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O
ossosso
Participant
August 31, 2018
Answered

Add Text or/and Signature using a Screen Reader

  • August 31, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1902 views

Hi,

I'm Daniele from Italy and I'm visually impaired.

Adobe Acrobat Reader has support for Screen Reader so I can easily read PDF document.

But can happen often I have also to add some text into the PDF and then print it.

The only way I've found is to switch to "Fill and Signature" tool (in Italian is "Compila e Firma), the second tool, after the "Comment" tool.

Once opened this tool I have to click with the mouse on the area I want to type text. The problem is that I can't find the right area, because I cannot see.

My question is: using this tool, is it possible to reach the right area where to add text using the keyboard?

If I switch to this tool I have no more audio feedback when I press up and down arrow. It seems the cursor disappear and navigation is only possible via mouse.

Thank you in advance for any suggestion of how to add text using keyboard and screen reader.

Daniele.

Ps

If I don't switch to the "fill and signature" tool, I can scroll the document with the down arrow until I find the place I want to add text. If I open the context menu I can choose "Add text" and publish it. but on the document appears only an icon where the user has to click to read the text. So I can't print it.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer AkanchhaS8194121

Hi Ossosso,

Sorry to hear about such situation.

As shared, yes Adobe Acrobat Reader supports for screen reader and that feature is called "Read Out Loud". Enabling the Read out loud would help you reading the text for you.

However, to make changes to the pdf like adding text or editing is something that can not be done in free version of Adobe Reader because it comes with Acrobat DC subscription only.

What you have been using is free application Adobe Reader DC and through the "Fill & Sign" feature, which is generally used for the pdf forms to fill the data and add signature to it and it has certain limitation.

Answer to the following questions you have asked above-

1-"Once opened this tool I have to click with the mouse on the area I want to type text. The problem is that I can't find the right area, because I cannot see"

My question is: using this tool, is it possible to reach the right area where to add text using the keyboard?

Comments: No, you can not use this screen read feature with Fill & Sign tool. As "Read Out Loud" feature automatically get disabled while filling the form or adding text to it. Because that time one operation is already running and that is filling and signing the file.

2- "If I switch to this tool I have no more audio feedback when I press up and down arrow. It seems the cursor disappear and navigation is only possible via mouse"

Comments: This is a designed behavior of application, audio feature only works while reading the document. Not when any tool is being used or any action has been performed.

3- If I don't switch to the "fill and signature" tool, I can scroll the document with the down arrow until I find the place I want to add text. If I open the context menu I can choose "Add text" and publish it. but on the document appears only an icon where the user has to click to read the text. So I can't print it.

Comments: You can change this setting, Open Adobe Reader >View>Read Out Loud> Select the option "Read This page Only" or "Read To End of Document"  after selecting this option, this would read the entire document for you rather than just the text on which you click.

Hope I have tried to answers all of your queries. Let us know if there is any further question.

Regards,

Akanchha

1 reply

AkanchhaS8194121
AkanchhaS8194121Correct answer
Legend
August 31, 2018

Hi Ossosso,

Sorry to hear about such situation.

As shared, yes Adobe Acrobat Reader supports for screen reader and that feature is called "Read Out Loud". Enabling the Read out loud would help you reading the text for you.

However, to make changes to the pdf like adding text or editing is something that can not be done in free version of Adobe Reader because it comes with Acrobat DC subscription only.

What you have been using is free application Adobe Reader DC and through the "Fill & Sign" feature, which is generally used for the pdf forms to fill the data and add signature to it and it has certain limitation.

Answer to the following questions you have asked above-

1-"Once opened this tool I have to click with the mouse on the area I want to type text. The problem is that I can't find the right area, because I cannot see"

My question is: using this tool, is it possible to reach the right area where to add text using the keyboard?

Comments: No, you can not use this screen read feature with Fill & Sign tool. As "Read Out Loud" feature automatically get disabled while filling the form or adding text to it. Because that time one operation is already running and that is filling and signing the file.

2- "If I switch to this tool I have no more audio feedback when I press up and down arrow. It seems the cursor disappear and navigation is only possible via mouse"

Comments: This is a designed behavior of application, audio feature only works while reading the document. Not when any tool is being used or any action has been performed.

3- If I don't switch to the "fill and signature" tool, I can scroll the document with the down arrow until I find the place I want to add text. If I open the context menu I can choose "Add text" and publish it. but on the document appears only an icon where the user has to click to read the text. So I can't print it.

Comments: You can change this setting, Open Adobe Reader >View>Read Out Loud> Select the option "Read This page Only" or "Read To End of Document"  after selecting this option, this would read the entire document for you rather than just the text on which you click.

Hope I have tried to answers all of your queries. Let us know if there is any further question.

Regards,

Akanchha

O
ossossoAuthor
Participant
September 1, 2018

Thanks so much Akanchha for your answer.

If I switch from a free Adobe Reader DC to a payed subscription, do you know if some of the new features available can solve my problem?

I mean, can I navigate the document moving the cursor with keyboard and add text where the cursor is?

Thanks again.

AkanchhaS8194121
AkanchhaS8194121
Legend
September 17, 2018

Hey Daniele,

Sorry for the delay in response to your previous query.

Switching from free app Adobe Reader DC to a subscription version Adobe Acrobat DC would definitely give you access to all the tools available, including the "Edit" tool.

I'm not really sure what exact navigation you are looking for and what is the requirement. But, yes you can edit a pdf file using "Edit Tool" and can move the cursor over text either using mouse or keybord and place where ever you want to place it for editing.

-Akanchha 

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