say with certainty if a pdf is tagged properly when I need to."
Mike Replies:
The issue of "proper" tagging is a bit tricky. I suspect we all understand that there are may be more than one way to represent the structure of a document. I.e.
* how deep should the heading levels go?
* must a set of term/definition pairs be structured in a two column data table?
* etc.
The key is to ensure that authors (usually in MS Word) are properly trained in:
* the use of word styles (to set heading levels),
* adding column head structure to tables,
* adding alternate text to graphics images,
* avoiding text boxes (if possible)
The very BEST thing about CommonLook is the way it works with Tables. You can very quickly and easily set column and row heads to <th> tags with correct "scope" attributes. This feature alone is worth the cost.
-- Mike
From: Monir ElRayes
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 1:24PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Geof,
ComnmonLook is a software tool that works with Acrobat Standard or Pro and
presents the PDF structure in a visual, easy-to-manipulate format called the
Logical Structure Editor. The idea is to hide the complexity of the PDF
structure as much as possible from the remediator.
Keep in mind that a PDF file consists of 3 independent "views": Physical
(this is what gets displayed and printed), tags (this is what the screen
reader process) and content (this is what the Reflow feature in Acrobat uses
as well as what gets displayed by PDAs). As the 3 PDF views are independent,
they can (and often do) get out of synch with each other (especially with
some PDF generation tools). Putting them back in synch, and ensuring that
there are sufficient and accurate structural elements to make the document
accessible, can be beyond the skills of the average user.
CommonLook hides the complexity of the PDF structure and also provides tools
that make it possible to automatically correct many of the common
accessibility issues in PDF (many are based on feedback from customers such
as OPM, DHS and SSA) and deal with complex objects such as tables.
CommonLook also methodically goes through the PDF document and ensures all
the Section 508 standards are verified (either automatically or through
operator intervention) and generates a compliance report. This is important
because many people mistakenly assume that screen reader testing is
sufficient (while Section 508 is intended to deal with many different types
of disability).
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Monir
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 1:30PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Monir
Thanks, now my head is starting to hurt. LOL
What is the price tag for something like that?
cheers
Geof
At 03:23 PM 1/29/2010, you wrote:
>Geof,
>
>ComnmonLook is a software tool that works with Acrobat Standard or Pro and
>presents the PDF structure in a visual, easy-to-manipulate format called the
>Logical Structure Editor. The idea is to hide the complexity of the PDF
>structure as much as possible from the remediator.
>
>Keep in mind that a PDF file consists of 3 independent "views": Physical
>(this is what gets displayed and printed), tags (this is what the screen
>reader process) and content (this is what the Reflow feature in Acrobat uses
>as well as what gets displayed by PDAs). As the 3 PDF views are independent,
>they can (and often do) get out of synch with each other (especially with
>some PDF generation tools). Putting them back in synch, and ensuring that
>there are sufficient and accurate structural elements to make the document
>accessible, can be beyond the skills of the average user.
>
>CommonLook hides the complexity of the PDF structure and also provides tools
>that make it possible to automatically correct many of the common
>accessibility issues in PDF (many are based on feedback from customers such
>as OPM, DHS and SSA) and deal with complex objects such as tables.
>
>CommonLook also methodically goes through the PDF document and ensures all
>the Section 508 standards are verified (either automatically or through
>operator intervention) and generates a compliance report. This is important
>because many people mistakenly assume that screen reader testing is
>sufficient (while Section 508 is intended to deal with many different types
>of disability).
>
>Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
>
>
>Cheers,
>Monir
>
>
>
From: Wayne Dick
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 2:33PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
The only software that I know that is targeted for
testing is produced by Adobe. My favorite tool
for viewing the structural integrity of a PDF
document is the bookmark panel in the Reader and
Acrobat Pro. It is not featured as an
accessibility tester, but it really tells you if
the tags make logical sense. It is a good manual
tool. When I evaluated the web system for the CSU
23 Campus system in 2007, manual tools turned out
to be most reliable.
JAWS is really not a test device for accessibility
for two reasons: (1) Most people with print
disabilities don't use JAWS, so it is not
representative (2) JAWS is an accommodation device
so it gives false positives. If the author
produces inaccessible material JAWS makes many
accommodations to hide the problem from the user.
If you use JAWS for accessibility testing it
will hide the same problems from you.
