untagged PDFs can still be read - so why bother tagging?

Question

Hello - very naive question by a newb but I cannot find an answer to this.

I recently started tagging PDFs as a way to experiement with assistive learning tools. When i tried to do an A-B test I found the screenreader I used worked on both still - irrespective of the fact that one was tagged and the other not.

The 2 PDFs were copies, so the same, they were shown by Ghostreader the same and were navigatable (basic direction functions) the same.

I use Ghostreader as am using mac - My question is, how can a screenreader still read an untagged PDF?

I have made the assumption that tagging = accessibile thus untagged = non-accessible.

If they are both readable by screenreaders, then why bother ?

any thoughts?

thanks you

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com · Accepted Answer

Good question!Backing everything @Test Screen Name said.Tags also identify the type of text someone is hearing or reading, such as headings, lists, tables, etc. That allows the user to put that text into context that makes sense.2 examples:This is a list, a formal list on this webpage. That means it will announce to a screen reader, that there is a list with 2 items in it. Here's the first one. And then yadda yadda until the list is complete, and the screen reader will announce, "out of list." So instead of hearing just a bunch of words strung together, and then trying to make sense of what the words mean, the list is "presented" to the user from start to finish. Keep in mind that those of us who are fully sighted or do not have a cognitive disability take things like this for granted: we can see the visual formatting of the list and immediately comprehend that the list has 2 items in it. That's not so for those with disabilities, so the tags give the full intent.Headings are another way to identify the meaning or context of the text. Without hearing H1, H2, etc., a screen reader user wouldn't be able to quickly figure out that "My Best-Selling Novel" was the title of the document. They'd make a guess, but not know for sure unless they heard "H1 My Best-Selling Novel." Plus, headings are a key navigation tool for those using any assistive technology. Keyboard shortcuts allow a user to hear all the H2s in the document or on the page, and then quickly navigate to the particular one that they are looking for. These concepts are based on the POUR principals of accessibililty: make it perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. You can learn more about this concept at https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/  Although originally written for website information, they apply equally to PDFs, EPUBs, and other digital formats. Since you're new to this, it's best to get some training in accessibililty, whether you want to make PDFs and office documents accessible, or websites, or audio-video, or any other form of digital content. It'll be worth your while and you'll use the training for the rest of your career. -- Bevi (a teacher)

Test Screen Name · Answer

This is a very interesting question. You are assuming that because a file can be read by a screen reader, it must be accessible. But the screen reader just takes the words off the page in the order they appear (with luck). It doesn't know about alternate text, for example. It doesn't what is a footnote, page number or artefact. It can't follow text flow which isn't the natural order.

Accessibility is defined in terms of tags - and there is also a requirement that the tags give the information needed by a person who cannot read the file directly. That is, just having tags isn't enough. For example, every graphic MUST have an alt text. There are a number of standards and in many countries there is a legal requirement for some PDF creators that they follow it.

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