Joe,
This can help some people if they have reading difficulty reading due to
cognition or processing but there are other ways to achieve the same end.
The talking got me though. I am afraid that this will be confused as a tool
to make pdf accessible to screen reading folk and this seems not to be the
case.
In fairness to adobe, they do not own the content and there are lots of
packages that produce pdf that they do not own. I doubt pdf will ever be
the output of choice for accessibility what with xml and xhtml and so many
other potentially accessible formats, I do understand the security issues
that it addresses however.
----- Original Message -----
From: "joe j lazzaro" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: FW: PDF files now accessible using text-to-speech software
Hi David and all,
My concern here is that this press release will hoodwink folks into
thinking that this program will solve the problems with PDF. The only
answer to making PDF accessible is in Adobe's hands, and they've dropped
the ball on this for so long that they have very little credibility with
me. I seriously doubt that Adobe will make PDF accessible until a lawsuit
is filed!
Joseph J. Lazzaro
HTTP://JoeLazzaro.Com
On Mon, 3 Mar 2003, David Poehlman wrote:
> yeah, we should send him a pdf document with no text just images of text
in
> it and see what happens. I have little faith in ad-ins and plug ins
except
> that the access plug in for 4.05 worked fairly well for what it did.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "joe j lazzaro" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 9:35 AM
> Subject: Re: FW: PDF files now accessible using text-to-speech software
>
>
> This is very misleading, and I doubt that this program can make "ALL" PDF
> files accessible.
>
>
>
> Joseph J. Lazzaro
> HTTP://JoeLazzaro.Com
>
> On Mon, 3 Mar 2003, MACMAHON, Tom wrote:
>
> > Please excuse a cross-posting, but I thought some list members might
find
> > this info (posted to an Australian list today) of interest and I don't
> > recall reading about this on the EASI list.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Tom.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > Sent: Monday, 3 March 2003 8:12
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [arata-ls] PDF files now accessible using text-to-speech
software
> >
> >
> > Hi all
> >
> > Just thought you might like to know about a very clever little program
> > released last month from textHELP - called "PDFAloud".
> >
> > As many of you will be aware, PDF (or Portable Document Files) files are
a
> > real problem for people with reading difficulties or mild visual
> impairments
> > who rely on the computer to speak out text for them. It is difficult for
> > standard text-to-speech programs to read them aloud - because you can't
> > highlight the text within a PDF file. As a result, PDF files are
> effectively
> > inaccessible to readers who rely on text-to-speech support for their
> > reading.
> > PDFAloud works as a simple add-in tool bar for Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat
> > Reader and reads any page instantly - with various buttons to activate
> > speech within the PDF document as and when required.
> >
> > I guess the most significant leap with this little program is that it is
> the
> > only tool currently available to read PDF files with synchronised
coloured
> > highlighting right there on screen within the original PDF document.
This
> > obviously offers struggling students much more direct support with
> > comprehension of the text and relating it to the off-computer print copy
> of
> > the PDF documents. Prior to PDFAloud being available, PDF files had to
be
> > converted and read as "text only files" - losing all of their graphics
and
> > formatting and not always translating well for pages with complex
> > formatting.
> >
> > At this stage, the program is only available in Australia within
textHELP!
> > Read & Write Version 6.0 or Gold ... but if you have these programs
> > installed already - you are able to download the program for free from
the
> > textHELP website at http://www.texthelp.com/techdown.asp?section=support
> > <http://www.texthelp.com/techdown.asp?section=support>
> >
> > More info is available on the Spectronics website at
> > http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/library.asp?article=14343
> > <http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/library.asp?article=14343> or email me
> off
> > the listserv and I am happy to answer any questions.
> >
> > Cheers
> > ...
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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