I have been insisting for several years that in order to be really
accessible, a PDF page needs to be accompanied by a HTML page. A number of
state agencies in Oregon now do this just to keep me from hassling
them. I'd be delighted if that could become a recommendation made by some
authoritative body. The AFB paper implicitly does make that
recommendation, so maybe that's enough.
John Gardner
At 09:46 AM 5/2/02 -0400, you wrote:
>First, thank you everyone for the enthusiastic responses to my question! I
>really enjoy the online discussions by this listserv. Furthermore, I am
>happy if our search finds a bullet of a lesser metal! :> Guess there are
>not too many alternatives being offered to what I've suggested?: Omni page,
>PDF2Text, Magellan.
>
>On PDFs, I cannot turn back the clock for grand fathered corporate
>documentation, so PDFs are our reality to deal with. Making as many, if not
>all, online documents as accessible as possible is the goal. Modifying
>policy to make PDF formatted documents an 'alternate' format and making
>straight HTML format the primary offering could be a useful recommended
>strategy.
>Cheers.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: John Gardner [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: May 1, 2002 5:59 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: PDF (Was: Opera browser and screen readers)
>
>
>I recommend reading a recent white paper on PDF by the American Foundation
>for the Blind. People looking for magic bullets that make PDF accessible
>will learn that there aren't any magic bullets that will work all the time,
>or even most of the time.
> http://www.afb.org/AboutPDF.asp
>
>At 11:46 AM 5/1/02 -0400, Joe Lazzaro wrote:
> >PDF files are barely accessible, and Adobe has been less than helpful
> >about fixing bugs that stand in the way of accessibility. If you read the
> >information about PDF accessibility from the Adobe site, you will get a
> >false impression of just how accessible PDF really is. In summary, avoid
> >PDF if you can. But if you must go PDF, look at the fac on www.webaim.org
> >as it's fair and balanced.
> >
> >
> >
> >Joseph J. Lazzaro
> >HTTP://JoeLazzaro.Com
> >
> >On Wed, 1 May 2002, C.L. Sanders wrote:
> >
> > > Hi There, I am very interested in any PDF to HTML or text converters,
>which
> > > produce a product well read by screen readers. Our web development team
>is
> > > looking for an answer. Thus far I have found that Magellan is not
>usable,
> > > as it applies layering, the PDF2Text product seems alright, but needs
>hands
> > > on to complete conversions. I will be looking at OmniPage, OCR, as
>well.
> > >
> > > This is an excellent group to survey for acceptable products, for those
>of
> > > us in the web field. I appreciate your feedback on what has worked for
>you
> > > when handling PDF formatted documents.
> > >
> > > Thank you
> > >
>
>John Gardner
>Professor and Director, Science Access Project
>Department of Physics
>Oregon State University
>Corvallis, OR 97331-6507
>tel: (541) 737 3278
>FAX: (541) 737 1683
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>URL: http://dots.physics.orst.edu
John Gardner
Professor and Director, Science Access Project
Department of Physics
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-6507
tel: (541) 737 3278
FAX: (541) 737 1683
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: http://dots.physics.orst.edu
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