Alt-text converting wrong from Word to PDF

[showalters]

We have a very long, very complex budget document we need to make 508 compliant. We are testing parts of the document to make sure we are doing things right in Word, so that we can limit accessibility issues when we convert it to a PDF. Currently I have a 12 page document with 21 charts in it. We labled each chart using the Edit Alt Text feature in word. They are labled like this: Line graph showing percentage change in Hillsborough County Taxable Property Values

When I use the Acrobat PDF maker to convert the document, then run the accessibility checker in Adobe, it has changed all of the alt text to somehting like this: Figure - P57#yIS1.

When I test the screen reader, and highlight the charts, it simply says "Blank".

So, even though we have entered descriptive alt text in Word, and even though some kind of alt text is showing on the charts (where it came from is a mystery), the screen reader still sees the chart as blank.

I tried saving as a PDF, instead of using the Adobe PDF maker, and when I do that, then it wants to see individual elements inside the chart as figures, and still does not convert the alt text we entered into the Word document.

I viewed the article for Alt-text not showing, and it was of no use. We have been told we should be able to add the alt-text in Word, it's even recommended to do it, but if it is not converting correctly or reading it correctly, what is the use?

I also noticed that even if I change the Alt Text Adobe, the screenreader doesn't read it and the tooltip (actual alt text) doesn't show up when you mouse over the chart.

I am including a link to Dropbox that contains both the Word Document and the converted PDF.

Alt Text Issues - dropbox with word and pdf 

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hi All!

Thanks for your time and patience.

The fix is available with the latest update of Acrobat & Reader DC Continuous track: Adobe Acrobat and Reader - 21.007.2009x Optional update.

Please install the latest patch, and let us know if you experience any issues.

See this article for detailed information about this release, bug fixes and how to update the app: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/adobe-acrobat-and-reader-21-007-2009x-optional-up...

Regards,
Anand Sri.

[carres2779436]

I would like to know when updates are sent out as well, I tested 508 during the summer on a huge 270+ page document and everything everyone noted was fine then and is not fine now. I have to push my document out early October so I had to manually fix everything this week and it took me a really long time to reapply all my alt text, fix the tables, etc. but Adobe actually doesn't even acknolwedge I fixed my issue and still flags it. Hoping the update helps so I just wanted to tag in to get the update. I will have to republish my doc once the adobe update comes out. 

[armack]

Looks like it's at least made it to the devs through Acrobat UserVoice, so hopefully that means....something? Soon?

https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/44183082-accessi...

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Word from inside Adobe is that they have escalated the Alt-Text problem and we should see a "hot fix" soon.

Let's hope that's not a Carribbean type of "soon come."

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

An Adobe engineer just posted in other thread the instructions for rolling back to a previous version of Acrobat.

See Ankit Kumar Gupta's solution at https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/install-the-previous-patch-update/m-p/12387847#M3...

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hi All!

Thanks for your time and patience.

The fix is available with the latest update of Acrobat & Reader DC Continuous track: Adobe Acrobat and Reader - 21.007.2009x Optional update.

Please install the latest patch, and let us know if you experience any issues.

See this article for detailed information about this release, bug fixes and how to update the app: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/adobe-acrobat-and-reader-21-007-2009x-optional-up...

Regards,
Anand Sri.

[Tanvi Rastogi · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

With the September 2021 release, PDFs with missing/incorrect table headers are flagged in the Accessibility Checker and show as failed in the accessibility check result. We have made some changes for reverting the behaviour of Accessibility Checker to pre-September Release.
The fix is available with the latest update of Acrobat & Reader DC Continuous track: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/adobe-acrobat-and-reader-21-007-2009x-optional-up.... Apply the fix and then follow the steps mentioned here: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/table-header-fails-in-accessibility-checker.html.
As part of this update, we have also fixed the alt-text of images getting missed and issue in dragging and dropping elements in both the Tag and Order panels.
We have taken a note of remaining PDFMaker tagging issues to assess for overall impact and address them in upcoming releases accordingly.
Thanks for your patience.

-Tanvi

[Tanvi Rastogi]

Hi all

This is regarding your following feedback for Adobe Acrobat: 

“Alt-Text of Charts, Images, Shapes is not passed from MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint files to PDFMaker generated PDF docs”

With our latest Acrobat DC January'23 release, the issue reported by you has been addressed.

If your product has not already been updated, to get the latest product update, click on the menu Help --> Check for updates in the product.

For more information about the release, please refer to the Release Notes and the New Feature Summary web links.

Hope this helps in addressing the reported issue. We look forward to the continued feedback.

Thanks

Tanvi

[Mitchell23427224r842]

@Tanvi Rastogi I have installed the latest release for Adobe Acrobat Pro and am experiencing now my workflows of converting MS Word files to pdfs exclude alt text in the resulting pdf. The workflow has not changed, only the version of Adobe and MS Word have changed per Adobe and Microsoft automatically applied updates.