RE: PDF - Text Extraction File

Hi Susan,
I am both in Canada, <waves> and a very different screen reader user.
Normally I personally convert pdf files using the tools at robobraille.
www.robobraille.org
Since you have shared the file, I am going to see what that service says 
when a text convert is requested.
What happens, allot, in Ontario is the text cannot be extracted. Instead I 
get an error stating that adobe 8 is required.
Best,
Kare



On Fri, 17 Oct 2025, Richter,Susan wrote:

> Thank you all for your responses.
>
> I can share the file with you, since it is live on our site:
> https://www.nscc.ca/docs/campuses/ivany/ivany-map.pdf
>
> I am viewing it in Chrome with a Windows 11 O/S and using the Jaws screen reader software.
>
> Thanks
> Susan
>
> Susan Richter
> Senior Web Interface Developer
> Digital Products & Experience
> Nova Scotia Community College
> Institute of Technology Campus
> Web: nscc.ca<http://www.nscc.ca/?utm_source=email-sig&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email%20signature%20link>
> [cid:image001.png@01DC3F71.50A44730]
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> From: chagnon@pubcom.com <chagnon@pubcom.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 17, 2025 2:15 PM
> To: Richter,Susan <Susan.Richter@nscc.ca>; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> Subject: RE: PDF - Text Extraction File
>
>
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> Hi Susan,
> I've been a PDF developer since the first beta of Acrobat & the PDF file format. I've never seen the exact error message you quoted, and have no idea what a "text extraction file" is.
>
> Generally, screen readers pick up the live text in the PDF file itself. But since you mentioned that these are campus maps, they could be just images without any live text such as titles, headers, footers, etc. Usually in that case, other messages will appear that basically prompt to make the file accessible with their A I tools.
>
> The PDF Standards ISO 32000 and PDF/UA 14289 do define that text must be extractable by technologies, including screen readers. But it does not reference the term "text extraction file." And there isn't an additional file: everything should be inside the one PDF file.
>
> Questions:
>
>  1.  What specific screen reader or readers are you using?
>  2.  What operating system?
>  3.  What software are you trying to open and read the PDF with?  Adobe reader, Adobe Acrobat, FoxIt, or any of the 100s of other programs that can now open and read PDFs?  Or is the PDF being opened by the web browser?
>
> -Bevi
>
> Bevi Chagnon | bevi.chagnon@PubCom.com<mailto:bevi.chagnon@PubCom.com>
>
> Member, ISO Committees for PDF & PDF/UA Standards
>
> Adobe Community Expert
>
> Media Designer, Author, Trainer, and Consultant
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> PubCom.com
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> Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
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> MS Office - Adobe InDesign & Acrobat - Editorial & Design - A11y Publishing Workflow
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> From: Richter,Susan <Susan.Richter@nscc.ca<mailto:Susan.Richter@nscc.ca>>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 7:16 AM
> To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
> Subject: PDF - Text Extraction File
>
> Hi All,
>
> This is my first time posting here so please advise if this isn't the best group for this kind of assistance.
>
> I've discovered we have some PDFs on our site that when accessed via a screen reader this is the message read out: "This PDF is inaccessible. Couldn't download text extraction files". The PDF(s) in question are large campus maps.
>
> I'm not super familiar with creating accessible PDFs, but I'm trying to understand how a text extraction file is created and then attached to a PDF so when a user opens it on the page using a screen reader the text extraction file is available. Does it have to be a separate link on the page or is there some way to embed/tie it to the PDF itself that just triggers it when opened via a screen reader?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Susan Richter
> Senior Web Interface Developer
> Digital Products & Experience
> Nova Scotia Community College
> Institute of Technology Campus
> Web: nscc.ca<http://www.nscc.ca/?utm_source=email-sig&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email%20signature%20link>
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Received on Friday, 17 October 2025 17:55:57 UTC