Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Archives - The Accessibility Guy

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers tools for making bar charts accessible. There are two main methods. One method tags the whole chart as a figure. The other tags are separate text elements. Both make your charts easier for Assistive Technology users.

Video Overview

Steps for Tagging Bar Charts in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Method 1: Individual Text Elements

Sometimes it simply makes more sense to tag all of the individual components as P tags.

Use the Reading Order Tool.
Select text, mark it as “Text Paragraph” (p tag).
For numbers, also mark as “Text Paragraph.”
For data labels, make them “Heading Level 2” or “3.”
Add ‘Actual Text’ for context in properties.

Example: For a bar showing 75% “Very Likely”, right-click p tag -> select properties -> add actual text “75% of respondents selected very likely.”

Method 2: Tagging The Entire Chart as a Figure

In certain cases, you might find it easier to tag the entire chart as a single figure. Grab your Reading Order Tool and select the entire chart. Once selected, mark it as a “Figure” and provide alternate text that describes the data in detail. However, this method is less ideal for complex bar charts with multiple data points and categories. It’s more suited to simple, straightforward bar charts.

Additional Points to Consider:

Color Contrast: If your bar chart uses colors, check that they have a sufficient contrast ratio to meet accessibility standards.
Tag Order: Once you’ve tagged your elements, ensure they are in a logical reading order for Assistive Technology users.

With either method, the goal remains the same: making your bar chart accessible to as many people as possible, including those using Assistive Technology.

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Conclusion

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers the flexibility to make your bar charts accessible, whether they are simple or complex. By carefully tagging text elements or tagging the entire chart as a figure, you’re taking important steps toward making your content inclusive.

So, whether you have complex charts with numerous data points or simpler figures, you have the tools at your fingertips to make them accessible. Choose the method that works best for your specific needs and keep making strides in inclusivity.

Need more PDF help? Check out my other blog posts on PDF Accessibility.

Making Complex Tables Accessible: Setting the Base Structure

To begin, you must create a baseline structure. If the document doesn’t have tags, use the auto tagger. This feature helps identify parts of the table and labels them. In this video, we are using the new API Cloud-based tagging.

Tweaking Table Headers for Better Accessibility

A key challenge with complex tables is unclear headers. To fix this, you can use the edit PDF function to add hidden text as headers. Make the font white so it blends with the background. Then, you can tag this new text to act as the table header. Remember to change the tag from TD to TH to make it a proper header. This step is covered in the video above.

Techniques to Improve Table Structure

Remove Unrelated Content: If the table has unrelated headers, move them out. Change their tags to act as higher-level headings.

Adjust Scope: Set the scope for rows and columns. This helps assistive technologies understand the table.

Use Table Editor: The table editor feature helps check and adjust header settings.

Add Table Summary: Always include a table summary. It helps with understanding the table’s purpose.

Final Checks and Testing

After making changes, run the built-in accessibility checker in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. This checks for any missing features like table summaries. Tools like PAC 2021 checker can also be used to validate if the table is fully accessible.

Takeaways

Making tables in PDFs accessible may seem daunting. But with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, it becomes manageable. Follow these best practices to ensure your content is accessible to everyone.