[bcab] Re: Accessible PDF's

Thanks Leon.  I'll follow this one up.

Irene

Irene Cooper
System Project Officer

Tel: 01246 217101

mailto:Irene.Cooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




-----Original Message-----
From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 24 January 2007 19:44
To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessible PDF's

SiteMorse also put about a press release last week about accessible PDF's, and 
are offering an
assistive service.   For more information see the following link.

Leon Gilbert
Editor, www.vipnews.org.uk

(Title)
New test service from SiteMorse solves global PDF accessibility issues 
(Response Source, 15/1/07)
(URL)
http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=QzAEQ
(Content below)

New test service from SiteMorse solves global PDF accessibility issues
London - January 15, 2006 - For immediate release:

Over seventy per cent of PDF documents tested on websites belonging to FTSE 100 
enterprises failed
to be fully accessible, according to a survey conducted in December 2006 by 
automated website
testing company SiteMorse.

To address this important issue - one that products used to create PDFs cannot 
do - SiteMorse has
officially launched today a new and low-cost test service for checking Adobe 
PDF files. The new
facility is an integrated part of the company's existing and comprehensive 
service that enables
websites to be tested and benchmarked for availability, usability and 
compliance with mandatory,
corporate and industry standards.

Based on web standards available from Adobe, SiteMorse claims the new testing 
service is the first
of its type in the world to successfully check accessibility to PDFs.

"Poor quality PDFs are a very important issue, one that is not confined to the 
private sector," said
Gareth Evans, marketing director of SiteMorse. "When we acted on our own 
initiative and surveyed UK
Central Government websites in December 2006, using the new service, nearly 
ninety per cent of PDF's
we examined had problems. Local Government didn't fare much better; 
seventy-nine per cent failed our
test.

"The real issue is that organisations - and their suppliers - are not testing 
new and existing PDFs
on their sites regularly and rigorously enough. In turn, their audiences are 
being frustrated and
denied access to information or connections they need."

The PDF is ubiquitous and the world relies on this type of document, said 
Evans, from the mandatory
annual report to simple directions on how to find somewhere: "The tools used 
for creating PDFs
cannot perform the tests. Now, with this new and world beating testing service, 
there is no excuse
for poor performance."

SiteMorse's new service will speedily and efficiently examine the contents of a 
PDF file and is
designed to perform up to twenty-eight tests. These tests identify problems for 
correction, so that
once fixed users may gain full access to the information contained in the file. 
Common failings
revealed by the service include broken or incorrect links to other websites, 
e-mail addresses that
are not formatted correctly or no longer in use, or missing images and fonts.

Results from a test are presented to the user of the service in the form of an 
executive summary and
a detailed technical report. It lists failures, enabling the right action to be 
taken to eliminate
the problem. For example, the SiteMorse test detects many different kinds of 
malfunction with
embedded hyperlinks. It will also contact mail servers to verify that addresses 
provided in
'mailto:' links are correct and functional.

For people affected by physical disabilities another function of the new 
service helps improve
access to PDF files for this type of user. The format of the file itself 
provides features that
enable document authors to ensure the PDF is accessible to all users, including 
those who are
disabled: it includes 'tags' within the file indicating the logical document 
structure and reading
order. SiteMorse's service singles out PDF files that lack these tags. The file 
may then be examined
in detail for accessibility compliance, enabling appropriate corrective action 
to be taken.

Copies of the surveys SiteMorse has carried out on the performance of websites 
in the public and
private sectors are available - in PDF format - on the company's website. In 
addition, the company
invites the press and readers to test, free of charge, a website or PDF - 
please visit
http://www.sitemorse.com

INFORMATION ABOUT SITEMORSE

Established in 2001, SiteMorse is a British, privately owned company and offers 
a range of website
testing services that require no setup, downloads or technical support to 
operate. Over 500 local
and central government departments, FTSE companies and financial sector clients 
use SiteMorse
services to help them maintain error-free, fully functioning and compliant 
websites. Compliance
standards include HTML, eGMS, W3C, WAI accessibility, and specific standards 
laid down by suppliers
(such as Adobe's defined accessibility requirements for PDFs). The company is 
in its fourth year of
working with SOCITM and SiteMorse products are also used by Government Sector 
Publishing, Blays
Netratings and ISPA for website rankings and awards services.

-ENDS-

More information from:

Gareth Evans
SiteMorse Technologies Ltd
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7183 2508
E-mail: gevans@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web: http://www.sitemorse.com

Issued by:

Mark Mitchell
Pattison Mitchell & Associates
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7924 7700
E-mail: ptml@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



----- Original Message -----
From: "Léonie Watson" <tink@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 7:32 PM
Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessible PDF's


Irene,

    If the original source document is created in Word, it's doubtful that
there is nothing more to be done. Suggest she try the following things...

1. Upgrade to Adobe Acrobat Pro.

    Although there are many PDF creation tools on the market, some even for
free, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the only one that fully supports the creation of
accessible PDF documents. If possible use Acrobat Pro v8.

2. Create good document structure in the Word document.

    Use the functionality within the Formats, Styles & Formats menu to
create proper heading and list styles for the Word document. Adobe will pick
up these default styles and translate them to the PDF document.


3. Use alt texts.

    Many people are not aware that you can include an alt text for an image
in a Word document. Adobe should pick up such alt texts, but it's always
wise to double check from within the resulting PDF anyway.

4. Use the right conversion process.

    Adobe will integrate a menu into the toolbar of Word. Use this to
initiate the conversion process, rather than choosing the File menu and Save
As. It picks up on the structure present in Word much more effectively.

5. Get some training.

    None of this is rocket science, but with some complex documents, such as
those with multiple column layouts, can be difficult to produce in
accessible format. There are training courses available which will educate
people in the right techniques for creating accessible PDFs.

    Nomensa run a half day training course, more information here:
http://www.nomensa.com/training/creating-accessible-pdfs.html

    Ihope some of this helps.

Regards,
Léonie.
  _____

From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Cooper, Irene
Sent: 24 January 2007 14:38
To: BCAB Mailing List
Subject: [bcab] Accessible PDF's



Hi all



At work, I receive lots of PDF files via e-mail.  I have only ever received
one truly accessible PDF - i.e. where Jaws didn't say: "This document is
untagged.  It probably originated at another local authority but, even so, I
wrote to the sender (who just happened to be the Head of Communications) to
say thanks.  Well, this has now caused me a problem because the Council's
internal magazine that used to be sent to me in MSWord format is now coming
as a PDF.  Unfortunately though, it's not properly tagged which causes it to
appear a bit muddled.  I've written to its designer explaining the situation
but she says she has done everything in her power to create a tagged file
and there's nothing more she can do.  Well, I could just ask for the
magazine in MSWord format again but I'd rather like to sort this problem out
for the future.



Is there anyone to whom I could send the document who could advise me on
what more can be done to it?  Perhaps she really has done all she can!  I
have already referred the designer to the Adobe website.



Thanks in advance for any advice.



Irene





Irene Cooper
System Project Officer
North East Derbyshire District Council

Tel: 01246 217101



Email: Irene.Cooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx





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 Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not 
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of computer viruses.
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