Integrating Accessibility into PDF Documents from MS Office
Sean Keegan
High Tech Center Training Unit for the California Community Colleges
Overview
- Definitions
- What are PDF "tags"?
- Creating a "tagged" PDF from MS Word
- Adding Tags to a PDF Document
- Evaluating and Manipulating the Reading Order
- Resources
Definitions
- Image Only PDF
- Scanned image - does not contain text content
- Requires some type of OCR to be read
- Searchable PDF
- contains text content (can highlight the content on page)
- However, reading order is questionable
- Tagged PDF
- contains a document structure with a specified reading order
- headings, form fields, etc. are identified
PDF Tags
- Tags provide structure to a PDF document
- The Tag structure can be used to control document reading order
- Tags can also improve PDF Form accessibility and conversion to alternate formats
Creating PDFs from MS Word
- Software Necessary
- MS Office 2000 (or later) AND Adobe Acrobat 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, OR 8
- For Office 2007, you may also use Save as PDF plug-in from Microsoft
- Sample Workflow
- Create your content in MS Word
- Use "Styles" to provide document structure and modify content presentation
- Use the Column tool in MS Word to display multi-column layout
- Add appropriate descriptions for any images
- Include data table header information
- Convert to PDF using the "Convert to Adobe PDF" option from the menu bar
Adding Tags to PDF Documents
- An untagged PDF document may or may not have a logical reading order
- Tags may be added automatically by selecting:
Advanced > Accessibility > Add Tags to Document - Sample Workflow
- Use automated tool to add tags to document
- Add appropriate descriptions for images
- Check reading order of document and modify where necessary
Notes:
Untagged PDF documents may be usable with assistive computer technology, however, it is not possible to manipulate the reading order until the document becomes tagged. A PDF document created using Distiller would be an example of an untagged document.
Evaluating the Reading Order
- Save the PDF as Text (Accessible) or Text (Plain)
- Review the resulting text file for errors or inconsistencies in the document reading order
- Use the TouchUp Reading Order tool
- Review the specified zones and the order in which the zones are numbered
- Need to monitor multi-column layouts, sidebars, and figures for correct reading order
Notes:
It is important to assess the reading order if the document contains a number of text boxes or sidebars as these are not always organized into a logical reading order.
Manipulating the Reading Order
- Adding content to the reading order
- Ensure the document is a tagged PDF and open the TouchUp Reading Order tool
- Draw a zone around the text you wish to add and select the appropriate label (e.g, Text, Heading, etc.)
- Removing content from the reading order
- With the TouchUp Reading Order tool open, select the appropriate zone you wish to remove
- Select the "Background" button in the TouchUp Reading Order panel
- This removes the specified zone (and content) from the document tag structure
Notes:
The TouchUp Reading Order tool may also be used to reclassify headings, tables, or images in the document
Resources
- High Tech Center Training Unit
http://www.htctu.net - Training Manual for Creating Accessible PDF Documents
http://www.htctu.net/trainings/manuals/tutmain.html - Adobe Accessibility
http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/index.html - Adobe Online Conversion Tools
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_onlinetools.html
Thank you
- Sean Keegan
Web Accessibility Instructor - High Tech Center Training Unit for the California Community Colleges
- http://www.htctu.net