[Athen] Update: PDF Maker problems

[chagnon at pubcom.com]

Best method to create accessible PDF forms:

An accessible layout in Adobe InDesign (with the form fields in place) +
export to tagged accessible PDF.

*       The tag reading order is perfect.

*       The architectural reading order is perfect.

*       Form fields have tooltips.

*       And the form field reading order is perfect.

*       Only needs checking, testing, and minor tweaks in Acrobat.

*       And it's editable: go back to the source InDesign layout, make
editorial changes, re-export to PDF and you're done.

But it does require two things:

1.       Training in how to make accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign, and

2.       Training in how to make accessible PDF forms from Adobe InDesign.
This is an advanced class.

Forms - any kind of form using any software or programming tools - are not
for the faint of heart! I'm always looking for people with the mindset to do
forms for our accessibility shop.

If you're attending AHG in November, I'm teaching classes in InDesign, Forms
from InDesign, and Reviewing/Testing in Acrobat.

-Bevi

- - -

Bevi Chagnon  | Designer, Accessibility Technician |
<mailto:Chagnon at PubCom.com> Chagnon at PubCom.com 

- - -

PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing

consulting . training . development . design . sec. 508 services

Upcoming classes at  <http://www.pubcom.com/classes> www.PubCom.com/classes 

- - -

 <https://mailchi.mp/e694edcdfadd/class-discount-3266574> Latest
blog-newsletter -
<https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2020_07-20/alt-text_part-1.shtml> Simple Guide
to Writing Alt-Text 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> On Behalf
Of Susan Kelmer
Sent: Monday, October 4, 2021 10:28 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Update: PDF Maker problems

 

Peter, this is why many of us will still have jobs long into the future.  I
find the Adobe tools to make things "accessible" to be less than useful, and
extremely time-consuming to use.  You fix one thing to find you broke
another.  Every year they release updates and "new ways" of doing things,
that still don't work.

I gave up on remediating PDFs after spending weeks trying to create an
accessible form.  

NO ONE has that kind of time.  NO ONE.

 

 

Susan Kelmer 

Alternate Format Production Program Manager

Disability Services

Division of Student Affairs 

T 303 735 4836

 <http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices>
www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices 

 

 



 

Due to the nature of electronic communication, the security of this message
cannot be guaranteed. If you've received this email in error please notify
the sender immediately and delete this message. 

 

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of
Bossley, Peter A.
Sent: Monday, October 4, 2021 6:21 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >; chagnon at pubcom.com
<mailto:chagnon at pubcom.com> 
Subject: Re: [Athen] Update: PDF Maker problems

 

Susan,

As a former student who always asked for Word / RTF as my format, I don't
disagree with you. On the other hand, from an institutional perspective, the
reality is that lots of people around campus are going to use PDF. With that
as a backdrop we really need to have a good way of making them accessible.
It is pretty annoying when we train folks to use the Acrobat tools because
they (usually) work better than the other methods just to have this happen.

 

 


Peter Bossley
Deputy ADA Coordinator
ADA Coordinator's Office - Office of Institutional Equity
260 Younkin Success Center, 1640 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
614-688-3028 Office
 <mailto:bossley.5 at osu.edu> bossley.5 at osu.edu /  <http://ada.osu.edu/>
ada.osu.edu 

  _____  

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of Susan
Kelmer
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2021 9:53 AM
To: chagnon at pubcom.com <mailto:chagnon at pubcom.com> ; Access Technology
Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: Re: [Athen] Update: PDF Maker problems

 

All of this mess just reinforces, to me, that PDFs should NOT be being
produced/remediated and given to students using screenreaders. I don't have
these problems with well-formatted Microsoft Word or HTML files. 

 

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a dinosaur, steadfastly continuing to create
really great quality Word and HTML files for my students with VI, and not
even attempting to make a PDF accessible for them, or to create a PDF as
output.

 

Until Adobe gets its act together, there is absolutely no reason for me to
waste time trying to make PDFs work.  It is not "easy" or "fast" to
remediate a PDF file, and even more importantly, the resulting PDF output is
not effective!  Why are we collectively banging our heads against the wall,
as if there weren't a different path we could (and should?) be following?

 

Just my cranky .02 this morning.

 

 

Susan Kelmer 

Alternate Format Production Program Manager

Disability Services

Division of Student Affairs 

T 303 735 4836

 
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices__;!!K
GKeukY!mpeu2h8RZcMl-0TETiWCGc9m6FnEumciwHPNyV56j4iS_xXB9gCFAMp6ERMuMuMq8g$>
www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices 

 

 



 

Due to the nature of electronic communication, the security of this message
cannot be guaranteed. If you've received this email in error please notify
the sender immediately and delete this message. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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