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Thread: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)
From: chagnon
Date: Wed, Sep 22 2021 9:56AM
Subject: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
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Last week, Adobe updated Acrobat and with it, the PDF Maker plug-in for MS
Office that is used to export PDFs from Word and other office apps on
Windows.
Several key bugs in PDF Maker have shown up since, namely:
* Alt-text added in Word is dropped in the exported PDF and replaced
with code gibberish. (Yes, all the Alt-text you worked hard on is gone!)
* Every frigging line, border, and background fill on table cells,
text boxes, paragraph borders, and hyperlinks is tagged in the Tag Tree with
<P>PathPathPathPathPathPath.one "path" for each border on each cell in a
table.
* And there's no way to roll back to the previous version of Acrobat
and recover your tools. Once updated, you are S O L.
Three actions to take:
1. Vote to fix these bugs on Adobe's UserVoice website.
If you can, please also add a comment about how accessibility is required
for you and your organization by your country's and state's laws. (Adobe's
staff don't understand these laws about civil rights and equal access to
information.) We need a few hundred votes on this page for Adobe to pay
attention to the problem, so spread this message to your colleagues.
The website is at
https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/sugg
estions/44183082-accessibility-errors-with-pdf-maker-update-sept-20
2. Until this is fixed, use Microsoft's built-in utility to export
accessible tagged PDFs, and skip the Acrobat Ribbon (which is the Adobe PDF
Maker plug-in) altogether. I'll have a blog / tutorial on this by the
weekend, but in the meantime, here are the quick instructions:
a. Make an accessible Word document as usual, with styles, Alt-text,
etc.
b. File / Save As / and then choose PDF in the File Type field. This
triggers Microsoft's built-in export utility, not Adobe's.
c. Set your options, file location, and file name.
3. And don't upgrade to the latest version of Acrobat. The version
that is buggy (well, more than usual) is 2021.007.XXXX, and the versions of
PDF Maker that are installed with it are PDF Maker 21 Library 21.7.123 and
Library 21.7.112.
- - -
Bevi Chagnon | Designer, Accessibility Technician | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
<mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
- - -
PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
consulting . training . development . design . sec. 508 services
Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/ <http://www.pubcom.com/classes>; classes
- - -
Latest blog-newsletter
<https://mailchi.mp/e694edcdfadd/class-discount-3266574> - Simple Guide to
Writing Alt-Text
<https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2020_07-20/alt-text_part-1.shtml>
From: L Snider
Date: Wed, Sep 22 2021 12:07PM
Subject: Re: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
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I just don't understand why Adobe creates the barriers and then we
have to convince them that accessibility matters and isn't a human
right. I am very frustrated with them, this should be part of their
code checks-not an add on! Thanks to Bevi, because I had updated one
machine and found weird things, and thank goodness I didn't open the
other.
What will it take to make Adobe care about accessibility? They should
be doing code checks...if Microsoft can improve their products, then
Adobe should be as well as a market leader.
I am very frustrated that we keep dealing with issues in Acrobat, and
these are huge!
Thanks Bevi for bringing this up, because it explains why I was having
issues on one of my computers.
It is 2021, can we not convince Adobe to do better without voting for
this, like it is a nice feature to have as an add on????
My frustrated rant ends now.
Cheers
Lisa
On Wed, Sep 22, 2021 at 12:57 PM < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> Last week, Adobe updated Acrobat and with it, the PDF Maker plug-in for MS
> Office that is used to export PDFs from Word and other office apps on
> Windows.
>
> Several key bugs in PDF Maker have shown up since, namely:
>
> * Alt-text added in Word is dropped in the exported PDF and replaced
> with code gibberish. (Yes, all the Alt-text you worked hard on is gone!)
>
> * Every frigging line, border, and background fill on table cells,
> text boxes, paragraph borders, and hyperlinks is tagged in the Tag Tree with
> <P>PathPathPathPathPathPath.one "path" for each border on each cell in a
> table.
>
> * And there's no way to roll back to the previous version of Acrobat
> and recover your tools. Once updated, you are S O L.
>
> Three actions to take:
>
> 1. Vote to fix these bugs on Adobe's UserVoice website.
> If you can, please also add a comment about how accessibility is required
> for you and your organization by your country's and state's laws. (Adobe's
> staff don't understand these laws about civil rights and equal access to
> information.) We need a few hundred votes on this page for Adobe to pay
> attention to the problem, so spread this message to your colleagues.