The bookmark and page panels in Acrobat Pro and
Reader are an examples of inaccessible interfaces
that is readable by JAWS. You can read these
panels with JAWS, but Acrobat Pro and Reader
override the user's choice of font size given to
the operating system. Since these accessibility
features should be honored, Acobe Acrobat Pro and
Acrobat Reader both fail section 508 1194.21 (b),
but pass a JAWS test. Section 508 § 1194.21
(b))... "Applications also shall not disrupt or
disable activated features of any operating system
that are identified as accessibility features
where the application programming interface for
those accessibility features has been documented
by the manufacturer of the operating system and is
available to the product developer."
From: Monir ElRayes
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 3:03PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
About $1000. Keep in mind that this is used by the select few who are lucky
enough to be in the business of remediating PDF documents for accessibility.
There is another tool, called PDF Accessibility Wizard (PAW) (~$100) that
takes accessibility to the content author where it really belongs. PAW runs
as an add-in to MS Word and takes the user through Section 508 checkpoints
prior to generating a PDF. It then generates an accessible PDF directly from
the Word environment (you don't need Acrobat for this). Using PAW, an
average user of MS Word - who does not have prior knowledge of
accessibility- can generate a fully accessible PDF from an average Word
document (5 pages with 2 tables and 2 images) in less than 5 minutes.
Cheers,
Monir
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 3:12PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
There is also a fee after the first year to maintain updates. The fee is on
a per year basis last I checked. CommonLook is more of a remediation tool
than an accessibility checker.
There is a manual process involved in testing for accessibility just as
there is with HTML. The mechanical tools will only get you so far.
Cheers, Karen
From: Monir ElRayes
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 4:06PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Karen,
Good point about mechanical tools. The problem with purely manual testing
though, in the case of PDF, is that it simply cannot be done in a reasonable
period of time, in any comprehensive way, except for relatively simple
documents. Another problem with purely manual testing is that it is rarely
methodical or consistent.
As an aside, please note that CommonLook is not a mechanical tool (at least
the way most people would define it). While it automates the tasks that can
be automated (some of which, such as "text running together", cannot be
detected by manual testing), it does ask the user for input when required
(for example to verify that a textual description for an image is
meaningful). It also has a "verify and remediate" facility that simulates
how screens readers would read a document (but does it much faster). The
idea is to still do "manual" verification - when necessary- but assist the
user in doing it as a methodical process that verifies all 508 checkpoints.
Cheers,
Monir
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 7:03PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Agreed - testing and repair is a blend of the mechanical tools and manual
techniques/tools.
Cheers, Karen
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 2:00PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Mike Langum says:
>The key is to ensure that authors (usually in MS Word) are properly trained in:
>* the use of word styles (to set heading levels),
>* adding column head structure to tables,
>* adding alternate text to graphics images,
>* avoiding text boxes (if possible)
Cliff replies:
I've been waiting for someone to point this out. I, for one, am highly frustrated and incredibly dissatisfied with the training generally offered for Office products. For example, Microsoft offers Word training online. Most training courses I have seen so far follow the syllabus laid out by Microsoft, which is something like this:
Lesson 1: Type, cut, and paste.
Lesson 2: Change the way some of your text looks.
Lesson 3: Use the paintbrush to copy that appearance and reproduce it somewhere else.
Lesson 4: Add some pictures!
And so on.
In other words, it's as if they are training us to take this powerful word processor and use it like an eight-pack of Crayolas, a pot of paste, and a pair of safety scissors. Is it any wonder that someone who learned how to use Word from this training does not routinely create accessible documents?
Another thing: If you skip ahead to Microsoft's lesson about tables, in the introduction to that lesson you will find this statement:
"A Word table is something you can add to your document to help organize text and other content on a page. It's simply a container that works very much like a closet organizer or that tray in your silverware drawer: it provides separate spaces for your important items so that things are easy to find, visually appealing, and don't feel overcrowded."
Oh, really?
At our agency, out of frustration and lack of any other options, we are developing our own Word training, "Creating Accessible Documents in Word: The Basics." Our course takes this approach:
Lesson 0: Use plain English. (But that's another course. Take it, too.)
Lesson 1: Headings, outlines, and the document map
Lesson 2: Using and choosing templates
Lesson 3: Why not to use "Normal." For anything. Ever.
