Creating Accessible PDF Documents

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Creating Accessible PDF Documents

• Dick Hemenway
• CMAC Accessibility Committee

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Topics

• Acrobat 5.0 settings
• Existing PDF Files
• New Files
• Documents Containing Bitmapped Images
• Documents Containing Tables
• Using the Make Accessible Plug-in - Available at
  Adobe.Com

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Acrobat 5.0 Settings

• Edit Preferences General
• Select ACCESSIBILITY
• Change settings as required - suggest setting
  page count to 0.

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Acrobat 5.0 Settings 2
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Acrobat 5.0 Settings 3
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Existing PDF Files

• Original File and Authoring Application Available
• Original File and Authoring Application
  Unavailable
• Scanned PDF

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Original File and Authoring Application Available

• Install Adobe Acrobat 5.0
• Convert to a new PDF file using latest version of
  application
• Use Make Accessible Plug-in

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Original File and Authoring Application
Unavailable

• Open PDF in Acrobat 5.0
• Use Make Accessible Plug-in

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New Files (Microsoft Office 2000 Application)

• 1. Open Document
• 2. Choose Acrobat Change Conversion Settings

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Change Conversion Settings Dialog Box 1
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Change Conversion Settings Dialog Box 2
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New Files (Microsoft Office 2000 Application)
Continued

• 3. Open Office Tab
• 4. Select Options
• Embed tags in PDF
• Page Labels off

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Select Options - Office Tab
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New Files (Microsoft Office 2000 Application)
Continued

• 5. Open Bookmarks Tab
• 6. Select Options

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Bookmarks Tab
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New Files (Microsoft Office 2000 Application)
Continued

• 7. Select Acrobat Convert to PDF
• OR click Adobe PDF button

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Acrobat Convert to PDF
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New Files (Microsoft Office 2000 Application)
Continued

• 8. Name and save

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Specify Language for Text

• Window Tags
• In Tags dialog box, click on symbol to left of
  TAGS ROOT to get
• Right click on to get menu
• Select ELEMENT PROPERTIES
• Select EN-US in LANGUAGE box
• OK

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Specify Language 1
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Specify Language 2
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Specify Language 3
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Specify Language 4
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Documents Containing Bitmapped Images (Alt Tags)

• Window Tags
• Click the symbol to left of element
• Select element - Right Click to get menu
• Select ELEMENT PROPERTIES
• Enter Alt Tag in ALTERNATE TEXT box
• OK

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Alt Tag Images 1
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Alt Tag Images 2
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Documents Containing Tables

• Use INSERT TABLE command or DRAW TABLE tool in MS
  Word
• Dont use tabs to simulate double-column text

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Using the Accessibility Checker in Acrobat 5.0

• Tools Accessibility Checker
• Change settings as required

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The Accessibility Checker 1
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The Accessibility Checker 2
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The Accessibility Checker 3
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Using the Make Accessible Plug-in

• When you do not need to run the Make Accessible
  Command
• How to use the Make Accessible Command

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When You Do Not Need to Run the Make Accessible
Command

• When you created a tagged Adobe PDF file using MS
  Office 2000
• When you created a tagged Adobe PDF file from
  scanned images using Adobe Acrobat Capture

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How to use the Make Accessible Command

• Open the PDF file in Acrobat 5.0
• Choose Document Make Accessible
• Use the Tags palette to add a language
  specification or alt tags for images
• Use the Accessibility Checker
• Save the file

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Make Accessible Command
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Review

• What do I need for
• Existing PDF files - Acrobat 5.0, Make Accessible
  Plug-in and original application if available
• Existing scanned PDF (image only) - Adobe Capture
  3.0
• New files - Acrobat 5.0 and MS Office 2000
  Applications

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Jaws Example