> The website is at
> https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/sugg
> estions/44183082-accessibility-errors-with-pdf-maker-update-sept-20
>
> 2. Until this is fixed, use Microsoft's built-in utility to export
> accessible tagged PDFs, and skip the Acrobat Ribbon (which is the Adobe PDF
> Maker plug-in) altogether. I'll have a blog / tutorial on this by the
> weekend, but in the meantime, here are the quick instructions:
>
> a. Make an accessible Word document as usual, with styles, Alt-text,
> etc.
>
> b. File / Save As / and then choose PDF in the File Type field. This
> triggers Microsoft's built-in export utility, not Adobe's.
>
> c. Set your options, file location, and file name.
>
> 3. And don't upgrade to the latest version of Acrobat. The version
> that is buggy (well, more than usual) is 2021.007.XXXX, and the versions of
> PDF Maker that are installed with it are PDF Maker 21 Library 21.7.123 and
> Library 21.7.112.
>
>
>
> - - -
>
> Bevi Chagnon | Designer, Accessibility Technician | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>
> - - -
>
> PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
>
> consulting . training . development . design . sec. 508 services
>
> Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/ <http://www.pubcom.com/classes>; classes
>
> - - -
>
> Latest blog-newsletter
> <https://mailchi.mp/e694edcdfadd/class-discount-3266574> - Simple Guide to
> Writing Alt-Text
> <https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2020_07-20/alt-text_part-1.shtml>
>
>
>
> > > >
From: Elizabeth Thomas
Date: Wed, Sep 22 2021 12:30PM
Subject: Re: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
← Previous message | Next message →
Aaahhh! That's a disaster! I definitely appreciate the heads up.
Is this update a problem in both the Mac version and the Windows version?
-Elizabeth Thomas
CPACC, ADA
Sent from my iPhone
> On Sep 22, 2021, at 11:56 AM, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
>
> Last week, Adobe updated Acrobat and with it, the PDF Maker plug-in for MS
> Office that is used to export PDFs from Word and other office apps on
> Windows.
>
> Several key bugs in PDF Maker have shown up since, namely:
>
> * Alt-text added in Word is dropped in the exported PDF and replaced
> with code gibberish. (Yes, all the Alt-text you worked hard on is gone!)
>
> * Every frigging line, border, and background fill on table cells,
> text boxes, paragraph borders, and hyperlinks is tagged in the Tag Tree with
> <P>PathPathPathPathPathPath.one "path" for each border on each cell in a
> table.
>
> * And there's no way to roll back to the previous version of Acrobat
> and recover your tools. Once updated, you are S O L.
>
> Three actions to take:
>
> 1. Vote to fix these bugs on Adobe's UserVoice website.
> If you can, please also add a comment about how accessibility is required
> for you and your organization by your country's and state's laws. (Adobe's
> staff don't understand these laws about civil rights and equal access to
> information.) We need a few hundred votes on this page for Adobe to pay
> attention to the problem, so spread this message to your colleagues.
> The website is at
> https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/sugg
> estions/44183082-accessibility-errors-with-pdf-maker-update-sept-20
>
> 2. Until this is fixed, use Microsoft's built-in utility to export
> accessible tagged PDFs, and skip the Acrobat Ribbon (which is the Adobe PDF
> Maker plug-in) altogether. I'll have a blog / tutorial on this by the
> weekend, but in the meantime, here are the quick instructions:
>
> a. Make an accessible Word document as usual, with styles, Alt-text,
> etc.
>
> b. File / Save As / and then choose PDF in the File Type field. This
> triggers Microsoft's built-in export utility, not Adobe's.
>
> c. Set your options, file location, and file name.
>
> 3. And don't upgrade to the latest version of Acrobat. The version
> that is buggy (well, more than usual) is 2021.007.XXXX, and the versions of
> PDF Maker that are installed with it are PDF Maker 21 Library 21.7.123 and
> Library 21.7.112.
>
>
>
> - - -
>
> Bevi Chagnon | Designer, Accessibility Technician | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>
> - - -
>
> PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
>
> consulting . training . development . design . sec. 508 services
>
> Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/ <http://www.pubcom.com/classes>; classes
>
> - - -
>
> Latest blog-newsletter
> <https://mailchi.mp/e694edcdfadd/class-discount-3266574> - Simple Guide to
> Writing Alt-Text
> <https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2020_07-20/alt-text_part-1.shtml>
>
>
>
>
From: Laura Roberts
Date: Wed, Sep 22 2021 12:38PM
Subject: Re: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
← Previous message | Next message →
I've been noticing this issue longer than a week...
