Creating an Accessible PDF Document
Background
Adobe Systems PDF format is widely used online for the distribution of electronic documents. PDF stands for Portable Document Format and it is not the same as an MSWord or WordPerfect document. PDFs are graphical files and are essentially a picture of a document that was originally created by one of the aforementioned word processing programs then converted to the PDF format.
The PDF falls under the open standard (non-proprietary) format. This is different than other formats, such as RTF (Rich Text Format), Microsoft Word, or WordPerfect, which are considered a standard (proprietary) format. The difference is that a standard format will be able to be accessed by specific applications on different operating systems, but depending upon the application, it may add some additional features (i.e. formatting or styling) based upon the operating system and/or application. The open standard format means that the document can be read on by specific applications on different operating systems, but all the features are the same in the document, regardless of the operating system and/or application.
PDF documents can be viewed and/or edited by using various PDF readers/creators. A list of free PDF creators, editors, and viewers can be found at the Codswallop Technology and Productivity website. Adobe Reader, which is another free viewer program that provides access to the PDF document, can be used to read PDF documents. But the Adobe Reader and the full version of Adobe Acrobat are not one and the same. It is not possible to edit or make PDFs accessible in Adobe Reader. A fully enabled version of Acrobat (7.0 or higher) that allows users to view and enter information into a PDF document as well as enlarge the viewing area of the document is needed.
Additional resources that cover PDFs and Accessibility can be found at the following websites:
Check To See If Text Is Digital Text (E-Text)
If a text can be selected, it is Digital Text.
If the text cannot be selected, run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the document to convert the image into Digital Text.
- Select <Document >, <OCR Text Recognition >, then <Recognize Text Using OCR>
- Select <Document >, <OCR Text Recognition >, then <Recognize Text Using OCR>
Open Navigation Panels
Two navigation panels (Tags and Order) will be crucial to the ability to mark-up or check the text in the PDF for headings and correct reading order.
- Select <View>, <Navigation Panels>, then <Tags> (or) <Order>
- There are multiple ways to access and display the Tags and Order panels. By default the panels will open in a tabbed dialog box. The tabbed panels can be selected and dragged to the left margin of the work station for easier viewing.
- Select <View>, <Navigation Panels>, then <Tags> (or) <Order>
Adding Tags
If there are no tags (structure) in the PDF they will have to be added. Acrobat features an automated “Add Tags to Document” feature that will scan the text and add a rudimentary structure and reading order to it. This may be a useful option for very large documents that have a minimal level of hierarchal complexity. But be aware that utilizing this option will not guarantee that the reading order or structure will be correct.
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Select <Advanced>, <Accessibility>, then <Add Tags to Document>
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The Touch-Up Reading Order Tool
Most of the work making or checking PDFs for Accessibility revolves around use of the Touchup Reading Order tool.
- Open the Touchup Reading Order tool by selecting <Advanced>, <Accessibility>, then <Touch-Up Reading Order>
in the toolbar.
- Open the Touchup Reading Order tool by selecting <Advanced>, <Accessibility>, then <Touch-Up Reading Order>
in the toolbar.
Automated Accessibility Checking
- Select <Advanced>, <Accessibility>, then <Full Check>
- On the Accessibility Full Check dialog box, use the drop down arrow (as shown below) to select Section 508 checkpoints
- Select <Start Checking> at the lower right-hand portion of the screen.
- Select <Advanced>, <Accessibility>, then <Full Check>