Document Accessibility Archives - The Accessibility Guy

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.

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!

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.

MS word guides, videos, and instruction links

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.

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!

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 5: Irvine Valley College

Welcome to episode five on community college PDF accessibility. Today, we focus on Irvine Valley College’s DSPS Student Parent Night 2023 document.

Video Guide

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

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Key Issues from this Episode

The document originated from PowerPoint. We knew to expect multiple issues on our road toward PDF accessibility.

Here’s a run-down of issues after running the auto-tagger:

Header Issues: The document incorrectly uses ‘p’ tags for headers. These should be formatted as ‘h1’ or other appropriate header tags. Inconsistent tagging leads to a confusing heading hierarchy.
Acronym Clarity: The text “HS Student Parent Night” uses unclear acronyms. Expand acronyms for clarity. Change the text in the document properties.
Figure Tags: Adding alternative text to figure tags is crucial for visually impaired users to understand image content. Figures with text should be transcribed in the alt text area. Artifact any figures that don’t add value.

Adding alternative text to Figure tags is essential for accessibility

List Continuity: A disjointed list that spans multiple pages should be streamlined into a single list tag so as not to confuse screen readers.
Link Management: Multiple hyperlinks to the same source on the same page is excessive and non-informative.
Color Contrast Issues: Poor color contrast requires changes for legibility. Change font color in the editor. Use black and other dark colors to enhance accessibility.

Example of terrible colour contrast in a PDF making the page unreadable

Reading Order Complications: Use the reading order tool to select content and mark it as a text paragraph for proper flow.
Misplaced Content: Some content did not highlight when selected due to possible OCR errors. Artifact the content as a temporary fix.

Here’s a run-down of issues after running the PAC tool:

Embed Missing Fonts: This can cause issues with text display. Embed the missing fonts using the preflight tool.
Missing Link Annotations: Create content entries for link annotations to make links accessible.
Metadata and Structure Tree Issues: There were problems with the structure tree and metadata, which required fixes to comply with PDF/UA standards.
Non-Tagged Path Objects: This can lead to accessibility issues. Head to the Content panel and artifact these objects.

Artifact path objects in content panel of Adobe Acrobat

PRO-TIP: Save your document before entering the Content panel as it’s very easy to mess up your PDF in there!

Multiple span tags: These came through due to the initial PowerPoint formatting and led to errors showing in the PAC tool. Carefully inspect and manually correct.

Conclusion

PDFs converted from PowerPoint are not accessible. On our journey to PDF accessibility, Adobe Acrobat didn’t always function as expected, leading to additional complications in the remediation process. For example, despite corrections, errors persisted, necessitating a page extraction, which led to further issues. We had to adjust the structure, manually make tagging corrections, re-embed fonts, re-add the the PDF/UA identifier. Whew!

Making a PDF Accessible: Episode 03| Moorpark Community College

Welcome to episode three on making college PDFs accessible. Today, we focus on Moorpark Community College’s website. We look at their course wellness document to improve its digital inclusivity.

Video Guide

In case you missed them, here are Episode 1 and Episode 2 in our Making Accessible PDFs: Community College Series.

Key Takeaways from this Episode

This form was buggy right from the top and required a number of fixes. Here’s a summary what we did to make this PDF accessible.

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Extracting pages to get to the “Prepare Form” options

The PDF seemed to be an old version of the form that wasn’t cooperating with the new version of Acrobat. We extracted the pages from each other and recombined them to create a new PDF. Editing went smoothly from there.

Proper tag structure

We used the auto-tagger. While it added some tags it wasn’t perfect. Every Form tag should be nested inside of a P tag.

An accessible PDF shows all form tags nested inside of a P tag

Tagging references (adding a link to reference)

Under ‘Prepare for Accessibility’, select the Reading Order Tool to create a reference. Next, select the content needing the reference, right click, create link, use page view and invisible rectangle, and hit next. Scroll down to where you want the link to go, select it, hit create link. This particular reference tag will link to the note.

Fixing tagged annotations

From the Accessibility Tags panel on the right, click options, select find, choose unmarked annotations, find. When the link is found, tag it and close.

