Hope you are doing well. Thanks for writing in!
I will try to get this answered step-by-step and in detail. I hope this will give you better clarification.
Yes, this behavior is expected in Acrobat. When you run accessibility checks for Reading Order and Color Contrast, Acrobat requires these manual checks to be reassessed each time the file is reopened, and another check is run. This is because these two criteria involve subjective assessments that the software cannot fully automate. Here's a breakdown of why this happens:
Reading Order:
- What it is: The reading order defines the sequence in which screen readers present content to users with visual impairments. This can’t be fully verified automatically because the content structure may change depending on updates to the document, or the software might not fully understand the context.
- Why it resets: Since an algorithm can’t reliably determine reading order, Acrobat prompts users to verify it manually every time. This ensures the document structure is still appropriate after the PDF changes or updates are made.
Color Contrast:
- What it is: Color contrast checks ensure that text and background colors are sufficiently distinguishable for visually impaired users. While tools can automate some contrast checks, these checks can miss context (e.g., embedded images, graphs, or charts), so manual review is necessary.
- Why it resets: Acrobat prompts you to confirm the color contrast is still valid whenever a new check is performed because the contrast depends on the content that might be altered (such as the background color or text updates).
Adobe’s Accessibility Checker Behavior:
- Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker is designed to flag these manual checks every time, even if you’ve previously passed them. The software doesn't store or "remember" the results of manual checks from previous sessions because it assumes that content may have been altered or new issues could arise during the document editing.
- This helps ensure that accessibility is verified every time, significantly when documents are edited multiple times.
Best Practices for Handling Manual Checks:
- Once you've confirmed the Reading Order and Color Contrast are correct, it's a good idea to save a note in your project management or document workflow to indicate that these checks have been performed. That way, even though Acrobat will continue to flag them as requiring manual verification, you'll know that the necessary checks have already been completed.
- You could also consider keeping a versioned log of accessibility checks for large or frequently updated documents.
Saving the Accessibility Report:
- After passing the checks, you can save the Accessibility Report. This report provides a detailed summary of the accessibility status at the time of the check and can serve as proof that the manual checks were successfully completed.
- To save the report:
- After running the Accessibility Checker, click Options.
- Choose Save Report to generate a detailed PDF report of the results.
- You can refer to this report as a reference point for confirming manual checks. [screenshot attached for reference]
Can Acrobat Save Manual check results?
By design, Acrobat does not save the results of manual checks between sessions. This is because manual checks require human validation, and Adobe Acrobat assumes that any changes to the document might alter the conditions (reading order, contrast, etc.). Thus, each new accessibility check is essentially treated as a fresh evaluation.
If you need a more streamlined process, keep notes or save the Accessibility Report to track when these checks were last performed, especially in large or frequently updated documents.
Let me know if you need more details on managing this process!
-Souvik
1
Reply
Hope you are doing well. Thanks for writing in!
I will try to get this answered step-by-step and in detail. I hope this will give you better clarification.
Yes, this behavior is expected in Acrobat. When you run accessibility checks for Reading Order and Color Contrast, Acrobat requires these manual checks to be reassessed each time the file is reopened, and another check is run. This is because these two criteria involve subjective assessments that the software cannot fully automate. Here's a breakdown of why this happens:
Reading Order:
- What it is: The reading order defines the sequence in which screen readers present content to users with visual impairments. This can’t be fully verified automatically because the content structure may change depending on updates to the document, or the software might not fully understand the context.
- Why it resets: Since an algorithm can’t reliably determine reading order, Acrobat prompts users to verify it manually every time. This ensures the document structure is still appropriate after the PDF changes or updates are made.
Color Contrast:
- What it is: Color contrast checks ensure that text and background colors are sufficiently distinguishable for visually impaired users. While tools can automate some contrast checks, these checks can miss context (e.g., embedded images, graphs, or charts), so manual review is necessary.
- Why it resets: Acrobat prompts you to confirm the color contrast is still valid whenever a new check is performed because the contrast depends on the content that might be altered (such as the background color or text updates).
Adobe’s Accessibility Checker Behavior:
- Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker is designed to flag these manual checks every time, even if you’ve previously passed them. The software doesn't store or "remember" the results of manual checks from previous sessions because it assumes that content may have been altered or new issues could arise during the document editing.
- This helps ensure that accessibility is verified every time, significantly when documents are edited multiple times.
Best Practices for Handling Manual Checks:
- Once you've confirmed the Reading Order and Color Contrast are correct, it's a good idea to save a note in your project management or document workflow to indicate that these checks have been performed. That way, even though Acrobat will continue to flag them as requiring manual verification, you'll know that the necessary checks have already been completed.
- You could also consider keeping a versioned log of accessibility checks for large or frequently updated documents.
Saving the Accessibility Report:
- After passing the checks, you can save the Accessibility Report. This report provides a detailed summary of the accessibility status at the time of the check and can serve as proof that the manual checks were successfully completed.
- To save the report:
- After running the Accessibility Checker, click Options.
- Choose Save Report to generate a detailed PDF report of the results.
- You can refer to this report as a reference point for confirming manual checks. [screenshot attached for reference]
Can Acrobat Save Manual check results?
By design, Acrobat does not save the results of manual checks between sessions. This is because manual checks require human validation, and Adobe Acrobat assumes that any changes to the document might alter the conditions (reading order, contrast, etc.). Thus, each new accessibility check is essentially treated as a fresh evaluation.
If you need a more streamlined process, keep notes or save the Accessibility Report to track when these checks were last performed, especially in large or frequently updated documents.
Let me know if you need more details on managing this process!
-Souvik
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