PDF accessibility and other e-publishing formats

i-documents & other e-publications forum8 September 2011

Dr Andrew ArchWeb Policy – Accessibility

Department of Finance and Deregulation

• What is accessibility?• Why is it important?• Who benefits?• PDF and e-doc issues• Future for e-publications

WHAT IS ACCESSIBILITY?

Accessibility is ...‘the usability of a product, service, environment, or facility by people with the widest range of capabilities’ (ISO)

We’re particularly interested in e-accessibility ...

W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative

The impact of disability is radically changed on the Web because the Web removes barriers to communication and interaction that many people face in the physical world.

Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can access, use and interact with the Web.

Four Principles of Web Accessibility

• Perceivable• Operable• Understandable • Robust

http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/

Accessibility is usability

for everyone.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Accessibility matters for several reasons:

1. Social reasons for accessible design

2. Legal obligations and standards

3. Usability benefits that accessibility brings

4. Discoverability benefits from accessibility

UN Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities

Article 9 - Accessibility• … the identification and elimination of

obstacles and barriers to accessibility, shall apply to … Information

• To promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet

Australian policy context

An inclusive Australian Society that

enables people with a disability to fulfil

their potential as equal citizens.

AGIMO’s Role

• Develop and oversee a National Transition Strategy for the implementation of WCAG 2.0

• Establish Communities of Expertise to collaborate and educate web managers

• Develop supporting projects to resolve common issues = Mitigation Projects

Aim: unified, consistent and cost effective implementation of updated web standard

WHO BENEFITS FROM ACCESSIBILITY?

Accessibility beneficiaries?

How are people affected?

Many disabilities impact access to the web:• Visual (e.g. colour blindness, low vision, blindness)• Auditory (e.g. hearing loss, deafness) • Physical (e.g. limited motor skills)• Cognitive and neurological (e.g. difficulty reading,

concentrating, understanding, remembering, concentrating)• Users may have multiple disabilities (e.g. a deaf-blind user,

older people)

Plus situational requirements …

Not just disability …

People using smart phones and other mobile devices

People with poor communications infrastructure People with old equipment Older people and casual users People working in restricted access environments People with temporary impairments People coping with environmental distractions

PDF AND ACCESSIBILITY

Study into Accessibility of PDF for People with a Disability

Findings:1.The design of the PDF file by the author to

incorporate accessibility features2.The technical ability of the assistive

technology (AT) to interact with the PDF file3.The skill of the users and their familiarity

with the interaction between their AT and PDF files

Key PDF accessibility issues

• Published as an image• Headings missing• Table of Contents not navigable• Contrast poor

Author and Publisher responsibility!

Example of PDF navigation

Example of poor contrast

Dan Murphy’s cataloguehttp://danmurphys.com.au/

Top e-Doc Accessibility Elements

1. Semantic structure2. Image descriptions3. Colour not relied on4. Contrast5. Understandable content6. Alternatives provided

Aim: e-documents that are universally accessible

Alternative Formats – NDS Report

Starting points

Word Use styles and other structural elements

InDesign Tagging for semantic structure

Hard Copy OCR the scanned documents to give digitised text

PDF Undertake remediation

Guidance• Web Guide on PDF Accessibility

• http://webguide.gov.au/accessibility-usability/accessibility/pdf-accessibility/

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0• http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php • http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/

• W3C draft PDF techniques for WCAG 2.0• http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf.html

• Canadian/UN Accessible Digital Office Document Project• http://adod.idrc.ocad.ca/

• Adobe guidance for InDesign• http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/indesign/

Publishing processes

• Include accessibility in your internal publishing processes

• Include accessibility in your RFTs• Accessible PDF

• Alternative accessible format(s)

THE FUTURE FOR E-PUBS

DAISY & EPUB

• Convergence between DAISY and EPUB based on XML

• Both mainstream readers and those who require accessible reading materials will benefit

• Allows for indexed text + indexed audio

Other developments

• Book Industry Strategy Group• Review of digital technologies 2010

• DBCDE Convergence Review• To guide media and communications policy framework

• Hardware and software• Kindle / iPad / Cloud / etc

• Social media – accessible interfaces

Accessibility is about people

World made for disabilities

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

Contacts

• Contact the AGIMO Accessibility Team:• WCAG2@finance.gov.au

• Read the Web Guide:• http://webguide.gov.au/accessibility-usability/

accessibility/

• Read the AGIMO Blog:• http://agimo.govspace.gov.au/category/accessibility/

Additional Resources

• AHRC World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes• http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/standards/

www_3/www_3.html

• Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy• http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/wcag-2-implementation/

index.html

• Australian Govt study into the Accessibility of PDF for people with a disability• http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/pdf-accessibility-study/

index.html

References

• WCAG 2.0 seal• http://www.sitepoint.com/australian-government-wcag-2-

accessibility/

• World Made for Disability Video – EDF• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsuKxY_9f_8