Hi,

You have a valid point, especially if one is using Windows.

I have the best success with PDFs using iOS (both iPhone and iPad).

The real problem is that publishers prefer PDF for many visual and security reasons. Unfortunately, this means we are stuck with PDFs no matter how we feel about them, at least for the short-term future.

In order to address this, the blind will need to prove that a chosen format will provide the visual security features which PDF provides.

Kind regards,

David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
Email: [log in to unmask]
Mobile: +61 488 988 936
Sent from my iPhone

> On 9 May 2018, at 07:44, Tony Swartz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hello Listers,
> 
> I hope the following is appropriate for this list, if not, please direct me
> to a list where this discussion would be more appropriate.
> 
> My opinion is that documents in the PDF format are not truly accessible,
> which is in opposition to the contention of most government entities,
> service agencies, and in fact many blind people in the know. If we're
> speaking of documents with little formatting complexity, text consisting of
> paragraphs and headings, then I would agree that just about any pdf to text
> converter will perform the conversion with a great deal of accuracy.
> However, if the document contains a degree of complexity, tables, charts,
> side bars and the like, I have yet to find a pdf to text converter to
> accomplish the conversion reliably. If you disagree with my assessment,
> please comment and let me know of your experience, and which converter
> you've found to perform the conversion with a high degree of reliability.
> 
> As I've said previously, I believe we should be discouraging the use of PDF
> and instead promote the use of HTML. I bring this up because I've run into
> so many instances when a particularly entity has stated to me that as long
> as they can provide the document in a PDF format, they have fulfilled their
> obligation to accessibility. Again, I invite any opposing view point, but
> please explain how you have arrived at your opinion.
> 
> Thank you, 
> Tony Swartz
> 
> 
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