Creating Accessible PDF Documents, Level II

1
Creating Accessible PDF Documents, Level II

• ASPA Web Communications and New Media Division

2
Creating Section 508 CompliantPDF Documents II

• Module 1 Introduction

3
PDF II Class Introduction

• All documents must come into Section 508
  compliance. This course has been created to
  assist document publishers in
• Converting scanned documents to accessible PDFs
• Testing and remediating PDF documents for Section
  508 Compliance
• Forms are a separate topic and will not be
  addressed in this training

4
PDF II Class Objectives

• After completing this class you will be able to
• Create PDFs from scanned documents
• Combine multiple documents into one accessible
  PDF document
• Test PDFs for accessibility
• Remediate existing PDFs

5
Accessible PDF Characteristics

• Searchable text
• Alternative text descriptions
• Fonts that allow characters to be extracted to
  text
• Reading order and document structure tags

6
Accessible PDF Characteristics

• Interactive form fields (not covered in this
  training)
• Navigational aids
• Document language
• Security that doesnt interfere with assistive
  software (e.g. not password protected)

7
Use Document Properties as Best Practices

• Properties Summary tab
• Shows document creator and ownership
• Gives author of the document (OPDIV)
• Further contact information

8
Overview Summary

• There are common characteristics that make a PDF
  document accessible
• Scanned PDFs can be made accessible with some
  difficulty
• All existing documents must be remediated,
  replaced, or archived to become Section 508
  compliant
• Tables and multiple-source PDF documents require
  special handling

9
Creating Section 508 CompliantPDF Documents II

• Module 2 Creating PDFs
• from Scanned Documents

10
Working with Scanned Documents

• Scanning documents should be avoided whenever
  possible
• Scanned documents are problematic because, in
  most cases, they do not contain actual text
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) must be
  performed to create a text layer

11
Steps to Creating Accessible Scanned Documents

• Use Adobe Acrobat Professional to convert the
  document to PDF
• Enable text recognition by using OCR from the
  Document menu
• Correct OCR suspects from the OCR menu
• Create reading order by tagging
• Correct any errors in tags
• Test for accessibility

12
Create PDFs from Scanner

• Select File gt Create PDF gt From Scanner from
  Acrobats main menu, or choose From Scanner on
  the Create Adobe PDF menu on the toolbar

13
Create PDFs from Scanner

• Select the following options
• New PDF Document
• Make Searchable (Run OCR)
• Make Accessible
• Select the Options button next to the Make
  Searchable (Run OCR) checkbox

14
Create PDFs from Scanner

• The Recognize Text Settings dialog box
• Set Primary OCR Language to English
• Set PDFs Output Style to recognize Formatted
  Text and Graphics
• Set Downsample Images rate of 600 dpi
• Select the OK button

15
Create PDFs from Scanner

• Select Scan
• Now you are ready to apply Optical Character
  Recognition (OCR) to the scanned document

16
Create PDFs from Scanner - OCR

• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software
  enables you to search, correct, and copy the text
  in a scanned PDF
• If you do not apply OCR when you create a PDF by
  scanning a paper document, you can apply OCR to
  the PDF later if you have set the scanner
  resolution at 72 Dpi and higher
• This is extremely useful when remediating legacy
  documents

17
Create PDFs from Scanner - OCR

• Select Document gt OCR Text Recognition gt Find
  First OCR Suspect to repair all OCR suspects

18
Create PDFs from Scanner - OCR

• Once first suspect is found, continue to find
  other suspects by selecting Find Next button

19
Create PDFs from Scanner - OCR

• Often poorly scanned characters are not
  recognized in OCR and are tagged as figures
• It is helpful to run a suspect scan for artifacts
  and images
• Artifacts are images/objects that do not and
  should not appear in the content tree

20
Create PDFs from Scanner - OCR

• Tag the document, adjust the reading order and
  test the document for accessibility
• Save the accessible document after making all
  necessary changes

