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Thread: PDF Accessibility
Number of posts in this thread: 3 (In chronological order)
From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Tue, Dec 03 2002 5:52AM
Subject: PDF Accessibility
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Hi,
I am putting together material for a presentation on the accessibility of PDF documents and accessible alternatives for people here who produce internal communications. There are a couple questions I have.
Where can I locate an example of an accessible PDF document created using Acrobat 5.0?
Also, do PDF documents have any advantages over other formats, like HTML? I am trying to find answers and possible replies to this question, because I expect somebody to say something like "But we need to use PDF because..." I already have heard some of them.--that is the reason I am giving the presentation.
Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Tim
Tim Harshbarger
Disability Support
State Farm Insurance Companies
Phone: (309) 766-0154
E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Michael Goddard
Date: Mon, Dec 02 2002 9:39AM
Subject: Re: PDF Accessibility
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I would be extremely interested in this as well...If you could share your
findings and your presentation, I would be very grateful.
From my working with pdf documents, there are really no "sure"
accessibility. Yes Acrobat 5 has an Accessibility tool however, all it
really does is creates a text file of the pdf document and if the pdf
document is poorly structure then it really doesn't help.
I think the first step is for everyone to really learn how to use Acrobat 5
and how to create pdf's correctly first.
The reason why many of our clients choose pdf format are:
1) Takes existing Word, Excel, Quark, PageMaker etc.. type files,
converts them to pdf format which compresses files size which is ideal
for distribution via web, cd-rom etc.. AND the documentation's layout is
preserved where as in HTML the format may change slightly etc.
2)Convenience...easy to convert Word, Excel, Quark, PageMaker etc..
type files to pdf where as HTML would be more time consuming even
with proper tools due to bloated code etc.
3) pdf files can be protected to prevent printing, copying etc.. HTML
cannot or has severe limitations to this.
4) pdf documents can be searched...but so can HTML and in all
honesty, HTML has better search capabilities available than pdf
documents.
Those are the main reasons why many of our clients choose pdf
format. There are many others but I would end up writing a book
almost! :)
Thanks,
Michael
On 2 Dec 2002 at 9:21, Tim Harshbarger wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I am putting together material for a presentation on the accessibility of PDF documents and
> accessible alternatives for people here who produce internal communications. There are a couple
> questions I have.
> Where can I locate an example of an accessible PDF document created using Acrobat 5.0?
> Also, do PDF documents have any advantages over other formats, like HTML? I am trying to find
> answers and possible replies to this question, because I expect somebody to say something like
> "But we need to use PDF because..." I already have heard some of them.--that is the reason I am
> giving the presentation.
> Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks!
> Tim
> Tim Harshbarger
> Disability Support
> State Farm Insurance Companies
> Phone: (309) 766-0154
> E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Michael Goddard
Internet Developer/Programmer
TDH Marketing & Communications, Inc.
8153 Garnet Drive
Dayton, Ohio 45458
tel: 937.438.3434
fax: 937.438-3453
e-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
web: www.tdh-marketing.com
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From: Jon Gunderson
Date: Mon, Dec 02 2002 10:15AM
Subject: Re: PDF Accessibility
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Tim,
I don't think PDF has any advantages over HTML in terms of accessibility.
It is basically a graphical layout discription format with some
accessibility enhancements. An an example of a PDF document with
accessibility enhancements can be found at:
http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/courses/2003-02-REHAB711NC/2003-02-Brochure.pdf
Ideally the information in a pdf document should also be available in
another more accessible format.
The power of the web is to give people choices over how they access
information.
Jon
On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, Tim Harshbarger wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am putting together material for a presentation on the accessibility of
> PDF documents and accessible alternatives for people here who produce
> internal communications. There are a couple questions I have.
>
> Where can I locate an example of an accessible PDF document created using
> Acrobat 5.0?
>
> Also, do PDF documents have any advantages over other formats, like HTML? I
> am trying to find answers and possible replies to this question, because I
> expect somebody to say something like "But we need to use PDF because..." I
> already have heard some of them.--that is the reason I am giving the
> presentation.
>
> Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
> Tim
> Tim Harshbarger
> Disability Support
> State Farm Insurance Companies
> Phone: (309) 766-0154
> E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
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