Re: Acrobat PDF & Accessibility

You can try out a test one that I created for practice at
http://www.umassp.edu:4670/uis/ipg/accessibility/coursework/testpdf.pdf

I doubt lynx will be able to do anything with it though!  I could read it with JAWS.
Let me know what happens.

Access Systems wrote:

> On Thu, 20 Dec 2001, Carol Foster wrote:
>
> > I agree with Jakob Nielsen, though some people really like PDF's.  I tend to
> > get annoyed when I click on a link and a PDF suddenly starts slowly appearing
> > without warning.
>
> know any sites where I can try it, I have yet to meet a pdf that I can
> view?
>
> Bob
>
> >
> > I believe to meet WAI priority 1 checkpoints, an HTML version is required.  The
> > new more accessible PDF's that can be created with Adobe 5.0 and the Make
> > Accessible Plugin are definitely an improvement over the old ones for screen
> > readers, and if I understand this correctly, I believe that they alone will
> > satisfy Section 508 without an alternative, though an HTML version is still
> > recommended.
> >
> > As a web developer, I'm afraid that those of us who want to make our sites as
> > accessible as possible are now in the position of not only having to create an
> > HTML version, which can be easy or very time consuming (depending on what we
> > have to start with), but also to make sure the PDF is itself accessible, which
> > can also be easy or very time consuming, depending on how the PDF was created,
> > what hardware and software one has, and how well one knows the new PDF tagging
> > language and update facilities.
> >
> > Carol
> >
> > William R Williams/R5/USDAFS wrote:
> >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > It's been debated often, I suspect; yet, if my experience means anything,
> > > much disagreement exists about the "true" accessibility of pdfs on the web.
> > > Certainly, Adobe has promoted the application and worked diligently to make
> > > them accessible, but others - such as Jakob Nielsen - suggest avoiding pdfs
> > > for on-screen delivery.
> > >
> > > I know there are definite usability issues, but how does this group stand
> > > on the accessibility of PDFs?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > > ======================
> > > Bill Williams
> > > Communication Technician
> > > USDA Forest Service, Region 5
> > > 707.562.9005
> > > wrwilliams@fs.fed.us
> > > ======================
> >
> > Carol Foster, Web Developer
> > University of Massachusetts, President's Office
> > http://www.umass-its.net/ipg
> >
>
>    ASCII Ribbon Campaign                        accessBob
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--
Carol Foster, Web Developer
Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
University of Massachusetts, President's Office
(413) 587-2130
mailto:c.foster@umassp.edu
http://www.umass-its.net/ipg
--

Received on Thursday, 20 December 2001 17:07:55 UTC