Fixing titles

From the start we noted primary language, title, and character encoding fails. After reformatting and getting our p tags properly nested, we were able to fix the primary language and title fails. Just right click Title – Failed and select fix. Easy pass.

Fixing the title fail after reformatting p tags in a PDF

Creating tag from selection

This breaks apart the text from the form field, creating an accessible PDF. Select the text you want to tag, navigate to the Accessibility Tags panel, choose options, then select create tag from selection. To finalize the section, artifact the blank lines and delete their p tags.

Embedding Fonts

Navigate to All Tools, use print production, add printer marks, preflight menu, fix font encoding, embed missing fonts.

Fixing character encoding

This is a little tricky so save your PDF in case it breaks. Select edit from the top right, and delete the items out. In this case the check boxes are still in the form. We don’t need the placeholders. We deleted the square text in the background to fix this fail.

Deleting the background text to fix character codes in a PDF

Set PDF UA

Run the PAC tool to ensure PDF UA and WCAG compliance.

Running the PAC tool on a PDF to ensure PDF/UA accessibility

Conclusion

This review involved some interesting fixes that transformed Moorpark’s existing document into an accessible PDF. The solutions provided ensure better user experience and make it compliant with standards like PDF UA and Section 508. Remember, accessibility takes time but is vital for inclusivity.

Path Object not tagged | PDF / UA

Welcome to the world of document accessibility! Today, we’ll demystify a common issue that plagues many users – the ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ error – especially when working with Adobe Acrobat and files exported from InDesign.

Video Overview

Understanding the ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ Error

This error is frequently reported by the PAC 2021 checker, a tool that checks the accessibility of PDF files. During a check, you might come across a list of issues under the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) criteria. One of these is likely the ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ error.

So, what’s happening here? In this context, path objects typically refer to specific lines within a table exported from InDesign. They are recognized as objects that require tagging, but this process can be quite cumbersome and, unfortunately, it often gets overlooked, resulting in the aforementioned error.

Tackling the Issue Head-On

To address this issue, let’s look at a step-by-step process using an example document exported from InDesign and now open in Adobe Acrobat:

Open the ‘Content’ panel located on the far left side of Adobe Acrobat. This allows you to review all the content present on each page.
As you inspect each page, you’ll likely notice a plethora of ‘Path’ tags.
Begin by selecting all these ‘Path’ tags.
With the path objects selected, right-click and choose ‘Create Artifacts’.
Confirm by selecting ‘OK’.

Checking the Results and Final Thoughts

Having made these changes, save and close your file. On retesting with the PAC 2021 checker, you’ll notice the previous ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ errors are now resolved, and any new issues can be addressed separately.

The ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ error often crops up when exporting files from InDesign or other similar software. Remember, it’s crucial to ‘artifact’ these paths to make your document as accessible as possible. It’s not just about fixing an error – it’s about making your content reachable and usable for everyone.

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Mastering OCR Editing with ABBYY FineReader PDF 16: An In-depth Tutorial

Video Overview:

In today’s digital age, managing and editing PDF documents effectively is a skill that can significantly enhance your productivity. The ABBYY FineReader PDF 16, with its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) editor, is a comprehensive tool that can help you in this endeavor. This in-depth ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 OCR tutorial aims to demystify the process.

Decoding ABBYY FineReader PDF 16

The first step in our ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 OCR tutorial involves selecting a file from your computer and initiating the OCR process. The OCR editor identifies different elements in your document, zoning them as text, image, or table. These zones are color-coded – blue for text, red for images, and green for tables.

You’ll notice a list of thumbnails on the left and a text panel on the right. The image panel contains the visual display of the PDF, while the text panel represents the underlying text of the document. This step involves validating that the OCR process has correctly identified all elements.

Perfecting the OCR Process

A key part of our ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 OCR tutorial is ensuring the accuracy of the OCR process. You need to make sure that all zones are correctly identified. A quick visual scan usually suffices for this. If required, you can reorder zones to ensure that the content maintains the right reading order.

