Shawn Jordison, Author at The Accessibility Guy

How to Make PDFs Accessible | Episode 9: West Hills College Leemore

Welcome to episode nine on community college PDF accessibility. Today, we focus on West Hills College Leemore’s 2023-2024 Instructional Calendar.

Video Guide

In case you missed them, here are Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, and Episode 8 in our PDF Accessibility Community College Series.

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Understanding PDF Accessibility Challenges

Difficulty in Locating Accessible PDFs

Our first challenge is finding PDFs on West Hills College Leemore’s website. The initial search yielded no results, indicating either a lack of PDFs or a website search function not optimized for such queries. This highlights a common problem where accessible documents are either scarce or not easily locatable, hindering the ability of people with disabilities to access information.

Inadequate Tagging of PDF Documents

The PDF lacked a comprehensive structure, including the absence of a document tag. Proper tagging is crucial for screen readers to interpret and navigate a document. This partial tagging reflects a widespread issue where documents are only minimally accessible, not meeting the needs of all users.

Correct tag properties to create an accessible tag structure in a PDF

Technical Challenges with Adobe Acrobat

We used an older version of Adobe Acrobat for this Episode, which changed the usual workflow. This points to a broader issue where accessibility work can depend heavily on specific software versions, potentially limiting the effectiveness of accessibility efforts if the latest tools are unavailable.

Issues with Content Representation

Content must be properly formatted for accessibility. For example, acronyms like “TH” for Thursday might not be correctly interpreted by screen readers. This issue underlines the importance of clear and explicit content presentation for accessibility.

Problems with Automated Tools

Despite making several manual adjustments, we found discrepancies when running the PDF through an accessibility checker. It indicates untagged text objects, suggesting that automated tools might not always accurately reflect the accessibility status of a document. This reveals a limitation in relying solely on automated checks for accessibility compliance.

Importance of Saving Changes

Remember to save the PDF before testing it with an accessibility tool, to ensure correct results. This demonstrates the importance of following proper procedures in accessibility work to avoid misinterpretation of a document’s accessibility status.

Challenges with Tagging and Re-tagging

Making this PDF accessible involved extensive manual tagging, re-tagging, and artifacting of elements within the PDF. This labor-intensive process underscores the lack of streamlined, efficient methods for ensuring PDF accessibility, highlighting a need for more user-friendly tools and methods in accessibility work.

Missing PDF/UA Identifier

Always ensure your PDF meets PDF/UA (PDF/Universal Accessibility) standards, which are crucial for making PDFs accessible to assistive technologies. Head to Adobe Acrobat’s Preflight menu and use the “Print Production” tool. Select “Preflight,” and then use the single fix feature to search for and set the PDF/UA-1 entry.

Run the PAC 2021 tool to ensure your PDF is accessible.

Today’s journey to PDF accessibility highlights several challenges faced in the field of digital accessibility. These include difficulties in locating accessible documents, partial or improper tagging, dependency on specific software versions, limitations of automated tools, and the labor-intensive nature of ensuring document accessibility. Addressing these issues is crucial for creating an inclusive digital environment where information is accessible to all.

Remember, I can be your accessibility expert. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!

Alternative Text for Images and Non-text Elements in Microsoft Word |Section 508 for Word

Welcome to another post in our series focusing on enhancing Word accessibility to ensure Section 508 compliance. Today, we explore the importance of adding alternative text to images and non-text elements to ensure Word accessibility.

Video Guide

Word Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies’ electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes documents created in Microsoft Word. Ensuring all images and non-text elements have alternative text added is yet another best practice for Word accessibility.

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Understanding the Importance of Alt Text

Alt text is a descriptive text added to an image in a document. It’s crucial for those who cannot see the image, as it provides a textual representation of the visual content. This is particularly important for users of screen readers, as it helps them understand the context and content of images within a document.

Adding Alt Text for Section 508 Compliance

The context in which an image is used plays a critical role in determining appropriate alt text. As authors, we must assess whether an image is merely decorative or carries essential information. Alt text should be concise yet descriptive, providing clarity without overwhelming the user with unnecessary details.

Let’s explore some practical examples to understand how to effectively use alt text for images and non-text elements in Word documents:

1. Describing Contextual Images

Example: An image of ‘The Undertaker’, a famous wrestling character.

An example of how to add alt text to an image in Microsoft Word.

Alt Text: “The Undertaker, a character from wrestling, who dominated the ring for over 30 years, wearing his famous attire: a black trench coat, black hat, and black gloves, doing his signature taunt.”

Rationale: This alt text provides a detailed description of the image, including the context of The Undertaker’s significance in wrestling history.

