[jaws-uk] Re: .pdf files & Adobe.
- From: "Tristram Llewellyn" <tris-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 11:13:11 +0100
Hello Robin
To start at the beginning, PDf is used as a content delivery mechanism
because it display the properties of a document more or less independantly
of the platform on which you are viewing. This is important for brochures
with photographs of graphics, not to mention more advanced page layout.
Government and other official agencies widely adopt PDF because it is a
secure format that a user cannot change or alter in order to miss-represent
the information contained therein.
We don't get direct access to PDF files until Jaws 3.7 and even then that is
using Adobe Reader 5.0. Such access can be shaky but often subject to the
whims of the publisher who may lock access to the content in such a way that
Jaws cannot gain access to the documenmt. Anything previous to Jaws 3.7
will require use of Adobe Reader 4.0 and the access plugin, which is
unlikely to do well with currently published documents.
Access is considerably better with Adobe Reader 6.0 onwards as we have a
better mechanism for gaining access to text, however this necessitates Jaws
5.x upwards really. I think it is somewhat easier to arrange reliable
access under 2000/xp for Adobe 6.0 than say for 9x platorms. It is
certainly a reasonably intensive task for Windows 9x to handle so the other
platforms tend to fair better. Frankly windows 98 resource management is
pants compared to XP so it's not that surprising we had problems with it.
Generally speaking for more up to date the less problematic the access with
PDF, also more recently produced PDFs are likely to be properly tagged which
again improves the access further.
Regards.
Tristram Llewellyn
Sight and Sound Technology
Technical Support
www.sightandsound.co.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Clayden" <r.clayden@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 10:55 AM
Subject: [jaws-uk] .pdf files & Adobe.
Hi all,
Could one of you experts on here perhaps throw your thoughts into the
ring on this old chestnut.
Reports are being aired that PDF documents will soon be used extensively
on our student and staff Eportal on the college network. Our disability
adviser isn't too happy about this, and has asked me to perhaps get
involved in a campaign for opposing the move.
I must admit I haven't had the need to use JFW and Adobe very often, but
I do believe the accessibility issues are much improved, however, is
this perhaps only the case if you are running more up to date platforms
and indeed the newer versions of Jaws?
For example, can jfw versions 3.5 to say, 5.1 enjoy the much improved
accessibility features, and/or does XP have any advantages over Win '95
or '98?
Finally, one thing that's often intrigued me, is why PDF? Is there some
magic answer as to why this is a preference, and is there a perfectly
feesible alternative?
Any article references welcome too.
Kind regards,
Robin Clayden, Switchboard.
Edinburgh College of Art.
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