21
Reading Order

• The first step to making the scanned PDF
  accessible is to look at the reading order via
  the TouchUp Reading Order Tool
• Reading order will show
• The order of content
• The garbled information e.g. characters show as a
  figure even though they are text

22
Reflow the New PDF To Visually Check The New
Reading Order

• A quick way to check the reading order of a
  document is to view it in the Reflow view
• Choose View gt Zoom gt Reflow or Press Ctrl4
  (Windows)

23
Correct Reading Order

• Correct reflow problems with the Content tab when
  a PDF cant be corrected by using the TouchUp
  Reading Order tool
• You can damage a PDF by editing content objects,
  make sure that youre familiar with PDF structure
  before you make any changes
• There is no UNDO!

24
Problems in Scanned PDFs

• Non-text elements such as smudges, page borders,
  and/or art that do not reflect content should be
  eliminated from the text layer
• This is done by tagging these items as artifacts
• Non-text elements tagged as artifacts are removed
  from the text layer and ignored by assistive
  technology

25
Tagging Artifacts

• To search for artifacts, within the Tags panel
  select Options gt Find
• A window will appear with several search options
• Artifact is the default search in the Find field
• If there are any artifacts, the search will
  identify them and allow you to change them to
  other elements

26
Tagging Artifacts

• To change a tag to an artifact in the tags panel,
  right click on the item
• Select Change Tag to Artifact

27
Remediating Artifacts

• Here is the bottom of a scanned page
• Decorative line
• Page number

28
Artifacts - Show Reading Order

• Here is the same item on the page using the
  Reading Order tool
• Notice that the two items have been put in the
  same container

29
Artifacts TouchUp Content Properties

• View gt Navigation Panels gt Content

30
Artifacts - RemediationTouchUp Reading Order Tool

• Draw a box around the content
• Select text
• We want to add the page number as alternate text

31
Artifacts TouchUp Content Properties

• View gt Navigation Panels gt Content

32
Artifacts TouchUp Properties

• Right click on the Container
• Select Properties

33
Artifacts TouchUp Properties

• The TouchUp Properties Menu box appears
• Select the Tag tab
• Enter the text in the Actual Text box
• Press Edit Tag button

34
Artifacts TouchUp Properties

• The new text appears in the ActualText field
• Select the OK button
• The new text does not appear in the content
  container, but can be read by Read Out Loud or
  other Assistive Technology

35
Delete Artifact Containers

• When an artifact serves no content purpose in the
  document it can be deleted
• Deleting Containers is dangerous as there is no
  undo feature in Acrobat Professional
• Before deleting save the document as another file
  just in case there is a problem

36
Words Not Identified

• There are no figures in the original document
  that was scanned

37
Figure to Character Remediation

• When words are scanned as figures, remediation is
  possible
• Follow a similar process to the one that was
  delineated for adding a page number
• Notice in the following example a figure has been
  inserted in the middle of a text line

38
Figure to Character Remediation

• The word appears but it can not be read by a
  screen reader
• Use the TouchUp Reading Order tool
• Draw a box around the word to select it
• Select the Background button from the TouchUp
  Reading Order tool
• The Figure tag disappears

39
Figure to Character Remediation

• In the Tag tab we need to add the missing word
  and punctuation
• Right click on the appropriate Container

40
Figure to Character Remediation

• Type in the full text in the ActualText field
  including the missing word and punctuation
• Select the Edit Tag button

41
Figure to Character Remediation

• The full text appears in the ActualText field
• Select the OK button

42
Module 2 Creating PDFs From Scanned Documents

• We have completed Module 2
• We have discussed the Steps required to create a
  Section 508 compliant scanned PDF
• We have discussed how to remediate items that
  are
• Artifacts
• Unidentified text