2. Handling Decorative Images

Example: An icon of two people wrestling.

Alt Text Decision: Marked as decorative.

Rationale: If the image doesn’t add contextual value or information to the document, it’s better to mark it as decorative. This prevents cluttering the screen reader with unnecessary information.

3. Images Containing Text

Example: An image containing the word “Wrestling.”

Alt Text Options: Either describe the text or mark it as decorative, depending on context.

An example of how to add alt text to an image containing text, in Microsoft Word

Rationale: If the text within the image is crucial for understanding the document, include it in the alt text. Otherwise, it can be marked as decorative.

Best Practices for Alt Text in Word Documents

Be Descriptive and Concise: Focus on conveying the essence of the image without being overly verbose.
Consider the Document’s Context: Tailor the alt text to the document’s purpose and the image’s role within that context.
Use Alt Text for Essential Images: Ensure that images conveying critical information have alt text.
Mark Decorative Images Accordingly: Avoid overloading assistive technology users with irrelevant information.

MS word guides, videos, and instruction links

Providing meaningful alternate text for images in Microsoft Word documents is a significant step toward Section 508 compliance and overall digital accessibility. By carefully considering the context and content of each image, we can create documents that are inclusive and accessible to everyone, including those using assistive technology.

I can be your accessibility expert. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!

Remove Flashing, Flickering, and Animated Text in Microsoft Word |Section 508 for Word

Video Guide

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies’ electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes documents created in Microsoft Word. Compliant documents do not contain any flashing, flickering, or animated text.

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Flashing and Animated Text for Section 508 Compliance

Flashing and flickering elements in documents can be a significant barrier for people with photosensitive epilepsy or other light-sensitive conditions. Section 508 compliance aims to eliminate these unnecessary visual effects.

In Word documents, this includes:

Rapidly flashing text or images
Animated GIFs that flash or flicker
Any element that causes a distraction or discomfort due to light sensitivity

An embedded flashing GIF in a Word document

It’s important to note that such elements can be a health risk for some viewers. Therefore, we advise caution when viewing the video guide to this blog post, especially if you’re sensitive to light changes.

Always review your Word documents for any such content that could be harmful or inaccessible, and simply delete it.

Ensuring your Word documents are Section 508 compliant is not just about adhering to regulations; it’s about making your content accessible to everyone. Removing flashing, flickering, and animated text from your Word documents is a straightforward yet effective way to achieve this. Remember, accessibility benefits all users, not just those with disabilities.

How to Make PDFs Accessible | Episode 8: Fresno City College

Welcome to episode eight on community college PDF accessibility. Today, we focus on Fresno City College’s form for Biomedical Equipment Technicians.

Video Guide

In case you missed them, here are Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7 in our PDF Accessibility Community College Series.

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Key Takeaways from This Episode

This episode reveals common issues with PDF accessibility, highlighting the need for meticulous attention in document creation to ensure full accessibility for individuals using assistive technology.

Simply Document Structure: Implement a clear structure with simple navigation. Use standard tags for text and tables, ensuring they are not overly nested.
Auto-tagger limitations: The auto-tagger places the form fields into the PDF, but doesn’t necessarily tag each form field. The Adding Form Fields tool also has its limitations. In the end, you may have to manually tag each form field.
Avoid Unnecessary Tags and Blank Spaces: Remove or convert unnecessary elements to artifacts.
Appropriate Use of Table Headers: Correctly label table headers and data cells to provide context for the data presented. Select incorrectly labeled cells, right-click, select Properties, and choose the option you wish.

Properly label table cells so readers understand the purpose of each field.

Form Field Accessibility: Write clear and descriptive labels and tooltips so users understand each field’s purpose. Ensure they are informative but not overwhelmingly long. Use the Prepare a Form tool to go through cells quickly.

Updating tooltips for each data cell so readers understand the field's purpose.

Making PDFs accessible requires a trial-and-error approach to resolve errors. Regularly consult the accessibility checker and make necessary adjustments. Also, be prepared to deal with tool inconsistencies, making manual adjustments when needed.

Managing Track Changes in Microsoft Word|Section 508 for Word

Welcome to another post in our series on enhancing Word accessibility to ensure Section 508 compliance. Today, we explore how to manage Track Changes effectively. This feature, while incredibly useful for document collaboration and editing, needs special attention to ensure Word accessibility.

Video Guide

Understanding Track Changes in Word

Track Changes is a powerful tool in Word that allows multiple users to make edits and suggestions to a document. These changes are then visible to all users, making reviewing and accepting or rejecting modifications easier. However, to ensure Section 508 compliance, it’s crucial to manage these changes properly.

