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Strategies for PDF Accessibility: Tagged PDF vs Accessibility | Talking PDF

T he Place for PDF Information

Strategies for PDF Accessibility: Tagged PDF vs Accessibility for the Masses
Pos ted on February 20, 2003 by Duff Johns on in T alking PDF, Us er A cces s ibility

Adobes Current Strategy

(a s descr ibed on a ccess.a dobe.com ) En h a n ce t h e PDF for m a t w it h MSA A -a w a r e ca pa bilit ies (t a g s) t h a t docu m en t dev eloper s m a y u se t o im pr ov e a ccessibilit y . T h is a ppr oa ch is r oot ed in t h e belief t h a t a ccessibilit y is oper a t ion a lly defin ed a s t h e a bilit y t o in t er a ct w it h t h e u ser s ch oice of scr een r ea der soft w a r e. Usa bilit y is n ot pa r t of t h is defin it ion .

T he Pros
A h ig h lev el of con t r ol ov er t h e docu m en t -r ea din g (a s opposed t o in t er a ct in g ) ex per ien ce is t h eor et ica lly possible v ia t a g s

T he Cons
T a g s a r e a r ca n e, in h er en t ly t r ick y a n d u n a v oida bly cost ly t o im plem en t . T h e v a st m a jor it y of a u t h or s w ill n ot bot h er w it h t h em a t a ll MSA A is 3 2 -bit , w h ich m a k es t h e solu t ion in effect iv e for n on 3 2 -bit W in dow s pla t for m s (PDA s, et c) For m s a r e u n r ea son a bly difficu lt a n d a r e bet t er h a n dled w it h scr ipt s a n y h ow

Accessibility for the Masses

A dobe a dds click -t o-spea k ca pa bilit ies t o t h e A cr oba t pr og r a m fa m ily . T h e r esu lt is dr a m a t ica lly im pr ov ed a ccessibilit y A ND u sa bilit y t o t h e u n lim it ed w or ld of elect r on ic docu m en t s v ia t h e fr ee A cr oba t Rea der . T h is a ppr oa ch a ssu m es t h a t w it h ou t for g et t in g h a r der -t o-ser v e u ser s, a ccessibilit y m a y n on et h eless be oper a t ion a lly defin ed a s t h e pr ov ision of m u ch m or e u sa bilit y t o m a n y m or e people.

T he Pros
Ov er n ig h t , ev er y PDF file becom es a ccessible t o a su bst a n t ia l m a jor it y of a ssist iv e t ech n olog y u ser s v ia a sim ple A cr oba t v er sion u pg r a de A u t h or in g w it h t a g s w ou ld r em a in a v a ila ble t o a dv a n ced, m a n da t ed a n d/or m ot iv a t ed con t en t a u t h or s

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Strategies for PDF Accessibility: Tagged PDF vs Accessibility | Talking PDF

A u t h or in g for m s w it h scr ipt s w ou ld r epla ce t a g s t o im pr ov e bot h for m fu n ct ion a lit y a n d a ccessibilit y By fa cilit a t in g t h e ex pr ession of t ex t , t a g s, scr ipt s a n d a n n ot a t ion s t h r ou g h t h e sa m e A dobecon t r olled UI, A cr oba t w ou ld deliv er con sist en t , sea m less en d- u ser fu n ct ion a lit y a cr oss t h e spect r u m of a ssist iv e t ech n olog y n eeds Ma jor n ew m a r k et pla ces in edu ca t ion , for eig n la n g u a g e, g ov er n m en t , et c, et c.

T he Cons
A dded cost s t o A cr oba t dev elopm en t , a n d file-size t o t h e Rea der in st a ller s by Duff Johns on ISO St a n da r d, PDF T a g s, PDF/UA , Soft w a r e Rev iew , Un iv er sa l A ccessibilit y

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