10/4/13

Accessible PDF: A Strategic Review | Talking PDF

T he Place for PDF Information

Accessible PDF: A Strategic Review

Pos ted on A pril 22, 2004 by Duff Johns on in T alking PDF, Us er A cces s ibility

Accessibility: Why is it important to Adobe Systems?

Gov er n m en t dem a n ds it . Sch ools n eed it . User s w a n t it . Bu t w h en it com es t o m a k in g elect r on ic docu m en t s fr ien dly t o a ssist iv e t ech n olog y , t h e g r ea t st r en g t h s of t h e PDF for m a t a r e a lso it s w ea k n ess. T h e v er y flex ibilit y of PDF a n d t h e t r em en dou s pow er of A cr oba t m a k e r ea l a ccessibilit y (a lso k n ow n a s u sa bilit y ) so v er y , v er y h a r d t o a ccom plish . T h e a ccessibilit y issu e r epr esen t s t h e m ost ser iou s st r a t eg ic v u ln er a bilit y for PDF a t t h is t im e. Rig h t n ow , HT ML, DA ISY book s, RT F or (sh u dder ) ev en W or d files st a n d a bet t er ch a n ce of becom in g defin it iv e a s a ccessible docu m en t for m a t s! A dobes cu r r en t st r a t eg y is t op-dow n , a n d im poses su bst a n t ia l fin a n cia l a n d t ech n ica l bu r den s on con t en t a u t h or s. It s t im e t o look a t a bot t om -u p a ppr oa ch . A ccessibilit y sh ou ld be bu ilt -in , n ot a dded on .

The Problem
A dobes cu r r en t a ppr oa ch t o a ccessibilit y is t o m a k e t a g s a v a ila ble w it h in t h e la t est -g en er a t ion PDF specifica t ion . Usin g t h ese t a g s, desig n pr ofession a ls m a y pr ov ide a lt . t ex t la y ou t s a n d codin g t h a t ca n deliv er a v ia ble ex per ien ce for a ssist iv e t ech n olog y u ser s t h eor et ica lly . W h ile t ex t docu m en t s m a y , a t sig n ifica n t ex pen se a n d t r ou ble, w or k w ell w it h t a g s, t h e r ea lit y is t h a t on ly t h e v er y sim plest for m s a r e r ea lly u sa ble w it h t a g s a lon e. W h ile t h e fa ct t h a t t a g s a r e t ech n ica lly ca pa ble of r en der in g docu m en t t ex t t o a scr een r ea der m a y for m a lly qu a lify PDFs for Sect ion 5 0 8 com plia n ce, t h a t poin t sh ou ld n ot be con fu sed w it h t h e qu est ion of fu n ct ion a l a ccessibilit y . Con t en t a u t h or s a r e r a r ely fa m ilia r w it h t h e r equ ir em en t s of su ccessfu l a ccessibilit y pu blish in g , a n d h a v e lit t le r ea son t o lea r n . Not on ly a r e t h ey u n lik ely t o r eceiv e a n y t ech n ica l or fu n ct ion a l t r a in in g on t h e su bject , bu t in t h e v a st m a jor it y of ca ses, con t en t a u t h or s w on t ev en g et a n ex pen siv e scr een r ea der w it h w h ich t o sa m ple (da r e w e a dd, t est ) t h eir cr ea t ion s. A s a r esu lt , t h eir PDF files w ill be, a s a lw a y s, bu ilt t o pr in t , w it h m ea n in g fu l a ccessibilit y a dist a n t secon da r y or t er t ia r y con sider a t ion . In a n y ev en t , t h e issu e of t a g s is n ea r -m oot beca u se a s PDF cr ea t ion soft w a r e pr olifer a t es, pr ofession a l con t en t a u t h or s u sin g A dobe pr odu ct s a n d edu ca t ed on a ccessibilit y issu es w ill g en er a t e on ly a m odest fr a ct ion of PDF docu m en t s. If t a g s a r e r equ ir ed t o fa cilit a t e a ccessibilit y , t h en PDF h a s lit er a lly n o ch a n ce of becom in g k n ow n a s a ccessible. Ma y be Rea der cou ld a u t o-t a g on t h e fly ? Plea se. It w ou ld be a m a jor m ir a cle if 2 0 per cen t of a ll docu m en t s cou ld be m ea n in g fu lly a u t o-t a g g ed on open in g . Effect iv e t a g s a r e bor n of m a n y con sciou s ch oices, t h ey a r e n ot a defa u lt ev en t . T h e in ev it a ble r esu lt of a t a g s-on ly st r a t eg y is sim ply t h a t con t en t a u t h or s w ill ig n or e t h e issu e en t ir ely , ch oose a differ en t for m a t , or sim ply du m b-dow n t h eir docu m en t s. In a ll su ch ca ses, PDF loses.