Lesson 4: Getting control of lists
Lesson 5: Meaningful Links
Lesson 6: Tables, Figures, and Other Nontext Elements. We cover this at a very basic level: "Never, ever, use a text box. Never, ever use 'Draw Table.' Before you create a table, make sure a table is the right choice. When it is, make it no more complex than necessary. Finally, make sure the information in tables, meaningful illustrations, and other significant nontext elements is also conveyed in the text itself. If that isn't possible, get help from someone who has completed the advanced course."
In the advanced course, we will cover modifying styles, creating templates, redesigning overly complex tables (our employees need a lot of practice at this), linking to alternate formats (think "tables in html"), adding "alt" text, and any topics suggested by the students from their own personal experience.
But these courses are not quite enough. We also have to deal with Word's unusable-for-creating-accessible documents interface. Because a number of our computers are too old to run Windows 7, we are still using Word 2003, where the default interface includes Word's Standard and Formatting toolbars. These toolbars have umpteen buttons that lead away from accessibility and only three buttons that lead toward accessibility. Those three buttons are anything but prominently featured:
* One, located way off at the left end of the Formatting toolbar, opens the Styles and Formatting task pane. If you make the effort to set this task pane up properly, it can help you create well-structured documents.
* Another button, found at middle left of the Standard toolbar, opens the Document Map. This feature shows you whether Word can recognize the structure that you think you have created.
* The third button is way off to the right end of the Formatting toolbar. This button adds hyperlinks. When used properly, hyperlinks can make it easier for everyone to follow any cross references built into your document.
In Word 2003, we have built our own toolbar around these and similar buttons. We call it the Accessibility toolbar. It features no buttons that change the appearance of text without tagging the reason for that change -- no bold, no italics, no increase indent, none of those. If you want a big heading, you click a button labeled "H1." If you want a subheading, you click a button labeled "H2." Because we are using Word 2003, we can make sure that our employees see this toolbar by default.
And our efforts have actually been rewarded. Our employees are starting to get it. Better yet, many of those who learned what we teach have found that using Word this way saves them so much time that they are eager to teach their co-workers what they've learned. I won't say our message has gone viral, but it's at least gone fungal.
Looking ahead, we see new problems. In Word 2007's ribbon, Microsoft has given us a bunch of great new buttons that apply styles, but they have also left in place all the buttons that only change the way the text looks. So now we have the 16-pack of Crayolas.
By and large, we like the right half of the ribbon, where all the buttons for styles appear. But we don't want our employees distracted by the formatting-only buttons on the left. Unfortunately, controlling the ribbon in Word 2007 is nowhere near as easy as customizing a toolbar for Word 2003. But we're working on it.
Once we solve that problem, we intend to see if there is something we can do about another behavior -- Microsoft's literature calls it a "feature" -- of Word 2007. If you hover the cursor over any block of text long enough, all the formatting buttons slowly fade into view around that text -- at first, a ghostly image; ultimately, in high definition. "Click us," they beckon. "Change the way it looks. Don't apply a style. It would be so easy, and you know you want to."
Reviewing the accessibility barriers in our agency's older PDFs, I would estimate that at least 90 percent began in a Word document. Very, very few are a result of anything that happened during the creation of the PDF. Microsoft made it easy to get where we are today.
And y'all have been complaining about Adobe? When have they ever taught people to create an inaccessible document?
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability specialist and Web development coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 3:21PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
I do this and more in my training and in my book "Logical Document Structure
Handbook: Word 2003" http://www.karlencommunications.com/products.htm
I am currently creating a book for Word 2007 but have been doing workshops
and training on creating accessible documents in Word since 2005. My book
has been converted into an online course offered by Criterion 508 Solutions
Inc http://www.criterion508.com
I don't repair Word documents but do audits and provide a report.
I've also written an online course on creating accessible PowerPoint for
PowerPoint 2007 for Criterion and it should be on their new web site
shortly. Contact them if you are interested in a site license. They don't
have single licenses for individuals.
Cheers, Karen
From: Hencmann, Maureen
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 3:36PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Has anyone reviewed these tutorials from Microsoft for accessibility techniques? I use them in my assistive technology class and have found them to have some of the foundational elements you are seeking. I would value others' input.
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/default.aspx
Kind regards,
Maureen Hencmann
Associate Director, Partnership Services
New Ventures of Regis University
303.964.3652
800.388.2366 ext. 3652
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 4:06PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Maureen, thanks for reminding me about these courses.
At best, these documents are cursory introductions to the reasons we need to create accessible documents. They do not offer enough information about techniques in Word for our employees to be able to go back to their desks and routinely create accessible documents.
