PDF Accessibility Overview -2
Getting Familiar with Terminology: Adobe, Acrobat, & PDF
Source: WebAIM: PDF Accessibility Links to an external site.
Before diving into PDF accessibility, it is essential to distinguish terminology. The terms "Adobe", "Acrobat", and "PDF" are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same.
An easy comparison would be "Microsoft", "Word", and "doc". All three terms are related, but obviously refer to different things: a company, a program made by that company, and the file extension used by that program.
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Adobe Company; creators of Acrobat |
Adobe Acrobat DC A tool for creating, editing and viewing PDF files |
(Portable Document Format) - A type of document created by Adobe |
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PDF Accessibility
PDF file format accessibility features, combined with Adobe® Acrobat® and Adobe Reader®, allow universal access to documents.
A document or application is considered accessible if it meets specific technical criteria and is usable by people with disabilities. This includes access by people who are mobility impaired, blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, or who have cognitive impairments. Accessibility features in Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader and in the Portable Document Format (PDF) make it easier for people with disabilities to use PDF documents and forms, with and without the aid of assistive technology software and devices, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, text-to-speech software, speech recognition software, alternative input devices, Braille embossers, and refresh-able Braille displays.
Laws
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Links to an external site. (WCAG) 2.0 (ISO/IEC 40500:2012 Links to an external site.) and the PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) Links to an external site. standard, cover a wide range of recommendations for making content more accessible to people with disabilities. A great benefit of following these guidelines is that content becomes more convenient for all users. For example, the underlying document structure that makes it possible for a screen reader to correctly read a PDF out loud, also makes it possible for a mobile device to correctly reflow and display the document on a small screen. Similarly, the preset tab order of an accessible PDF form helps all users—not just those who rely on the keyboard— to complete a form easier.
PDF Forms
Due to the complex nature of PDF Forms, accessible forms are not covered in this course. Please check with your local Distance Education Office and/or Professional Development team for support and resources.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Determine the best format/strategy for delivering content: PDF, Word Doc, or Canvas page.
- Explain how the PDF's Tags Panel provides the logical reading order of the document.