August 2008

pdf

Portable document format (pdf) is a widely used format on the web.

This section will cover tips & tricks and guidelines on making PDFs accessible.

Access to PDF Content

The PDF file format provides robust support for needed information to enable users with various disabilities to gain access to content delivered via PDF files. However, some people believe that PDF is an inaccessible file format. This belief is often based on outdated or incorrect information. In this article, I aim to clarify what the strengths and limitations of PDF are.

The PDF file format includes a mechanism for conveying important information about documents. Some of the most important information that users with disabilities need includes equivalents for images, information about document semantics such as heading elements, lists, and tables, designation of document language, and a linear reading order for the content. Adobe Reader is able to correctly interpret this information and conveys it to the assistive technologies that users depend on (including screen readers). Read more on Access to PDF Content..