Government & Accessibility

Na t ion a l, st a t e a n d loca l g ov er n m en t s, a s w ell a s n on -US g ov er n m en t s, in cr ea sin g ly r equ ir e t h eir
talkingpdf.org/accessible-pdf-a-strategic-review/ 1/3

10/4/13

Accessible PDF: A Strategic Review | Talking PDF

pu blic docu m en t a u t h or s n ot on ly t o w or k w it h in a ccessibilit y st a n da r ds su ch a s Sect ion 5 0 8 bu t be seen t o do so. A s t h ey ex pa n d elect r on ic docu m en t u sa g e a n d w eb en a blem en t for t h eir lin e-ofbu sin ess pr ocesses, g ov er n m en t s w ill in cr ea sin g ly fa v ou r solu t ion s t h a t in clu de a ccessibilit y a s a cor e com pet en cy . Sect ion 5 0 8 , w h ich h a s g iv en A dobe t h e sw ea t s, is a ct u a lly a pr et t y ea sy st a n da r d. T h e Ca n a dia n g ov er n m en t specifica t ion (W CA G pr ior it y 2 ) is m u ch t ou g h er !

Education & Accessibility

T o fu lfill t h eir m a n da t e t o ser v e t h e br oa d popu la t ion , a n d t o do so on ev er t ig h t er bu dg et s, st a t e edu ca t ion a l sy st em s n eed a ssist iv e t ech n olog y for elect r on ic docu m en t s now . A ct u a lly , t h ey n eeded it y est er da y . Lea r n in g Disa bled (LD) u ser s r epr esen t a t lea st 5 0 per cen t of t h e a ssist iv e t ech n olog y m a r k et pla ce. T h er e a r e t en s of t h ou sa n ds of LD st u den t s in t h e Ca lifor n ia Com m u n it y Colleg e sy st em a lon e. For t h ese u ser s, PDF files a r e u sa ble on ly v ia ex pen siv e, dy sfu n ct ion a l n on -A dobe soft w a r e t y pica lly m a in t a in ed in sch ool a n d colleg e com pu t er la bs. A s a pr a ct ica l m a t t er , t h e leg a l v eh icle for edu ca t ion a l dist r ibu t ion of a ccessible copy r ig h t ed docu m en t s is t h e Ch a ffee A m en dm en t , (1 7 USC 1 2 1 ). How ev er , t h e cu r r en t su it e of n a t iv e A cr oba t secu r it y fea t u r es m a k es PDF u n a t t r a ct iv e t o pu blish er s a s a specia lized for m a t per t h e t er m s of t h is A m en dm en t . T h is m isst ep is ea sily cor r ect ed w it h t h e a ddit ion of a sin g le secu r it y set t in g a n ot h er oppor t u n it y t o h ig h lig h t A dobes com m it m en t t o a ccessibilit y , a n d a boon t o a ll pu blish er s t h a t ev er w a n t ed t o sell a book in t o t h e edu ca t ion m a r k et pla ce. Ca lifor n ia s A B 4 2 2 , pa ssed in 1 9 9 9 , in cr ea sed t h e pr essu r e on t ex t book a n d ot h er pu blish er s by r equ ir in g t h em t o pr ov ide elect r on ic v er sion s of t h eir pu blica t ion s for disa bled u ser s t o Ca lifor n ia s st a t e a n d com m u n it y colleg e sy st em s. T h r ee y ea r s a ft er t h is la w w a s pa ssed, pu blic edu ca t ion in st it u t ion s a r e st ill sca n n in g book s a n d con v er t in g t h e im a g es t o KESI for m a t for u se w it h t h e ex pen siv e Ku r zw eil Rea der w h en t h ey cou ld be sim ply dist r ibu t in g PDF files pr ov ided by t h e pu blish er a n d sa v in g ev er y on e a lot of t im e, m on ey a n d t r ou ble.