43
Module 3 Combining Multiple Documents in PDF

• Creating Section 508 CompliantPDF Documents II

44
Combining PDF content

• While you can easily merge files of different
  types into a single PDF, this results in an more
  difficult document to make accessible
• It is suggested that you merge files if possible
  into a single Microsoft Word document
• Make the Word document accessible and convert it
  to PDF
• Then test the PDF for accessibility and remediate
  any problems

45
Touchup Reading OrderFrom a Word Format Document

• Start with a Microsoft Word Document
• Make sure the Word document is structured
• Headers, Sub headers, list, formatted tables
• Table of Contents
• Internal Navigation Tools
• Images have alternative text
• Page numbers have been inserted with the Page
  Number tool
• 90 of making the new PDF accessible is done
• Create PDF by using the Microsoft Word Convert to
  Adobe PDF tool

46
Touchup Reading OrderFrom a Word Format Document

• Open the new PDF document in Adobe Acrobat
  Professional
• Select the Order Panel, review and adjust the
  reading order as necessary
• Demote artifacts to background
• Go to the Tags panel and edit tags
• Test the document for accessibility
• Remediate document as necessary

47
Adobe Acrobat Create a PDF from multiple files

• From the File menu select Combine Files

48
Create a PDF from multiple files

• Select the Add Files icon in the Combine Files
  window

49
Create a PDF from multiple files

• Select the files you want to combine using the
  control key when selecting multiple files
• Select the Add Files button

50
Create a PDF from multiple files

• Adjust the order of files as desired, and then
  choose a file size and conversion setting
• Select the Next button

51
Create a PDF from multiple files

• Select Merge Files Into A Single PDF
• Select Create

52
Choosing to create a PDF from multiple files in
Adobe Acrobat

• Since you have not created the document in Word
  all document navigation will need to be created
  in Adobe Acrobat
• Pages will need to be numbered
• Table of Contents may need to be created
• Documents exceeding nine pages must have
  Bookmarks
• Tags will be out of order and there will need to
  be considerable retagging for the document to flow

53
Issues when Creating a PDF from multiple files

• Pages whose tags are out of order in the logical
  structure tree can cause problems for screen
  readers
• Screen readers read tags in sequence down the
  tree, and they might not reach the tags for an
  inserted page until the end of the tree
• To fix this problem, you need to rearrange the
  tag tree to put large groups of tags in the same
  reading order as the pages themselves
• To avoid the need for this advanced step, plan so
  that you always insert pages to the end of a PDF,
  building the document from front to back in
  sequence

54
Issues when Creating a PDF from multiple files

• When you insert, replace, or delete pages,
  Acrobat accepts existing tags into the tag tree
  of the consolidated PDF in the following manner
• Insert pages - adds the tags for the new pages to
  the end of the tag tree, even if you insert the
  new pages at the beginning or the middle of the
  document
• Replace pages - adds the tags from the incoming
  pages to the end of the tag tree, even if you
  replace pages at the beginning or the middle of
  the document. Acrobat retains the tags (if any)
  for the replaced pages
• Delete pages - retains the tags of the deleted
  pages

55
Create a PDF from multiple files

• Remember you will need to
• Tag the document
• You likely will have to delete the entire
  existing Tag Tree
• Perform testing
• Do necessary remediation

56
Delete the Tag Tree

• To delete all tags
• Highlight the parent tag in the Tags Panel
• Press the Delete key

57
Add New Tags

• Use Acrobats Add Tags to Document tool to
  automatically tag the document or
• Use the Touchup Reading Order tool to manually
  add tags to the document and establish the
  logical reading order

58
Module 4 Testing andRemediating PDFs for
Accessibility

• Creating Section 508 CompliantPDF Documents II

59
Remediate an Existing PDF

• Before deciding to remediate, consider
• if the document information is now obsolete, then
  it should be deleted
• if the document is old but still of value, then
  it should be archived
• if an Accessible HTML version of the PDF is
  available, and it is
• in the same location as the PDF
• of equivalent functionality (bookmarks, headings,
  etc)
• Both the HTML and PDF links are distributed
  simultaneously (e.g. via email message)
• In any of these cases, remediation to 508
  standards is not necessary

