Is the accessibility reliable?

[mrn81935511]

I have 2 PDF files for English and Chinese version, besides the different text content, they have the same image on each other.

Tthe accessibility full check only prompt error on one of the PDF and passed on the other PDF but both images also no alternative text.

How can I trust the full check result of accessibility? How i fully confirm the PDF is compliant to W3C to the public?

[Test Screen Name]

Some people have misunderstood "perpetual".

This means the license lasts forever. It does not mean updates last forever. It does not mean you get upgrades forever (or at all).

It is EXACTLY like previous versions of Acrobat. For example, if you had Acrobat 10 (X) you would get updates to Acrobat 10 for a few years, but no new features. You could upgrade to Acrobat 11 (XI) and get more updates for a few years, but no new features. And so it continues with Acrobat 2015, a paid upgrade, and Acrobat 2017, a paid upgrade.

Subscriptions are a differerent option and recommended, especially if you want to keep up to date with the fast changing world of standard compliance.

[mrn81935511]

I think the very BIG problem is the software naming of "Acrobat Pro DC", cause I have purchased the perpetual license and I didn't aware there are several track version in it(e.g 2015, 2017, 2018 and more...)

I think it should make "Acrobat Pro DC" for subscribe version only and the "Acrobat Pro DC 2015, 2017, 2018 ...etc" for perpetual only.

It would be better for understanding.

[mrn81935511]

By the way, I found that accessibility improvements included in the February 2018 release of Acrobat DC, is it also included in Acrobat Pro 2017?

Thanks for advance.

[Test Screen Name]

What does that page say about availability? Classic, continuous, both, or something else?

[mrn81935511]

Acrobat DC Continuous

I wondering the Acrobat Pro 2017 also including such feature?(say from its track version)

Currently I am using Acrobat DC Pro (version 2015)  and I am planning if it worthy to buy the Acrobat Pro 2017 as I mainly use the accessibility function for the disability person.

Since I found seems nothing involve any accessibility new feature in Acrobat Pro 2017

That's why I am confusing if it strongly suggest to buy the Acrobat Pro 2017.

[Test Screen Name]

The permanent license version is always on the Classic track, never Continuous. As I may have said, the permanent license version does NOT get new features after it's released, and the Acrobat Pro 2017 product was released before February 2018. This is normal: Adobe work hard to make the subscription version more attractive.

We don't know the future but perhaps there will one day be an Acrobat Pro 2019, and if there is, it is likely to include this new feature. So, maybe in 2 years you would get this if you pay again.

Your usage case is wanting to stay up to date in the fast-evolving world of accessibility compliance, so I would say subscription is your only real choice.

[mrn81935511]

Thanks very much.

However I just can select the perpetual version only.

Is there any essential different on the accessibility function between Acrobat DC Pro 2015 VS Acrobat DC Pro 2017? Is it suggest to buy the Acrobat DC Pro 2017?

Since I found seems nothing involve any accessibility new feature in Acrobat Pro 2017

[Test Screen Name]

If you aren't able or willing to keep up to date with Acrobat's subscription, I suggest you consider one of the third party tools.

[mrn81935511]

yes, budget is the main consideration so cannot keep on use the subscription.

What is the other third party tool please?

Btw, is there any essential different on the accessibility function between Acrobat DC Pro 2015 VS Acrobat DC Pro 2017? Is it suggest to buy the Acrobat DC Pro 2017?

Since I found seems nothing involve any accessibility new feature in Acrobat Pro 2017

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Btw, is there any essential different on the accessibility function between Acrobat DC Pro 2015 VS Acrobat DC Pro 2017? Is it suggest to buy the Acrobat DC Pro 2017?

There is great improvement in Acrobat's accessibility tools! But they are only being added to the current 2018 subscription version, not older versions of the subscription nor to the perpetual license.

2017 is better than 2015, and 2018 (especially the last one in March) is better than 2017. Adobe's engineers are doing a great deal of work on accessibility and we expect to see more improvements in future releases.

New tools and improvements are only in 2018, not previous versions. Highly recommend the subscription so that you do not have to pay extra for these improvements.

How can I trust the full check result of accessibility? How i fully confirm the PDF is compliant to W3C to the public?

No software checker can find or validate everything for accessibility.

We recommend that our clients use not only Adobe's built-in accessibility checker (from the latest version, not an outdated version) plus one of the following third-party tools:

• PAC-3 (http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac/downloading-pac.html )
• Axes4 (https://www.axes4.com/​ )
• CommonLook Validator (free checker,Test & Validate Accessibility – 508 Accessibility Compliance )

And you also need a human to review, check, and validate the PDF, too. Software alone can't do it.

[olafdruemmer]

Just for the sake of completeness:

in recent versions of Acrobat there is now also a profile in Preflight "Verify compliance with PDF/UA-1" that more or less checks for the same aspects as PDF Accessibility Checker 3 (PAC 3). As PAC 3 does not run on Mac this is especially useful for those who do not have Windows to run PAC 3.

The exact same PDF/UA-1 checking functionality found in Acrobat Preflight can also be found in the commercial product "callas pdfaPilot", which runs the "Verify compliance with PDF/UA-1" profile even if running in demo mode (in other words: after the trial expires, one can still continue to use PDF/UA-1 checking profile, no need to purchase pdfaPilot is all you need is PDF/UA-1 checking). One nice additional feature in pdfaPilot is that you can also render an HTML view that reflects the tagging structure and tags used (similar to the screen reader preview in PAC 3). It is based on the same technology as the free "callas pdfGoHTML" Acrobat plug-in. The PDF/UA-1 checking feature in callas pdfaPilot is always whether runnning the free demo or the paid version. callas pdfaPilot can either be run inside Acrobat Pro or on its own for those who do not have Acrobat Pro on their machine. the callas pdfaPilot version. The callas pdfaPilot demo can be downloaded from https://www.callassoftware.com/en/products/downloads?familyslug=pdfapilot&productslug=pdfapilotdeskt...​

Olaf

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Thanks for the additional info, Olaf!

[Test Screen Name]

I hope someone else can answer these questions. Bear in mind, though, that it probably costs more to buy upgrades to each new version of Acrobat than it does to subscribe.