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Select the Review Ribbon

The first step in managing Track Changes is to select the ‘Review’ ribbon in Word. This ribbon contains all the tools you need to handle document revisions effectively.

Ensure Track Changes is Off

To ensure that your document is Section 508 compliant, you must ensure that Track Changes is not turned on. When Track Changes is active, you’ll notice edits and comments appearing on your document. For instance, if you delete a line, the change will be highlighted. However, when it’s turned off, these edits will not be visible.

Track changes shown in MS word document.

Accept or Reject Changes

If there are any tracked changes in your document, it’s essential to review and either accept or reject them. Unresolved changes can create confusion for screen readers and individuals with visual impairments. Therefore, cleaning up these changes is a crucial step in making your document accessible.

Verify the Status of Track Changes

You can easily determine whether Track Changes is on or off by looking at the Track Changes button in the Review ribbon. If this button is highlighted, Track Changes is active. To ensure clarity and accessibility, make sure this feature is turned off after all changes have been reviewed and addressed.

How to accept or reject track changes in MS word.

Importance of a Clean Document

A clean document, free of unresolved track changes, is not only essential for Section 508 compliance but also for overall readability and professionalism. Documents cluttered with suggested edits and comments can be challenging to navigate, particularly for users relying on assistive technologies.

Additional Tips for Managing Track Changes

Regularly Review Changes: Make it a habit to regularly check and address tracked changes during the editing process.
Use Comments Wisely: Comments can be helpful but use them sparingly and ensure they are clear and relevant.
Final Check: Before finalizing your document, do a thorough check to ensure no tracked changes or comments are left unresolved.

How to Make PDFs Accessible | Episode 7: Reedley College

Welcome to episode seven on community college PDF accessibility. Today, we focus on Reedley Community College’s document “HSE Enrollment Form.”

Video Guide

In case you missed them, here are Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6 in our PDF Accessibility Community College Series.

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Key Takeaways from this Episode

This episode reveals common issues with PDF accessibility, highlighting the need for meticulous attention in document creation to ensure full accessibility for individuals using assistive technology.

Streamlining PDF Accessibility with Appropriate Tagging

Nested Tags and Reading Order Challenges: Manually cut and paste tags to correct improper nesting, thereby streamlining the document’s structure. This ensures the organization of headings, sections, paragraphs, figures, and lists in a logical reading order. Additionally, remove unnecessary section tags and artifact redundant content to simplify the document’s structure.
Improper Tagging of Form Fields: Separate blended content like combined city, state, zip, and phone information. Create new tags for each form field and move existing ones to ensure proper labeling and visibility for screen readers.
Inconsistent Use of Heading Tags: Review all heading tags (H1, H2, etc.) to ensure consistency. Note that non-essential content should never be tagged as headings.
Issues with Nested Lists: Address formatting issues in nested lists to ensure they are correctly structured. Place your nested list inside an ‘LBody’ tag for clear and logical content association.

Ineffective Alternate Text for Images: Add descriptive alternate text to all PDF images to convey each image’s content and function.
Excessive Content in Single Paragraph Tags: Break down large blocks of content grouped under a single ‘p’ tag by creating multiple new ‘p’ tags to separate and organize the content more effectively.
Extra Rows and Blank Content: Identify and remove any extra rows that represent blank content.

Ensuring PDF Accessibility through Accessibility Checkers

Font Embedding Issues: Use the preflight tool in Adobe Acrobat to embed missing fonts.
Annotation Nesting Errors: Ensure that all interactive elements like widgets are appropriately nested within the document’s framework.
Table Issues: Use the Reading Order Tool for Tables to identify and edit table structures. Add headers to tables and remember to set the ‘column’ and ‘row’ scope appropriately.
Address Inappropriate Use of Figure Elements: Modify the placement attribute of figure tags from ‘start’ to ‘inline’ and then to ‘block’ if necessary.

Changing the placement attribute of a figure tag in a PDF

Correct Metadata for PDF/UA Compliance: Finally, add a PDF/UA identifier to the document’s metadata using the Preflight menu in Adobe Acrobat.

The above process actively demonstrates the need for a detailed and methodical approach to ensure PDF accessibility. To guarantee documents are comprehensible for all users, one must be thorough and understand the technical tools and standards.

Removing Background Images and Watermarks in Microsoft Word |Section 508 for Word

Welcome to another post in our series on enhancing Word accessibility to ensure Section 508 compliance. Today, we learn how to remove background images and watermarks from MS Word documents, to ensure Word accessibility.

