Re: Adding an Example 4: Validating PDF

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 11:45 PM, <noreply@w3.org> wrote:

> Name: Kerstin Probiesch
> Email: k.probiesch@gmail.com
> Affiliation:
> Document: TD
> Item Number: G134
> Part of Item: Examples
> Comment Type: technical
> Summary of Issue: Adding an Example 4: Validating PDF
> Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
> Accessibility of PDF is becoming more and more important. The examples in
> this SC are limited to HTML and XML. I feel next updates of WCAG 2.0 should
> also give guidance about validating PDF.
>
> Proposed Change:
> Include an Example 4: Validating PDF.
>
> Include a section "Validating PDF" (Ressources) and PDF accessibility
> checker (PAC) as a Ressource and also the .Acrobat Accessibility Checker
> (Full Check)
>
> ================================
Response from the Working Group
================================
G134 is a sufficient technique for SC 4.1.1, however, SC 4.1.1 only applies
to mark-up languages, and PDF is not a mark-up language. Also, valid PDF
files are not required to contains tags, which are an optional feature of
PDF. So validating a PDF file may do nothing to improve its accessibility.

The PDF Technology Notes,
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf_notes.html, contains a section on
Accessibility Checking and Repair. We would consider adding resources on
accessibility checking and repair to the PDF Technology Notes
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf_notes.html. We welcome suggested
resources for this.


Loretta Guarino Reid, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Gregg Vanderheiden, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Michael Cooper, WCAG WG Staff Contact


On behalf of the WCAG Working Group