Authoring Accessible PDF Documents from MS Office

Sean Keegan

High Tech Center Training Unit for the California Community Colleges

Overview

• Definitions
• Why the need?
• PDF tags and access
• Creating PDFs from MS Word
• Adding Tags to PDF Documents
• Evaluating and Manipulating 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

Why the need?

• Assistive technologies (A.T.) work to improve access to digital information, particularly for those with print disabilities
• PDF documents posed significant challenges for students (or staff!) using A.T.
• Modifications and improvements to the PDF specification allows for improved access to document content by A.T.


• Key Issue - Proper document workflow

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
  • MS Office 2000 (or later) on Windows platform
  • Adobe Acrobat 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, or 8
  • Office 2007 requires Acrobat 8.1 (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
• 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

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

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

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
• 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