Achieving Accessibility with PDF

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Copyright 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

ADOBE® ACCESSIBILITY

Achieving Accessibility with PDF

Greg PisockyAdobe SystemsThursday March 26, 2009

Using Acrobat 9 to Make Documents Accessible

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Agenda

PDF File Format Considerations Analyzing PDF Documents for Accessibility:

The PDF Accessibility Repair Workflow Configuring Adobe Acrobat 9 / Adobe Reader 9 for Accessibility

Accessibility Preference Settings Accessibility Setup Assistant

Demonstrating the Workflow Scanned Content Forms Searchable Text

Finishing Touches For More Information

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The File Format: Accessibility Requirements

Logical Reading Order – Does it make sense when you listen to it?

Alternate Text Descriptions for Non-Text Elements – Have alternate text descriptions been added to graphics for those with visual disabilities?

Logical Tab Order (Forms) – Can you navigate the form in a way that makes sense?

Short Descriptions (Forms) – Are audible short descriptions added to form fields for those with visual disabilities?

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Scenarios for Accessible PDF

You Intend to Create a PDF File

Applications that Create Tagged PDF PDF Maker (for Microsoft Office) Other Applications

PDF Form LiveCycle Designer

(Application Distributed with Acrobat 8 Professional)

You Have a PDF FileScanned PDFPDF Forms

Acrobat Forms (Forms Toolbar in Acrobat 8 Professional)

Searchable PDF

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The PDF Accessibility Workflow....

Ask Yourself a Series of Questions in this Order

Is the PDF a Scanned Image?Is the PDF Intended to be a Form?Is the PDF Tagged?Are the Items Properly Tagged?

Verifying read order Verify proper tagging (i.e., figures,

tables, etc.) Add alternate text descriptions to

graphics Add short descriptions to form fields

Have I Missed Something? Run the Accessibility Checker

Make recommended and appropriate repairs until no problems found

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From Acrobat From the Menu

File > Open Keyboard Shortcut

Ctrl + O Accelerator Keys

Alt + F + O From Outside of Acrobat

Tab to file and select (begin typing file name)

Click on a PDF file Right Mouse Click (“Open With...”)

1. Open the PDF File

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2. Analyze the Content – Give Yourself an Idea of What Lies Ahead

Determine the Complexity of the Document / Page

Short document (a few pages) or a long document (many pages)

Single Column / Multi Column?Are there graphics present?Tables?Does it appear to have multiple

headings?Does it appear to have form fieldsIs the layout easy or difficult to

follow (side headings for example)?

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3. Determine if the PDF File is a Scanned Image

Verify the presence of searchable text Zoom In, Look for “Jaggies”Search for Text on the Page (Ctrl F)Run “Read Out Loud” on the Page

(First, Activate Read Out Loud: View > Read Out Loud, or Shift + Ctrl + Y, or Alt + V + A + A)

Menu: View > Read Out Loud > Read This Page Only

Keyboard: Shift+ Ctrl+V Alt + V + A + P If it is an image, Read Out Loud will prompt you

to run the optical character recognition engine, “Recognize Text Using OCR” (see next slide)

Perform the Quick Check Advanced > Accessibility > Quick Check Shift + Ctrl + 6 Alt + A + A + Q

Perform the Full Check Advanced > Accessibility > Full Check Alt + A + A + F

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If it is a Scanned Image... Perform OCR

Optical Character RecognitionMenu:

Document > OCR Text Recognition >Recognize Text Using OCR

Formatted Text andGraphics (ClearScan for Acrobat 9)

Verify Language Lowest Downsampling (600 dpi)

Alt + D + Z + S Search for and Correct

“Suspects”Menu: Document > OCR Text

Recognition > Find First OCR Suspect Proofread (Touchup Text Tool) Read Out Loud Can Also

Launch OCR

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4. Locate URLs and Activate Links

Use Acrobat’s Create Links from URLs CommandThis has the effect of converting URLs in a PDF document to active hypertext links

Advanced > Document Processing > Create Links from URLs

ALT + A + D + C

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5. Determine if the PDF File is Meant to be a Form

Visual InspectionDoes the Document Appear to be

Soliciting Information – Name, Address, Social Security Number?

Read Out Loud / Screen Reader Also Offer Clues for the Visually Impaired

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If the PDF File is Intended to be an Interactive Form...Add Form Fields

Automatically detect Form FieldsForms > Run Form Field RecognitionAlt + O + R

or if you preferAdvanced > Accessibility > Run Form Field RecognitionAlt + A + A + U

Add form fields using the Acrobat Forms Tools (Acroforms)

Menu: Tools > Forms> Show Forms ToolbarAlt + T + R + B

Add Form Fields to the TagsAdd Tags after adding form fields: Advanced

> Accessibiltiy > Add Tags to DocumentAdvanced > Accessibility > Add Form Fields to

TagsAlt + A + A + D

Or Manipulate in the Adobe DesignerMenu: Advanced > Forms > Make Form Fillable in

Adobe Designer…(Alt + A + F + M)Other LiveCycle Designer Options Available by

Selecting from the Menu: Advanced > Forms from the Menu > Make Form Fillable in Adobe Designer (Alt + A + F + M)

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Or Manipulate the Form in the Adobe Designer (Not Covered)

Or Manipulate in the Adobe Designer Menu: Advanced > Forms > Make Form

Fillable in Adobe Designer…(Alt + A + F + M) Other LiveCycle Designer Options Available

by Selecting from the Menu: Advanced > Forms from the Menu > Make Form Fillable in Adobe Designer (Alt + A + F + M)