Advanced OCR Editing Techniques

The advanced features of ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 take OCR editing to another level. You can selectively remove certain elements from the OCR exports while they remain visible in the original PDF. This functionality is extremely useful for customizing your OCR exports.

Moreover, the software allows you to handle background images and OCR text efficiently. You can validate the correctness of the text and manually correct it if required.

Effective Data Table Management in ABBYY FineReader PDF 16

One of the most powerful features of ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 is its ability to correctly identify and zone data tables. The ‘analyze table structure’ option separates all rows, columns, and cells, ensuring that the table retains its structure during the OCR process.

Exporting Your Work

Once you’re satisfied with the edits, you can export your document as a searchable PDF or a Microsoft Word document. This versatile feature accommodates various user needs and preferences.

ABBYY FineReader PDF 16: A Valuable Tool for Document Accessibility

In conclusion, mastering the ABBYY FineReader PDF 16 OCR editor can greatly enhance your document management and accessibility skills. It not only simplifies the OCR process but also provides advanced features for customized editing. Whether you’re dealing with text, images, or tables, this comprehensive software has got you covered.

Despite these tools at your disposal, document accessibility can still be daunting. That’s where professional document accessibility services come into play, offering tailored solutions to fit your unique requirements.

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How to tag references, footnotes, and end notes in Adobe Acrobat

At this time there is not clear guidance from WCAG on how to exactly tag references, footnotes, and end notes. This post and video aims to explore the best methods for tagging this content.

Video Overview

Instructional Guide

There are two separate components to tagging footnotes or endnotes.

The first part is the superscript number in the main body of the document. For footnotes, the second part is the note itself, which appears at the bottom of the page. Endnotes show up at the end of the document.

Implementing Reference Tags in Adobe Acrobat

The first step in adding footnotes and references in Adobe Acrobat is to create a reference tag. Contrary to what you might think, a span tag does not serve our purpose here. While span tags are visually useful, they don’t carry any real value in terms of accessibility.

To create a reference tag, right-click on the Tag, select Properties, and change it to a reference. Simple as that!

Linking References to Endnotes

Next, you should consider linking your footnotes to the corresponding endnotes. Although this is not a requirement, it significantly enhances the reader’s navigation through the document. To create this link, right-click the reference number and select Create Link. Under link action, choose Go to page view and select Next. Then, scroll down to your endnotes and click set link. This process creates a hyperlink that leads directly to the relevant spot in the document.

Three methods reference in video:

Method 1:

Apply alternate text that provides guidance on where the endnote or reference leads to. For instance, the alternate text could be “superscript one refers to endnote one on page two”. This alerts the screen reader user about what the reference or endnote signifies.

Method 2:

Arrange the reading order so that the note is read directly after the reference. To do this, move the actual content of the note under the reference tag. In this arrangement, the paragraph is read first, followed by the reference, the note, and then the main content.

Method 3:

Include the note’s content in the alternate text. For this, copy the note’s content and paste it onto the actual text field of the reference. The alternate text could then read “superscript one. [content of the note]”. After this, change the endnote content to an artifact and delete the tags.

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

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

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Key Issues from this Episode

Here’s a run-down of issues after running the auto-tagger:

Here’s a run-down of issues after running the PAC tool:

Conclusion

More posts like this:

Video Guide

Key Takeaways from this Episode

Extracting pages to get to the “Prepare Form” options

Proper tag structure

Tagging references (adding a link to reference)

Fixing tagged annotations

Fixing titles

Creating tag from selection

Embedding Fonts

Fixing character encoding

Set PDF UA

Conclusion

More posts like this:

Video Overview

Understanding the ‘Path Object Not Tagged’ Error

Tackling the Issue Head-On

Checking the Results and Final Thoughts

More PDF UA Posts:

Video Overview:

Decoding ABBYY FineReader PDF 16

Perfecting the OCR Process

Advanced OCR Editing Techniques

Effective Data Table Management in ABBYY FineReader PDF 16

Exporting Your Work

Video Overview

Instructional Guide

Implementing Reference Tags in Adobe Acrobat

Linking References to Endnotes

Three methods reference in video:

Method 1:

Method 2:

Method 3:

More PDF Posts