60
Testing and Remediating PDFs

• Scanned PDFs will often provide the biggest
  challenge
• Documents imported from other types of files also
  must be tested and remediated before they are
  compliant
• Before a PDF is accessible, it must
• Properly tagged
• Have a logical reading and tab order
• Alternative text must be added to all images and
  objects
• The document must have a specified language

61
Testing PDFs for Accessibility

• To verify that these key conditions are met
• Run Adobes Accessibility Full Check
• Test with assistive technology used by a person
  with a disability, or
• listen to the PDF by running Adobe Readers
  built-in PDF reader Read Out Loud
• Final Acceptance testing for web content is done
  via assistive technology (e.g. JAWS, Dragon)

62
Adobe Accessibility Full Check

• Select Advanced gt Accessibility gt Full Check

63
Adobe Accessibility Full Check

• Select all check boxes in the Checking Options
  menu
• This will ensure that the PDF is tested for full
  accessibility
• Select Start Checking button

64
Accessibility Full Check Settings

• An Accessibility Report, that provides
  suggestions for repairing the document, will
  appear on the screen
• If additional help is needed, Press the F1 key to
  launch Adobe Help Viewer

65
Manual Checks

• Do manual checks even if Accessibility Full Check
  is passed
• Use the Tab Key to test tab order
• Use the TouchUp Reading Order tool to visually
  scan the PDFs reading order
• Use assistive technology such as a screen
  reader or the Read Out Loud PDF reader to test
  reading order

66
Acrobat Reader - Read Out Loud

• Use the built-in PDF reader to test the PDFs
  reading order
• Open Adobe Acrobat Reader
• From the View menu select Read Out Loud and then
  one of the available choices (See the next slide)

67
Acrobat Reader - Read Out Loud

• Read Out Loud must be activated from the View
  menu
• Choices are
• Read This Page Only
• Read To End of Document
• Pause
• Stop

68
Remediation Starts With Document Structure

• For a PDF document to be accessible it must
  contain the following
• Actual text, scanned images are not accessible
• Tags that create the appropriate document
  structure
• Reading order specified for columns and tables
• Alternative text for images
• PDF tags enable accessibility

69
Adobe Acrobat Adjusting Tags

• Use the Touchup Reading Order Tool to
• Edit the basic tagged structure of the document
• Establish the tab order
• Create or adjust reading order
• Use the Tags pane to
• Add descriptive text to tags
• Add alternative text to Images
• Adjust/add table headers
• Adjust/add bookmarks
• Adjust reading order

70
Major Remediation

• If several document elements have been improperly
  tagged, it may be easier to delete all tags by
  highlighting the parent tag in the Tags Panel and
  pressing the Delete key
• Use Acrobats Add Tags to Document tool to
  automatically tag the document or
• Use the Touchup Reading Order tool to manually
  add tags to the document and establish the
  logical reading order

71
Manually Adjust Reading Order

• The reading order determines the order a screen
  reader reads document elements
• Sometimes Physical View (print view) and Content
  View (reading order) are not the same
• Then reading order needs to be adjusted to match
  the Physical View

72
Manually Adjust Reading Order

• To change the reading order
• From Acrobats main menu, select View gt
  Navigation Tabs gt Order

73
Manually Adjust Reading Order

• As shown here, once the Order Panel is displayed,
  numbers will appear on the document, revealing
  the documents reading order

74
Manually Adjust Reading Order

• Identify the first element that is out of place
  and in the Order Panel click on the box to the
  left of the element and drag the element to the
  proper location
• Continue this process until all elements are in
  the proper order

75
Other Types of Remediation

• Adding alternate text
• Setting the Documents Language
• Adding Child Tags
• In the Tags tab, select the parent node in the
  Tags tree for which you want to create a child
  tag
• Choose New Tag from the Options menu
• Select the appropriate tag type from the Type
  pop-up menu, or type a custom tag type, name the
  tag (optional)
• Then select OK

