I just want to add some text to the PDF version of my comic book for accessibility

Question

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do this. I've tried various things in InDesign and acrobat and nothing works. I am creating a PDF version of a comic book. Each page of the PDF has just one object, the image of the comic book page. On my website, I'm able to add alt-text to each one. For the alt text, I just have an overall description of the page and what's happening, including dialogue. How do I make this work for a PDF? I've tried going into my InDesign file before I export it to the PDF and doing this:

-Right click an image

-Click Object Export Options

-Select Alt Text

-Select Custom

-Add some text and click done.

When I export I go to File-> Export and I select interactive PDF. But no combination of options I selects results in the alt text appearing anywhere. Even when I can get it to show up in acrobat, the screen reader in windows won't pick it up (and it's not available in my browser at all). And I can't add anything at all with acrobat itself so that's a big nope (the last time I tried, it wouldn't let me mess with any accessibility options without adding form fields or converting all the text, which went horribly, naturally).

How do I make this work? Please, would love suggestions. I haven't ever done this before and I am extremely frustrated.

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com · Accepted Answer

I appears that you're setting the Alt Text correctly in InDesign, but lets first check your settings for exporting the PDF.

File / Export Interactive and check these settings:

SECOND, once the PDF is made, right-click on the <Figure> tag and select Properties. The Alt Text should appear in the field shown in the next dialogue box.

THIRD, very few technologies read Alt Text and these are generally formal, standards-compliant screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA (which is free).

Most every other voicing software is text-to-speech software (not a screen reader) and don't have all the features of a screen reader, like voicing the Alt Text on graphics. Usually these are the freebies that come with Windows and Apple operating systems and Adobe Acrobat.

We recommend testing with JAWS or NVDA and forget about testing with the other voicing software.

And BTW, select the More... button and you'll find the option to edit your post, but you do have to log into your account first.

madpsyentist · Answer

No way to edit posts huh? Figures.....I want to clarify that I don't necessarily want to SEE the alt text, I want it to exist in the PDF somewhere in a way that a screen reader will pick up, and currently that's not happening and I can't find any indication that the alt text is even present most of the time.

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