Documents & PDFs
Create Accessible Documents & PDFs
See the Page Structure page on this site. Using proper page structure is the key to creating accessible documents and other material
Introduction
The idea is to ...
Again, using proper page structure is the key to creating accessible documents and other material
Convert a Non-accessible PDF http://www.ala.org/support/convert-non-accessible-pdf
What is a Tagged PDF? https://taggedpdf.com/what-is-a-tagged-pdf/
General Concepts and Definitions
OCR – Optical Character Reader
OCR is...
PDF – Portable Document Format
PDFs originally
Places to Get Started
Accessible Documents [University of Kansas] http://content.accessibility.ku.edu/print
Make your Word documents accessible (using the Accessibility Checker) https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Make-your-Word-documents-accessible-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d
Find and fix accessibility issues in Word 2016 (using the Accessibility Checker) https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Find-and-fix-accessibility-issues-in-Word-2016-9d660cba-1fcd-45ad-a9d1-c4f4b5eb5b7d
Free Word Processing Programs: OpenOffice & LibreOffice
See OpenOffice & Libre office on the Office Suites page of this site
Microsoft Word
See Microsoft Products on the Apps & Software page
See Microsoft Office ion the Office Suites page of this site
Microsoft Word (Windows) Accessibility Tutorial [Michigan State] https://webaccess.msu.edu/Tutorials/word-windows.html
Micosoft Word (Mac) Accessibility Tutorial [Michigan State] https://webaccess.msu.edu/Tutorials/word-mac.html
Microsoft Word Tips [Accessibility at Penn State] http://accessibility.psu.edu/microsoftoffice/microsoftword/
Customizing Heading Styles in Word [Accessibility at Penn State] http://accessibility.psu.edu/microsoftoffice/microsoftword/wordcustomheadings/
Word Document 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/word/index.html
Microsoft Word to Accessible PDF
Accessible PDF from Windows Microsoft Office [Accessibility at Penn State] http://accessibility.psu.edu/microsoftoffice/microsoftofficepdf/
Accessible PDF from Open Office (and Mac Office Documents) [Accessibility at Penn State] http://accessibility.psu.edu/microsoftoffice/microsoftofficepdfmac/
PDF File 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/pdf/index.html
Creating an Accessible PDF - WITHOUT Acrobat Pro
Making a PDF File Accessible - Step by Step http://webstandards.sonoma-county.org/content.aspx?sid=1014&id=1123 Creating Accessible PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Professional http://www.section508.va.gov/support/tutorials/pdf/3reading_1.asp
Save as Accessible PDF from MS Word (YouTube, 1:57) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVybDBKZwM&list=PLx-VX3akOUVhMEURX29bFnDhW-lDTnPaf&index=19 "A quick demonstration of how to save your accessible MS Word document as an accessible PDF. This only applies to Windows-based versions of MS Word."
Creating an Accessible PDF - WITH Acrobat Pro
See Adobe Products on the Apps & Software page
Creating Accessible PDFs with Acrobat: Requirements, Implementation, and Evaluation [Webinar Recording from 3PlayMedia] http://www.3playmedia.com/how-it-works/webinars/pdf-accessibility-04-30-2015/
Resources to Explore Further
New links that I find but have not yet looked at closely enough to add to my lists.
ACCESS - OCR - PDF
The process of converting the scanned image to text that is readable by the computer or other assistive software is called OCR.
When an image is scanned it has the option to be saved as a PDF (Adobe reader compatible file). PDFs formats are commonly used to provide and disseminate documents in a learning environment. Saving a scanned image as a PDF does not necessarily mean that it is accessible.
There are several ways to check if your scanned PDF is an accessible file.
- Using the mouse, click in the document. If the entire text gets selected and it looks like one big image, it probably is. This format is inaccessible.
- Using your keyboard, execute the find command (i.e. Control + F for PC and Command + F for Mac). If you are unable to find text within the document the format is inaccessible.
- Within Adobe Reader (free software), go to the ìviewî menu, and ìRead Out Loudî, ìActivate Read Out Loudî or press Control + Shift + Y to activate read out loud. Now ìRead this page onlyî with Control + Shift + V. If the reader starts to read the text the document is accessible. If not, it may say blank page.
Scanned, inaccessible PDF images can be converted to accessible PDF by executing the process of OCR. There are many off-the-shelf software available to complete this process. Operating systems are also providing built-in OCRs to help with the process. The All-in-One printer may also have software that performs OCR.
Free PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 2) http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
Tools for PDFs
Creating Accessible PDFs (using Microsoft Word) (YouTube 3:32) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uR2sVyDam4
(AccessMOOC)
PDF tags provide information about the structure and format of the resource. Although not visible, they are an essential part of navigating a resource for users of assistive technology. Not all PDFs contain PDF tags; therefore, they are not accessible. For example, a document scanned and saved as a PDF may not contain PDF tags. Creators must add PDF tags to make these documents accessible for users of assistive technology.
How to Review and Create PDFs
The easiest method for identifying PDF tags is using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+F for PC and COMMAND+F for Mac. In the provided Find/Search text box, type a word known to be included in the document. If PDF tags are present, the Find/Search function will bring focus via the cursor to the first instance of the word in the document. Repeat these steps with several words to confirm PDF tags and compliance. If PDF tags are absent, the Find/Search function will not return any results.
There are also some free PDF accessibility checkers available for users who do not have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro or for whom purchasing it is cost prohibitive. One such tool is PDF-Accessibility Checker (PAC2) (Links to an external site.).
Microsoft Word specifically
Berman Accessibility Ribbon for Word
https://www.davidberman.com/berman-accessibility-ribbon-for-word-instructions/
This is an "add-on to Microsoft Word for Windows (versions 2010, 2013, and 2016). Install the Berman Accessibility Ribbon into your Microsoft Word to make it easier to create and maintain accessible Word files. The ribbon will help you create documents that are accessible for everyone and that comply with W3C’s WCAG 2.0 criteria."
Accessible PDFs
Creating Accessible PDFs with Acrobat: Requirements, Implementation, and Evaluation [Webinar Recording from 3PlayMedia] http://www.3playmedia.com/how-it-works/webinars/pdf-accessibility-04-30-2015/
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