76
Two methods to tag Tables

• Use Scoping and the Table Inspector for simple
  tables
• Correct Table Tags manually

77
Using Scoping and the Table Inspector

• To set the scope of a header cell, select the
  table element and select Table Inspector from the
  context menu
• The table inspector will highlight the cells
• Gridlines will not always match the table

78
Using Scoping and the Table Inspector

• Select a header cell (in this example, a column
  header) and choose Table Cell Properties from the
  context menu
• Select the Header Cell Option
• Set Scope to Column or Row

79
Correct Table Tags Using the Tags Tab

• Check table elements
• In the Tags tab, expand the tags root to view a
  table tag
• Select the table tag ltTablegt and verify that it
  contains one of the following elements
• Table Rows, each of which contains Table Header
  ltTHgt or Table Data ltTDgt cells
• ltTHeadgt, ltTBodygt, and ltTFootgt sections, each of
  which contains Table Rows (The Table Rows contain
  ltTHgt cells, ltTDgt cells, or both)

80
Correct Table Tags Using the Tags Tab

• Check table elements
• Do one or more of the following
• If the tag for the table doesnt contain these
  elements, but rows, columns, and cells appear in
  the table in the document pane, use the TouchUp
  Reading Order tool to select and define the table
  or individual cells
• If the table contains rows that span two or more
  columns, set ColSpan and RowSpan attributes for
  these rows in the tag structure
• Re-create the table in the authoring application,
  and then convert it to a tagged PDF

81
Spanning Columns and Rows

• Spanned Rows and Columns occur when
• A table has multiple logical levels (as shown
  below)
• A data table has merged cells used as spacers
  or for aesthetics.

82
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• In the Tags tab, select a ltTDgt or ltTHgt element
• Choose Properties from the Options menu

83
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• In the TouchUp Properties dialog box, select the
  Tag tab, and then select Edit Attribute Objects

84
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• In the Attributes dialog box select New Item to
  create a new Attribute Object Dictionary

85
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• Expand the new dictionary, select the Layout
  attribute, and then select Change Item

86
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• Change the Layout value to Table

87
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• Select the Attribute Object Dictionary, and click
  New Item

88
Set ColSpan and RowSpan Attributes

• In the Add Key And Value dialog box
• Type ColSpan or RowSpan in the Key box
• Enter the number of columns or rows spanned in
  the Value box
• Choose Integer from the Value Type pop-up menu
• Select OK

89
Adobe Acrobat Quick Tips

• Save PDF files frequently after each significant
  change, using a different file name
• Undo is not an option
• Expand all elements in the Order, Content or Tag
  panel
• Create Bookmarks to assist with navigation
• Avoid using reverse type or shadow type
• When the document is received for
  testing/remediation, contact information should
  be provided if document clarification is necessary

90
Module 4 Testing andRemediating PDFs for
Accessibility Review

• Setting document language
• PDF Tags
• Tags for Tables
• Tags for column and row spans
• Testing a PDF for Accessibility
• Adobe Testing
• Accessibility Checker
• Manual Testing
• Tab Order
• Assistive Technologies
• Screen Reader Read Out Loud

91
Resources Accessible PDF Creation

• Adobe Professional Tutorials http//www.adobe.com/
  enterprise/accessibility/training.html
• WebAIM
• http//www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/
• Web Accessibility for All
• http//www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/tutorials/de
  fault.htm

92
Resources - Government

• Web Communications New Media Division
  http//www.hhs.gov/web/policies/index.html508
• Includes policies, checklists, and best practices
  for HHS document accessibility
• Federal Government 508 Policy, Training and
  Resources
• http//www.section508.gov/

93
ASPA Web Communications and New Media
Divisionhttp//www.hhs.gov/web/

• Creating Section 508 CompliantPDF Documents II