Video Guide

Background images and watermarks, although visually appealing, can pose significant accessibility issues. They can reduce the readability of text for individuals with visual impairments and can be problematic for screen reading software. Ensuring these elements are removed is key to making your Word documents accessible to all users.

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Enhancing Word Accessibility by Removing Watermarks

Identify the Watermark: First, determine if your document contains a watermark. In our example, I’ve added a “Confidential” watermark for demonstration.
Use the Search Feature: Go to the “Design” tab in Word, and use the search feature to find the “Watermark” option.
Remove the Watermark: Select the “Remove Watermark” option. This action will delete the watermark from your document, making the text more accessible.

Removing a watermark from a Word document

Enhancing Word Accessibility by Removing Background Images

Background images, like watermarks, can also hinder Word accessibility. Let’s walk through how to manage them:

Locating the Background Image: An example might be an image of a squirrel, which we’ll use for this guide. Such images are often inserted in headers or footers.
Making Adjustments: You can adjust the size and placement of the image. However, for accessibility, it’s best to avoid large, page-spanning background images.
Removing the Image: To remove the image, simply go to the header or footer where it’s located and delete it. This ensures that the document is clear and easily readable.

Importance of Clean Document Layout

A clean and straightforward layout in Word documents not only aids in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act but also enhances the overall readability and professionalism of the document. Removing distracting elements like background images and watermarks is a crucial step in MS Word accessibility.

Adding Descriptive Captions to Charts and Graphs in Microsoft Word |Section 508 for Word

Welcome to another post in our series focusing on enhancing Word accessibility to ensure compliance with Section 508. Today, we explore how to effectively use captions to describe charts and graphs to ensure Word accessibility.

Video Guide

Word Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies’ electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes documents created in Microsoft Word. Charts and graphs in these documents must have descriptive text, which can be achieved through the use of captions.

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Enhancing Word Accessibility with Descriptive Captions

In our example, we’ll be working with a chart-based graphic. Here’s a simple guide to adding descriptive captions to ensure Word accessibility:

Right-Click and Insert Caption: First, right-click on your chart or graph and select ‘Insert Caption’. This option allows you to add a caption directly associated with the visual element.
Customize Your Caption: By default, Word might label your image as “Figure 1” or similar. You can customize this label and its position. For our example, we’ll place the caption above the chart.
Descriptive Captioning: Write a caption that concisely describes the chart or graph. For instance, “WWE’s Highest Paid Wrestlers”. This step is crucial for understanding the content of the image for those who cannot see it.
Detailing in Caption: Add detailed information about the chart in the caption. In our example, this includes data like “John Cena at 10 million, Brock Lesnar at 6.5 million…” and so on. This detailed description is vital for conveying the same information that the visual element provides.

Adding a descriptive caption to a chart in MS word for section 508 compliance

Marking the Graphic: If the caption fully describes the chart or graph, you can mark the actual graphic as decorative. This step tells screen readers that the image itself doesn’t contain additional information beyond what is already described in the caption.
Caption as a Heading: Consider formatting your caption as a heading (like Heading 3) depending on your document’s structure. This enhances visibility and organization, making it easier for screen reader users to navigate through the document.

Marking accessible captions as heading level 3 in MS Word

Benefits of Descriptive Captions

By adding descriptive captions, we ensure that the information is accessible to Microsoft Word users who rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies. This practice not only complies with Section 508 but also enhances the overall user experience by making content more inclusive.

Ensuring your Word documents are Section 508 compliant is not just about adhering to regulations; it’s about making your content accessible to everyone. Using captions for charts and graphs is a straightforward yet effective way to achieve this. Remember, accessibility benefits all users, not just those with disabilities.

How to Make PDFs Accessible | Episode 6: Fullerton College

Welcome to episode six on community college PDF accessibility. Today, we focus on Fullerton Community College’s document “Points of Interest and Clarification Architecture.”

Video Guide

In case you missed them, here are Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5 in our PDF Accessibility Community College Series.

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Start with a quick review of the tags panel. The PDF had several blank tags and an unclear tag structure. Poor tagging provides inaccurate information to screen readers which disrupts accessibility.

In this case, the issues found suggested the document was converted from a Microsoft Word document, without proper accessibility checks.

Key Issues from This Episode

Run the auto tag feature to improve the PDFs accessibility:

The auto-tagger did a great job of organizing the content into proper tags like paragraphs (p tags) and headings (h1, h2, h3 tags). Lists were also formatted correctly.
Auto-tagger isn’t a perfect process, so we manually adjusted a few tags after running it. For example, h2 tags were changed to paragraph tags and the inconsistent headings for the Fall and Spring sections were changed to h3 for uniformity.
Finally, for better identification and searchability, update the PDF’s metadata, like the title and author.

