NVDA Screen Reader skipping content that passed Accessibility Checker and reading order is fixed

[asiya_9090]

I have a document with a header image, titles and headers as well as opening paragraphs followed by a checklist formatted in a table. The checklist is followed by another paragraph with numbered sections. 

The document was created in InDesign, then exported to Acrobat to run the accessibility checker and fix reading order. It is completely tagged, the reading order is fixed and the whole document passed the accessibility checker after some missing tags for links were added. 

Mac VoiceOver is able to read through the entire document, so is the Read Out Loud feature in Acrobat. It is reading through an original on the Mac laptop it was created on  However, when we run NVDA screen reader on a sharing copy of the document on a different colleague's Windows desktop, the screen reader skips the intro paragraphs and reads the checklists, then skips the closing paragraphs.

Any idea what might be happening and why?

Please note, I am not able to share a copy of the document here as it is bound by confidentiality.

[carschmn]

I am confirming that this is the case and that the issue appears in both JAWS and Adobe Acrobat Read Aloud. It is missing approximately half of the text. It is picking up everything that is in alt text, but it is not picking up text in the document. 

The culprit is version 24.005.20320 which I installed on 12/27/24. 

[carschmn]

my associate that did not update her version of Acrobat does not have this issue.

[asiya_9090]

Just checked. I'm running Version 2024.005.20320 of Adobe Acrobat Pro

[AnandSri]

Hello,

I hope you're doing well, and we apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.

Please try the following steps and let us know if that works for you: 

• Verify Document Tagging: Ensure your PDF is properly tagged, as tags define the reading order and structure, which are crucial for screen readers. You can check and edit tags using Acrobat's Tags panel.

  Adobe Help Center

• Use the Accessibility Setup Assistant: Acrobat provides an Accessibility Setup Assistant to help configure preferences for assistive technologies. This tool can guide you through setting up Acrobat to work more effectively with screen readers like NVDA.

  Adobe Help Center

• Enable Cloud-Based Auto-Tagging: Acrobat offers a cloud-based service that enhances screen reader capabilities by improving the document's structure and reading sequence. To enable this feature:

  • Go to Edit > Preferences (Acrobat > Preferences on macOS).
  • Select Accessibility.
  • Check the box for Enable cloud-based auto-tagging for accessibility.
  • Click OK.

  This service can provide more accurate results, especially for complex layouts.

  Adobe Help Center

• Check Reading Order Settings: Ensure that the reading order is set correctly:

  • Navigate to Edit > Preferences (Acrobat > Preferences on macOS).
  • Choose Reading.
  • Set Reading Order to Infer reading order from document (recommended).

If the issue persists, please share the file with us along with the logs from the affected machine, the OS version for further investigation: https://adobe.ly/40BTzsn

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[carschmn]

I went back a version and the issue resolved.