Accessibility for the Masses

By dev elopin g t ex t -t o-speech (T T S) a s a cor e fu n ct ion w it h in t h e A cr oba t pr odu ct fa m ily , A dobe cou ld a ct u a lly beg in t o m eet t h e n eeds of t h e v a st m a jor it y of t h e a ssist iv e t ech n olog y m a r k et pla ce w it h ou t t h e st r u ct u r a l in a dequ a cies a n d en for ced br a in -da m a g e of t h e t a g s-on ly a ppr oa ch . A dv a n ced T T S im plem en t a t ion in A cr oba t cou ld: Rev olu t ion ize a ccessibilit y t o a n y PDF file v ia a sim ple click -t o-spea k m et a ph or In t eg r a t e sea m lessly w it h a n n ot a t ion s, scr ipt s or t a g g ed PDF, a n d a t a low lev el w it h A cr oba t con t r ols t o pr ov ide fu ll-spect r u m a ccessibilit y a n d h ig h -or der u sa bilit y Deliv er scr een -r ea der in t eg r a t ion a n d a v a ila ble a dv a n ced fu n ct ion s (on -boa r d dict ion a r y a n d specia l secu r it y pr iv ileg es t o su ppor t a n n ot a t ion s, et c.) Sin ce a n n ot a t ion fu n ct ion s a r e im por t a n t t o Lea r n in g Disa bled u ser s, t h e a ddit ion of v ia ble a ssist iv e t ech n olog y t o A cr oba t en h a n ces t h e lik elih ood t h a t LD u ser s w ill a ccess edu ca t ion a l r esou r ces in or der t o becom e licen sees of fu ll v er sion A cr oba t t o g a in a ccess t o a n n ot a t ion ca pa bilit ies. A dobe ca n m a k e a r ea l differ en ce t o 7 0 per cen t of a ssist iv e t ech n olog y u ser s a n d sim u lt a n eou sly a ccom plish a lot m or e t h a n ju st pr ot ect t h eir g ov er n m en t m a r k et pla ce. PDF isn t ju st som e r a n dom for m a t , y ou k n ow ! It s g ot clou t !

Conclusion
Blin d u ser s r epr esen t t h e g r ea t est t ech n ica l ch a llen g e for elect r on ic docu m en t a ccessibilit y . T h is u ser popu la t ion k eeps t h e a ssist iv e t ech n olog y v en dor s h on est , beca u se t h e blin d u n der st a n d u sa bilit y in a w a y t h a t on e ca n on ly im a g in e by t u r n in g off t h e m on it or a n d st ill t r y in g t o w or k . Bu t t h a t sh ou ld n ot m ea n t h a t r esolv in g t h e n eeds of t h e blin d is t h e on ly r ea son a ble g oa l in pr om ot in g docu m en t a ccessibilit y .

talkingpdf.org/accessible-pdf-a-strategic-review/

2/3

10/4/13

Accessible PDF: A Strategic Review | Talking PDF

In a t t em pt in g t o a ddr ess t h e n eeds of t h e blin d, w h ose t ir eless w or k pr odu ced Sect ion 5 0 8 in t h e fir st pla ce, A dobe a im ed t h eir solu t ion a t a st r ict ly leg a l in t er pr et a t ion of t h e code, w h ich fu n da m en t a lly m isses t h e poin t for blin d a n d n on -blin d a lik e. It is t h is: Ult im a t ely , u sa bilit y is t h e poin t a t w h ich a ccessibilit y cla im s a r e sor t ed fr om a ccessibilit y fa ct s. On ly t h e n a r r ow est of in t er pr et a t ion s w ou ld con clu de t h a t Sect ion 5 0 8 defin es a ccessibilit y a s m a k in g a ll t h e t ex t on t h e pa g e a v a ila ble t o a ssist iv e t ech n olog y . If A dobe per sist s in t h e t a g s-on ly st r a t eg y , or g a n iza t ion s n eedin g t o im pr ov e t h eir a ccessibilit y pr ofile w ill t en d t o opt for cost -effect iv e u sa bilit y (HT ML) ov er ex pen siv e u n cer t a in t y (PDF). A dobe ca n n ot a ffor d t h a t . A ccessibilit y solely v ia t h e t a g s pa r a dig m w a s a m isst ep in t h e r ig h t dir ect ion . T h a t pr og r ess m ea n s lit t le in t h e cu r r en t or for eseea ble a ccessibilit y m a r k et pla ce. T h e per cept ion w ill r em a in t h a t PDF is n ot pa r t icu la r ly a ccessible beca u se in t o t h e for eseea ble fu t u r e, on ly a sm a ll per cen t a g e of PDF files w ill in clu de u sa ble t a g s. T o a ch iev e bot h sh or t -t er m su ccess a n d pr ot ect lon g -t er m v ia bilit y , A dobe sh ou ld ser iou sly con sider t h e A ccessibilit y for t h e Ma sses st r a t eg y for v er sion 6 .1 . By Duff Johns on A ssist iv e T ech n olog y , Sect ion 5 0 8 , Un iv er sa l A ccessibilit y

talkingpdf.org/accessible-pdf-a-strategic-review/

3/3