Transcript accessible PDFs

PDF accessibility
Tina Ho
New Media Improvement Officer
Legislation
The Council has a statutory duty to make “reasonable
adjustments” arising from Part 3 of “The provision of Goods,
Facilities, Services and Premises” part of the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995.
Accessible documents are a key part of achieving an accessible
website. If your website contains PDFs it is probable these will
not be accessible to a significant part of your audience.
For example, without careful modification blind users will be
unable to understand images or differentiate between paragraph
text, headings, lists or tables in any of your PDF documents.
Quote from www.abilitynet.org.uk
Sound familiar?
“Our website has so
many PDFs …”
“Who is responsible
for creating
accessible Word
documents / PDFs?”
“I don’t know how to
create accessible
word documents”
“I don’t have (the
correct) PDF
conversion
software”
“How do you train
all document
authors?”
“I don’t have time to
create accessible
word documents”
“I have no budget to
upgrade / buy new
PDF software”
“Is it really required?”
“I don’t have time to
convert existing
PDFs to accessible
versions”
Our first approach
Seek help!
 Accessibility consultant conducted two half day in-house
seminars
 Attended by 88 document authors who write committee
reports, strategies and plans
Good points
 Overview of web accessibility
 Demonstrated various technologies used e.g. screen readers
 How to optimise Word documents using “styles”
Not so good points
 Many document authors had no idea “styles” exist never mind
how to use it!
 Detailed demonstration on tagging of PDF’s
 Majority of document authors don’t have PDF software
Creating an accessible document
What’s involved
A: Create an accessible Word document (recommended)
 Structuring your document using styles
 Providing alternative text for non-decorative images
 Avoid use of text boxes
 Use of simple tables (avoiding nesting / merging of cells)
 Meaningful names for hyperlinks
 Use of bullets and numbering
If created correctly, converts easily and quickly to an accessible PDF
B:Tagging a PDF (avoid if possible)
 Time consuming!!!
Creating accessible documents
Identify roles and responsibilities
Role
Responsibilities
Document
 Create accessible Word documents
authors
(Council-wide)
Resource
 Convert (accessible) word documents to
managers
accessible PDFs using Adobe Acrobat Pro
(at least one
 Run accessibility checks on PDFs and
RM in each of
configure document properties
our 30 web
 Add accessible PDFs to the Resource gallery
teams)
for publishing on PKC website
 Forward guidance to document authors if
inaccessible word documents continue to be
submitted for conversion
Resource managers
Upgrade software
Why upgrade
 Adobe Acrobat Professional required to convert to accessible
PDF (correct as at March 2008)
 Resource Managers used various PDF conversion software,
funded from their own budget, including:
 Nuance PDF converter
 Adobe Acrobat Standard
Who we upgraded
 Most ‘active’ resource managers - responsible for adding
PDF’s and images to the resource gallery
 25 new licences / upgrades funded through Equalities budget
Preventing old habits
 IT Helpdesk used as a buffer to prevent users purchasing
different PDF software if main use is to create PDFs for
website
Managing use of PDFs
Extract from our PDF criteria
Scenario
Example
Accessibility
requirements
Document is short (e.g.
two pages)
Publish as an
accessible web page
Document is lengthy
Convert to an
accessible version
Document consists of
text and inaccessible
content
‘Live’ text and a scan
of a historical
document
Convert live text to an
accessible version.
Add alternative text for
inaccessible content
Glossy publications,
leaflets
Ensure accessible
version can be made
available on request
Exclusions
Document has been
designed as a print
publication
Raising awareness
Guidance developed
 Step by step guides
 Guide to creating accessible Microsoft Word documents
 Guide to creating accessible PDFs
 Supported by an e-Learning module
Raising awareness
Audience
What we did
Document
authors

Two half day in-house seminars
Web
Moderators


Communicated to web teams via Moderators Forum
Guides published on web team support site
Council-wide


Published news bulletin on intranet (alerts sent out)
E-Learning module listed on all employees’ Learning
Management System
Reminders in employee magazine

E-Learning module
Extract from Word Intermediate Course
What about our existing PDFs?
 4,963 PDFs published on PKC website (86% are
committee agendas, minutes and reports!)
 Identify and convert important and most commonly
viewed PDFs (excludes Committee papers).
 Amend accessibility statement to state PKC are
making reasonable adjustments and that an
accessible version of any PDF can be provided on
request.
 Provide a link to Adobe’s Online PDF to HTML
Conversion.
Progress to date
Two year on …
 PDF accessibility on hold due to other priorities
 Effort still made by some document authors and
resource managers
 Progress further early 2011
 More resource managers – no central funding to
upgrade software
 Committee templates amended to include styles to
aid easier conversion to accessible PDF.
 Committee papers still an issue as some document
authors struggle to format reports using the basic
template.