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6. Determine if the PDF File is a “Searchable PDF”

If you have performed the previous steps on the other PDF file types, your PDF will be a “searchable” PDF at this point

You Have Ruled Out or Corrected for the Scanned Document

You Have Ruled Out or Corrected for the Form

Now It Behaves as if it Came from a Word Processing or Desktop Publishing Application (Print > Adobe PDF)

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7. Determine if the PDF File is Tagged

Verify the presence of tags, - add tags if necessary

Verify Document Properties (Lower left corner of document properties dialog)

Menu: File > Document Properties Keyboard: Ctrl + D

Display the Tags Panel and use the Options Menu to verify Document is Tagged PDF

Menu: View > Navigation Panels > Tags

Run a Quick Check Menu: Advanced > Accessibility >

Quick Check Keyboard: Shift + Ctrl + 6 ALT + A + Q

Run a Full Check Menu: Advanced > Accessibility >

Full Check ALT + A + F

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If the PDF File is Not Tagged...then add Tags to the File

Add Tags to DocumentMenu: Advanced > Accessibility > Add

Tags to DocumentALT + A + A + A

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8. Determine if the Items are Properly Tagged

Use theTouchup Reading Order Tool

Menu: Advanced > Accessibility > TouchUp Reading Order

ALT + A + A + TVerifying read order (Follow the Numbers)

Show Order Panel Button onTouchUp Reading Order Tool

Menu: View > Navigation Panels >Order

ALT + V + N + OAdd alternate text descriptions to graphicsAdd short descriptions to form fieldsVerify proper tagging

(i.e., figures, tables, etc.)

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9. Make Sure You Have Not Missed Anything

Run the Accessibility Full Check

Menu: Advanced > Accessibility > Full Check

ALT + A + A + F Make recommended and

appropriate repairs – Read the Report, Follow the

Hyperlinks Repeat this process until

“No Problems Found”

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Product Feature: Acrobat TouchUp Read Order Tool

TouchUp Reading Order Tool in Acrobat 9 Professional for PDF Accessibility Repair

Review and correct reading orderReview and correct basic tagging

issuesAdd Alternate Text to FiguresAdd Short Descriptions to Form

FieldsTag simple tables quickly and

easily Benefits

•Quick and easy to detect tagging errors

Easy to fix most common errors

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Configuring Acrobat / Reader: Accessibility Preferences

Auto Scroll – Moves the pages for you. View > Automatically ScrollKeyboard: Shift + Ctrl + H

High Contrast View – Alters Text and Background Colors

Edit > Preferences (Ctrl + K) select Accessibility and check “Replace Document Colors”

Reflow – Large Type DisplayView > Zoom > ReflowCtrl + 4

Adjust Bookmark SizeView > Navigation Panel s> Bookmarks (F4)From the Options Button

Highlight the Current Bookmark Adjust Text Size Properties (adjust appearance)

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Configuring Acrobat / Reader: Accessibility Preferences (Cont.)

Read Out Loud – Reads to YouText

View > Read Out Loud > Activate Read Out Loud

Shift + Ctrl + Y Activates Read Out Loud

View > Read Out Loud Shift + Ctrl + V reads the current

page Shrift + Ctrl + B reads the entire

document Shift + Ctrl + C pauses reading Shift + Ctrl + E stops reading

Form Fields Edit > Preferences (Ctrl +K) select

Reading and select “Read Form Fields”

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Export to Other Formats

Export to Other File FormatsReader: Save as Accessible TextAcrobat: Export to Word Document,

Rich Text Format, HTML, XML, and Text

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Configuring Acrobat / Reader: The Accessibility Setup Assistant

Accessibility Setup Assistant Configures the User Agent for Optimal Performance with Assistive Technology

Adobe Acrobat

Advanced > Accessibility> Setup Assistant

Adobe Reader

Help>Accessibility Setup Assistant

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Demonstrating the Workflow

Scanned Content Fillable Form Searchable Text (time

permitting)

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Loose Ends (Some Common Errors That Crop Up)

Check the Language Attribute in Acrobat

File > Properties (Ctrl D) Choose the Advanced Tab, Select the Appropriate Language

Use Tags Panel to Provide Table Headers <TH> in First Table Row

In LiveCycle Designer, First Page Subform Needs to Have a Language Set

Fix Tab Order Does Not Correspond with Read Order Error

Display the Pages Panel: View > Navigation Panel > PagesSelect a Page and then Select All (Ctrl + A)Select Page Properties and Check “Use Document Structure”

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A Caution Regarding Automated Checking

There is NO Accessibility Button Accessibility Requires Human

Testing in addition to Automated Checking

Checking Can Only Detect for the Presence or Lack of Required Items

Cannot Check if an Item is Correct or Appropriate

Accessibility is a New Item for the Production Workflow – Like Authoring, Layout, Proofreading, etc.

Note Also, Publishers Will Need to Employ a Variety of Techniques and Methods

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For More Information

Adobe’s Accessibility Resource Center www.adobe.com/accessibility

Adobe Acrobat 9 Accessibility Guide Series http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/training.html PDF Accessibility Overview Creating Accessible PDF from Microsoft Word Acrobat 9 Pro Accessibility Repair Workflow Using the Accessibility Checker in Acrobat 9 Pro Creating Accessible PDF Forms with Acrobat 9 Pro Acrobat 9 Pro Complete Best Practices for Accessibility

http://www.adobe.com/accessibility

http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/training.html

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