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Thread: PDF compliancy question
Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)
From: Alex Tallon
Date: Thu, Feb 09 2006 1:00PM
Subject: PDF compliancy question
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I was wondering if anyone could tell me if you have a hyperlink to a PDF
that is a map and the wording of the link is something like "Streams
Display" is that sufficient for compliancy, or should you add alt text
to the image saying the same thing?
From: Alex Tallon
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 7:15AM
Subject: Re: PDF compliancy question
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Yeah, ADA section 508. What I've got is a lot of PDFs of county maps or
city maps, things like that. The link might be something like Adams
county. You click on it and it brings up the PDF map of Adams county.
I was wondering if something like this requires alt text saying "Adams
County," or if the link was sufficient, or if it would need a lengthier
description.
Thanks.
>>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > 02/09/06 9:40 PM >>>
Alex,
You can provide alternative text to the PDF map if you have Adobe
Acrobat
Pro or if your authoring program provides for alternative text that
will be
included when the PDF document is created.
Adding actual text (not an image of text incorporated in the graphic)
to the
document works as well.
Whether the wording provided in your example is sufficiently
descriptive
depends on the context of the link.
However, this wording seems likely to be insufficient as a standalone
description of the map. Moreover, it doesn't provide the content and,
again
depending upon context, that may possibly be an issue.
What are you trying to be compliant with, Section 508?
Regards,
Larry
In a message dated 2/9/2006 2:34:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = writes:
I was wondering if anyone could tell me if you have a hyperlink to a
PDF
that is a map and the wording of the link is something like "Streams
Display" is that sufficient for compliancy, or should you add alt
text
to the image saying the same thing?
From: Kynn Bartlett
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 7:45AM
Subject: PDF compliancy question
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There is no such thing as "ADA section 508."
What are you really trying to do?
--Kynn
On 2/10/06, Alex Tallon < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Yeah, ADA section 508. What I've got is a lot of PDFs of county maps or
> city maps, things like that. The link might be something like Adams
> county. You click on it and it brings up the PDF map of Adams county.
> I was wondering if something like this requires alt text saying "Adams
> County," or if the link was sufficient, or if it would need a lengthier
> description.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> >>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > 02/09/06 9:40 PM >>>
>
> Alex,
>
> You can provide alternative text to the PDF map if you have Adobe
> Acrobat
> Pro or if your authoring program provides for alternative text that
> will be
> included when the PDF document is created.
>
> Adding actual text (not an image of text incorporated in the graphic)
> to the
> document works as well.
>
> Whether the wording provided in your example is sufficiently
> descriptive
> depends on the context of the link.
>
> However, this wording seems likely to be insufficient as a standalone
>
> description of the map. Moreover, it doesn't provide the content and,
> again
> depending upon context, that may possibly be an issue.
>
> What are you trying to be compliant with, Section 508?
>
> Regards,
>
> Larry
>
> In a message dated 2/9/2006 2:34:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = writes:
>
> I was wondering if anyone could tell me if you have a hyperlink to a
> PDF
> that is a map and the wording of the link is something like "Streams
> Display" is that sufficient for compliancy, or should you add alt
> text
> to the image saying the same thing?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
From: Nancy Swenson
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 8:00AM
Subject: Re: PDF compliancy question ((idl6543 - out ofoffice) )
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Hello,
I am participating in IDL6543 today. I will be back in the office on Monday and will reply to your e-mail at that time.
Thank you,
Nancy
Nancy Swenson
Instructional Designer
Course Development and Web Services
University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd.
Library Rm 107
Orlando, FL 32816-2810
407-823-4270
FAX: 407-823-3511
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Robinson, Norman B - Washington, DC
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 12:30PM
Subject: RE: PDF compliancy question
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Alex,
Under Section 508 requirements what you describe would not be
compliant. Based on what I think you intended to say, I don't think it
is accessible at all. Perhaps the USPS Section 508 guidelines available
via URL
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c6.html#_Toc63573129 would
be of use to you as well as the section on descriptive hyperlinks via
URL http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c6.html#508hdr60.
It isn't exactly clear based on your stated problem but the PDF
itself would need to be accessible (to include textual information that
screen readers could access) such that it isn't just an image (as the
PDF format can contain image bitmaps that contain no textual information
such as scanned in documents).
If you _are_ trying to use PDFs for images only (i.e., instead
of a PNG or JPG bitmap for instance) on a website this is covered by
Section 508's text tags requirement (see URL
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm#(a)) and I'd have
to see your exact image.
A technique I find useful is to consider if you have an
individual that can't see the content but wanted to print you out a copy
and share it with their sighted friends, what would be the text
description? E.g., description of "Streams Display" isn't as exacting as
"Robinson's Stream as viewed from 10K feet". Or if you have a picture of
the president "Picture of the President" isn't as useful as "Picture of
George Washington" or "Portrait of George Washington during
Congressional Session". In the last example, even without sight I could
(with some chance of success) cut and paste the picture to share in a
presentation with my sighted friends. If I didn't provide appropriate
descriptive alt text, I might have copied a picture from the current
White House's web page.
Regards,
Norman B. Robinson
From: Alex Tallon
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 12:45PM
Subject: RE: PDF compliancy question
← Previous message | No next message
My client created PDFs out of just about everything, including even JPGs
of a given county or section of interstate. So I was looking for an
idea of just how much information was needed to be provided in the alt
text. Your answer helped with that. Thanks.
>>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = 02/10/06 1:30 PM >>>
Alex,
Under Section 508 requirements what you describe would not be
compliant. Based on what I think you intended to say, I don't think it
is accessible at all. Perhaps the USPS Section 508 guidelines
available
via URL
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c6.html#_Toc63573129
would
be of use to you as well as the section on descriptive hyperlinks via
URL http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c6.html#508hdr60.
It isn't exactly clear based on your stated problem but the PDF
itself would need to be accessible (to include textual information
that
screen readers could access) such that it isn't just an image (as the
PDF format can contain image bitmaps that contain no textual
information
such as scanned in documents).
If you _are_ trying to use PDFs for images only (i.e., instead
of a PNG or JPG bitmap for instance) on a website this is covered by
Section 508's text tags requirement (see URL
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm#(a)) and I'd have
to see your exact image.
A technique I find useful is to consider if you have an
individual that can't see the content but wanted to print you out a
copy
and share it with their sighted friends, what would be the text
description? E.g., description of "Streams Display" isn't as exacting
as
"Robinson's Stream as viewed from 10K feet". Or if you have a picture
of
the president "Picture of the President" isn't as useful as "Picture
of
George Washington" or "Portrait of George Washington during
Congressional Session". In the last example, even without sight I
could
(with some chance of success) cut and paste the picture to share in a
presentation with my sighted friends. If I didn't provide appropriate
descriptive alt text, I might have copied a picture from the current
White House's web page.
Regards,
Norman B. Robinson