A well organized PDF tags panel after running the auto-tagger.

After completing these initial fixes, the accessibility checker identified more PDF accessibility challenges:

Identify and manually correct misused tags. We found a figure tag that was meant to be a paragraph tag and corrected it.
Page numbers were not tagged so we manually selected each page number and tagged them as paragraphs.

Also, missing fonts were embedded and annotations for links were fixed in order to meet PDF accessibility standards.

Multiple runs of the PAC checker also revealed several errors:

The structure tree showed several inappropriate uses of span tags which is a common error plaguing our PDF College Series!
Identify and correct role mapping problems by removing non-standard types, which show errors in the PAC checker. For example, our PDF contained ‘style spans’ which were not standard so we manually searched the tags panel and changed each to a regular span tag to eliminate the errors.

Changing Style Span tags to Span tags to eliminate errors

Troubleshooting these issues is a trial-and-error process. Remember to keep saving your PDF. Repeating tasks requiring absolute accuracy takes serious mental effort and is not fool proof.

PRO-TIP: To change multiple tags at once, hold down the control key and select your tags for editing. Next, open up the document properties, and change the ‘type’. Be careful! A single mis-click can deselect all your chosen tags, which then requires the process to be repeated.

Changing multiple PDF tag types at once.

This PDF had several accessibility issues. We used both automated and manual interventions including ensuring proper tagging, updating metadata, embedding fonts, and correcting ‘span’ styles in order to make it accessible

How to Remove a Digital Signature from a PDF

Hi! I’m Shawn Jordison and welcome to The Accessibility Guy blog. In today’s post, we’re learning how to remove a digital signature from a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Video Guide

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Why remove a digital signature?

You might be wondering why you’d want to remove a digital signature in the first place. Here are some reasons:

Editing: A signed document is often locked. Removing the signature enables edits and corrections.
File Transfers: Some organizations require unsigned documents.
Multiple Signatures: Adding new or more signatures requires a document reset.

How to remove a digital signature from a PDF

Open your signed PDF and find the digital signature field.
Right-click on the digital signature field.
Choose “Clear Signature.”

Removing a digital signature from a PDF.

Note: This will remove all the formatting that the signature imposed on the PDF. It’s now unlocked and you can make any needed changes to the file.

How to remove the signature field

If you want to completely get rid of the signature field:

Navigate to “Prepare a Form” and select the signature field.
Press the “Delete” button.

Important considerations

Secure the Document: After removing the digital signature, make sure to re-secure your PDF if it contains sensitive or private information.
Check Legal Requirements: In some cases, removing a digital signature may have legal implications. Always check the legal terms before removing a digital signature.
Keep Backups: It’s a good idea to keep a backup of the signed PDF before removing the signature, especially if it is a legal or important document.

By following these steps, you can easily remove a digital signature from a PDF. Always remember to handle your documents with care, especially when dealing with signed or legally binding files.

Video Guide

Understanding PDF Accessibility Challenges

Difficulty in Locating Accessible PDFs

Inadequate Tagging of PDF Documents

Technical Challenges with Adobe Acrobat

Issues with Content Representation

Problems with Automated Tools

Importance of Saving Changes

Challenges with Tagging and Re-tagging

Missing PDF/UA Identifier

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Word Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance

Understanding the Importance of Alt Text

Adding Alt Text for Section 508 Compliance

1. Describing Contextual Images

2. Handling Decorative Images

3. Images Containing Text

Best Practices for Alt Text in Word Documents

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Flashing and Animated Text for Section 508 Compliance

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Key Takeaways from This Episode

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Understanding Track Changes in Word

Select the Review Ribbon

Ensure Track Changes is Off

Accept or Reject Changes

Verify the Status of Track Changes

Importance of a Clean Document

Additional Tips for Managing Track Changes

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Key Takeaways from this Episode

Streamlining PDF Accessibility with Appropriate Tagging

Ensuring PDF Accessibility through Accessibility Checkers

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Enhancing Word Accessibility by Removing Watermarks

Enhancing Word Accessibility by Removing Background Images

Importance of Clean Document Layout

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Word Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance

Enhancing Word Accessibility with Descriptive Captions

Benefits of Descriptive Captions

Video Guide

Key Issues from This Episode

Run the auto tag feature to improve the PDFs accessibility:

After completing these initial fixes, the accessibility checker identified more PDF accessibility challenges:

Multiple runs of the PAC checker also revealed several errors:

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Why remove a digital signature?

How to remove a digital signature from a PDF

How to remove the signature field

Important considerations