Furthermore, they miss a number of key points. For example, the Word 2003 tutorial does not mention document structure at all. Not one word.
Our training provider has offered a similar approach: "We offer three levels of Word training. In these classes, we will not mention one word about accessibility. To learn about accessibility, your employees need to come back for our new courses, 'MS Office Accessibility' and 'PDF Accessibility.' Of course, this means your training budget per employee must increase by 33 to 67 percent."
When our employees enroll in a class to learn Word, we want them to come out of that class following practices that make documents accessible. From the very beginning, they should learn an efficient, effective way to use Word to produce documents that comply with accessibility requirements.
The simple fact is that making a new document accessible is not a burden; in fact, it's a bonus. If our employees must take an extra class to learn about accessibility, then they definitely will consider it to be a burden -- especially when, as with these tutorials, that class offers them next to no new information.
If your purpose is to use them as an introduction to the importance of accessibility, then they will do a reasonable job. But do not mistake them for the kind of training that will get them to understand what to do in Word and how to do it to obtain an accessible document.
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability specialist and Web development coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> "Hencmann, Maureen" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > 2/1/2010 4:35 PM >>>
Has anyone reviewed these tutorials from Microsoft for accessibility techniques? I use them in my assistive technology class and have found them to have some of the foundational elements you are seeking. I would value others' input.
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/default.aspx
Kind regards,
Maureen Hencmann
Associate Director, Partnership Services
New Ventures of Regis University
303.964.3652
800.388.2366 ext. 3652
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 4:09PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Karen, thanks for the information and the links. I will pass them along to our training coordinator.
Cheers,
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability specialist and Web development coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> "Karlen Communications" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > 2/1/2010 4:20 PM >>>
I do this and more in my training and in my book "Logical Document Structure
Handbook: Word 2003" http://www.karlencommunications.com/products.htm
I am currently creating a book for Word 2007 but have been doing workshops
and training on creating accessible documents in Word since 2005. My book
has been converted into an online course offered by Criterion 508 Solutions
Inc http://www.criterion508.com
I don't repair Word documents but do audits and provide a report.
I've also written an online course on creating accessible PowerPoint for
PowerPoint 2007 for Criterion and it should be on their new web site
shortly. Contact them if you are interested in a site license. They don't
have single licenses for individuals.
Cheers, Karen
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Mon, Feb 01 2010 4:15PM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | Next message →
Karen, I followed the link to the Criterion 508 course ( http://www.criterion508.com/solutions_elearning_accessible.html ), and I see this in the description:
"This course is not intended to teach documentation professionals how to use Microsoft Word 2003, but rather only how to create accessible document structure using Microsoft Word 2003."
Is that description accurate? If so, then I am sorry to say that this is not the course we need. We need a course that assumes the student has no knowledge of Word and teaches them to use Word the right way -- the way that produces accessible documents.
Thanks, though, for bringing this book and course to my attention.
Cheers,
Cliff
Cliff Tyllick
Usability specialist and Web development coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> "Karlen Communications" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > 2/1/2010 4:20 PM >>>
I do this and more in my training and in my book "Logical Document Structure
Handbook: Word 2003" http://www.karlencommunications.com/products.htm
I am currently creating a book for Word 2007 but have been doing workshops
and training on creating accessible documents in Word since 2005. My book
has been converted into an online course offered by Criterion 508 Solutions
Inc http://www.criterion508.com
I don't repair Word documents but do audits and provide a report.
I've also written an online course on creating accessible PowerPoint for
PowerPoint 2007 for Criterion and it should be on their new web site
shortly. Contact them if you are interested in a site license. They don't
have single licenses for individuals.
Cheers, Karen
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Feb 02 2010 4:39AM
Subject: Re: PDFs that read one word per line
← Previous message | No next message
OK, gottcha. This course assumes that people have been stumbling around in
Word so know how to type and have used things like single cell tables, text
boxes, flung formatting at text and so forth and now need to "learn how to
do it right" and make more accessible documents. It does explain why you are
doing things to improve accessibility and the impact on someone using
adaptive technology as well as the average person reading your documents.
So it takes you through the steps of using headings and custom headings, how
to create them and apply them as well as why you are changing the way you
create "headings" and that by using the styles you are adding the structure
to the document that is missing when you create a visual representation of a
heading by flinging formatting at text.
I've written books on Word from the keyboard but these are reference tools
for trainers/their students to use to create lessons not tutorials
themselves.
Cheers, Karen