Hey, if you combine it with the InDesign bug where it adds a million span
tags to Acrobat PDFs, it'll make for fun times remediating. Span
pathpathpathpath span lol
Unfortunately, the software on the work station I use is automatically
updated.
Thanks Bevi. Hopefully you'll get the devs' attention. I voted.
On Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 2:31 PM Elizabeth Thomas < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:
> Aaahhh! That's a disaster! I definitely appreciate the heads up.
>
> Is this update a problem in both the Mac version and the Windows version?
>
> -Elizabeth Thomas
> CPACC, ADA
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Sep 22, 2021, at 11:56 AM, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> >
> > Last week, Adobe updated Acrobat and with it, the PDF Maker plug-in for
> MS
> > Office that is used to export PDFs from Word and other office apps on
> > Windows.
> >
> > Several key bugs in PDF Maker have shown up since, namely:
> >
> > * Alt-text added in Word is dropped in the exported PDF and
> replaced
> > with code gibberish. (Yes, all the Alt-text you worked hard on is gone!)
> >
> > * Every frigging line, border, and background fill on table cells,
> > text boxes, paragraph borders, and hyperlinks is tagged in the Tag Tree
> with
> > <P>PathPathPathPathPathPath.one "path" for each border on each cell in a
> > table.
> >
> > * And there's no way to roll back to the previous version of
> Acrobat
> > and recover your tools. Once updated, you are S O L.
> >
> > Three actions to take:
> >
> > 1. Vote to fix these bugs on Adobe's UserVoice website.
> > If you can, please also add a comment about how accessibility is required
> > for you and your organization by your country's and state's laws.
> (Adobe's
> > staff don't understand these laws about civil rights and equal access to
> > information.) We need a few hundred votes on this page for Adobe to pay
> > attention to the problem, so spread this message to your colleagues.
> > The website is at
> >
> https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/sugg
> > estions/44183082-accessibility-errors-with-pdf-maker-update-sept-20
> >
> > 2. Until this is fixed, use Microsoft's built-in utility to export
> > accessible tagged PDFs, and skip the Acrobat Ribbon (which is the Adobe
> PDF
> > Maker plug-in) altogether. I'll have a blog / tutorial on this by the
> > weekend, but in the meantime, here are the quick instructions:
> >
> > a. Make an accessible Word document as usual, with styles,
> Alt-text,
> > etc.
> >
> > b. File / Save As / and then choose PDF in the File Type field.
> This
> > triggers Microsoft's built-in export utility, not Adobe's.
> >
> > c. Set your options, file location, and file name.
> >
> > 3. And don't upgrade to the latest version of Acrobat. The version
> > that is buggy (well, more than usual) is 2021.007.XXXX, and the versions
> of
> > PDF Maker that are installed with it are PDF Maker 21 Library 21.7.123
> and
> > Library 21.7.112.
> >
> >
> >
> > - - -
> >
> > Bevi Chagnon | Designer, Accessibility Technician | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> >
> > - - -
> >
> > PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
> >
> > consulting . training . development . design . sec. 508 services
> >
> > Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/ <http://www.pubcom.com/classes>;
> classes
> >
> > - - -
> >
> > Latest blog-newsletter
> > <https://mailchi.mp/e694edcdfadd/class-discount-3266574> - Simple
> Guide to
> > Writing Alt-Text
> > <https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2020_07-20/alt-text_part-1.shtml>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > > >
From: Karen McCall
Date: Wed, Sep 22 2021 12:48PM
Subject: Re: Serious bugs in latest Acrobat update: DO NOT UPDATE
← Previous message | No next message
Unfortunately all of the PDF tools follow Adobe so changing to another tool won't "solve" the lack of attention or concerns about accessibility.
LOL, this is why I've renamed the <Span> as the <Spam> tag...like the luncheon meat, it turns up in everything! Microsoft is also liberally sprinkling spam throughout the tags tree.
...and lets not forget the <Artifact> tag we then have to artifact.
...and I have to try and read through this on a regular basis.
BTW, I've added another sample on my Digital Access versus Accessibility page:
https://www.karlencommunications.com/AccessVersusAccessibility.htm
It is sample 6 and demonstrates the double accessibility barrier we encounter when forced to read PDF through a browser instead of our PDF reader of choice.
Cheers, Karen