[Athen] PDF remediation help

[Susan Kelmer]

Not to beat a dead horse, but here's another perspective.

I recently spoke at a regional conference in Idaho, and one of the participants rejected the idea that we should take things to text and create Word files.  Because her students were used to PDFs, she was spending time "fixing" the PDFs, so that she could give PDFs to students.

I asked her why that was so important?

"Because they are sighted, and they just have a print disability."

My response: "So?"

Sighted students can used text-based files like Word or HTML.  We are not, as alternate format providers, in the business of creating universally-designed documents.  We are in the business of accommodating students.  This means our focus is on the student and what output will serve their need. I have two goals when I'm creating alternate format:  1.  Good quality text output, and 2. Providing alt format in a timely manner.  I'm not fixing PDFs on our campus website - that is not my job.  Converting PDFs to good quality text-based documents (Word or HTML) is a fast and easy process.

At the end of my day with the group in Idaho, I had convinced this person not to "overdo" things for her student.  She realized how much time she would be saving.

Susan Kelmer
Alternate Format Production Program Manager
Disability Services
Health and Wellness Services
T 303 735 4836
www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices<http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices>


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From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> On Behalf Of Karen McCall
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 7:53 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] PDF remediation help

The problem is the same. If you depend on a screen reader, you can't tell if all of the content is tagged, if it is tagged correctly and if the tags are in the logical reading order.

With any automated tool, while the tool may have some level of accessibility, you can't get around the fact that you need to see the tags and the physical document to know what you are looking at and whether or not the elements I mentioned above are in place.

Cheers, Karen

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu>> On Behalf Of Paul Ferrara
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 8:31 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Athen] PDF remediation help

Have you tried using the Common Look PDF plug-in?

Paul Ferrara, CPACC, ADS, Certified Braille Transcriber
Communications Accessibility Editor, Dot6
American Printing House
1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
Main 502 895 2396
pferrara at aph.org<mailto:pferrara at aph.org>

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[JAWS Certified, 2019]<http://www.freedomscientific.com/Certification>
[IAAP Accessible Document Specialist Logo]


From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu>> On Behalf Of Karen McCall
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2023 2:00 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Athen] PDF remediation help

PDF remediation is not possible for someone who depends on a screen reader and has no functional vision.

The reason for this is that you have to match the tags in the tags tree to what you see on the physical page. Screen readers can only read a PDF through what gets tagged.

Someone depending on a screen reader cannot tell if content has not been tagged. They cannot tell if the tag is the correct one for the type of content and they cannot determine a logical reading order for the document without being able to see the document. For example, if the PDF is a tri-fold brochure you need to divide the panels into parts and rearrange them in a logical reading order.

I provide training on remediating PDFs and my material is accessible. I have a visual disability and use a screen reader but could not do this work without functional vision.

Someone using a screen reader can do user testing on PDFs but only after the PDFs have been remediated or made accessible.

The other aspect of this is that Adobe Acrobat Pro, Foxit PDF Editor and PowerPDF are not keyboard accessible for most of the UI components.

I've been working in the field of accessible PDFs for about 23 years.

Please contact me if you have questions or need clarification.

Cheers, Karen

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu>> On Behalf Of Paul Ferrara
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2023 12:56 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: [Athen] PDF remediation help

All,
We are looking for any or all of the following:

  1.  Accessible training on using Acrobat to remediate PDF documents, training must work with JAWS.
  2.  Other options to complement or replace Acrobat in remediating PDF documents. I tried Common Look, but the trial did not last long enough to test for full screen reader accessibility. Equidox has lots of features, but its creators acknowledge accessibility defects. Options or recommendations are needed. We would like to start remediating our own PDF documents instead of sending them elsewhere. Thank you.


Paul Ferrara, CPACC, ADS, Certified Braille Transcriber
Communications Accessibility Editor, Dot6
American Printing House
1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
Main 502 895 2396
pferrara at aph.org<mailto:pferrara at aph.org>

[cid:image001.png at 01D9889D.AFF592D0]
[JAWS Certified, 2019]<http://www.freedomscientific.com/Certification>
[IAAP Accessible Document Specialist Logo]


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