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Thread: Locked PDFs
Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)
From: Gloriane Peck
Date: Mon, Jun 20 2011 8:12AM
Subject: Locked PDFs
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I'm reviewing an online research database, and it uses locked PDFs, which I haven't encountered before. In the Document Restrictions Summary, "Content Copying for Accessibility" is set to "not allowed." Looking online, it appears this setting would prevent screen readers from accessing this content, but I am having a hard time finding anything definitive. Could anyone comment on this or suggest a resource with information on this topic?
Thank you,
Gloriane Peck
Chicago Public Library
From: Michael.Moore
Date: Mon, Jun 20 2011 8:24AM
Subject: Re: Locked PDFs
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It is possible to lock the document to prevent copying or printing but still allow screen reader access. It sounds like they have locked the document and failed to choose to allow access by screen readers. A quick test would be to attempt to use read-out-loud in Adobe reader. You can find read out loud under the view menu. If you can't read the content that way I would be fairly confident in saying that it is unlikely that some can access the content with a screen reader.
Michael Moore
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Mon, Jun 20 2011 8:48AM
Subject: Re: Locked PDFs
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Agreed, and what I find is that sometimes document authors don't understand
the difference between locking up the document and providing access to
someone using adaptive technology. The document author has to manually
uncheck the check box to turn off access to adaptive technology. It should
be listed in the same place you found the copying and extracting turned
off... The text in the dialog reads: Document Accessibility and it is the
second item from the top of the list of security settings.
Cheers, Karen
From: Bevi Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Mon, Jun 20 2011 11:33AM
Subject: Re: Locked PDFs
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As an Acrobat & accessibility trainer, I think one culprit is the dialogue
screen for Security in Acrobat.
It's one of the most confusing things to teach newcomers.
(As a trainer, I can tell when the user interface is faulty by how long it
takes me to teach that topic, how many glazed eyeballs I see in my audience,
and how often my students resort to following my handouts/recipes rather
than thinking logically on their own.)
Even if an author was aware of accessibility needs, he'd have a hard time
figuring out what settings to click to get the correct check boxes and
pull-down items selected for an accessible and secure PDF.
A redesign of the dialogue screen by Adobe would greatly help this issue.
-Bevi Chagnon
From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Mon, Jun 20 2011 11:39AM
Subject: Re: Locked PDFs
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Bevi,
Now would be a wonderful time to make some very specific suggestions for how to improve that dialog's messaging. I'm talking with the team about Acrobat 11 now.
Thanks,
AWK
Andrew Kirkpatrick
Group Product Manager, Accessibility
Adobe Systems
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