Cannot get Reader to recognise two-columns in a text document

[DaniOwl]

I dont' know where else to turn so hopefully someone here can help. I'm at my wits end and close to just returning this product.

I purchased Adobe Acrobat 2020 Steudent to assist in formating pdfs to run through text to speech (due to reading difficulties), and am getting frustrated at the programs inability to do anything.
Right now, I have a document with two columns of text which are being read as if it is a continuous sentence and the tool I'm told should correct this (reading order) is not where any guides say it should be or anywhere at all I can find.
The reading mode is also shot, and no adjustments to pitch stop it being unbearably deep in pitch.
I'm struggling to see why I should not just return this program as it is doing nothing of what I purchased it for.

Please, any guidance would be supremely appreciated.

Danielle

[Test Screen Name]

You say "Reader". Does the app you are running say "Acrobat Reader" along the top, or something else?

[DaniOwl]

No, sorry I should have been clearer, I meant the built-in Read Out Loud function of Acrobat
1. I am trying to format flat pdfs into readable ones with ocr in Acrobat but it won't recognise pages with two columns as separate not just a run-on sentence
2. The built-in Read Out Loud is stuck on a deep pitch and no adjustment in preferences will change it. A lesser by still very frustrating issue.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

First, only Acrobat Pro has tools for controlling accessibility in the PDF.

From what you described, it's hard to tell if you have the student version of Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro.

Second, Read Out Loud is not a "conforming processor." That is, it doesn't comply with the PDF/UA-1 accessibility standards; consequently, it doesn't read (or process) the PDF correctly, no matter what you do.

Use a real screen reader for testing, such as JAWS (by Freedom Scientific) or the free NVDA at https://www.nvaccess.org/download/ 

Stop wasting your time testing with Read Out Loud; it just doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Piece of junk!

[DaniOwl]

Thanks for the response!
I have Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 Student & Teacher, Mac. The guides I've found suggest that the Accessibility features like Reading Order should be under view, but not so I can find 😞 I've been at it all evening and really out of ideas.
Good to know about the Read Out Loud feature, I do have other software for the actual reading but wanted to see if I could do it in Acrobat to save double-handling.

[Test Screen Name]

1. Please post a link to a page that suggests Reading Order is under View. I'm not seeing that.

2. Reading Order is not accessibility. If you want an accessible file, it is not relevant to the process. According, at least, to https://talkingpdf.org/each-pdf-page-is-a-painting/

[try67]

Go to Tools and search for the "Touch Up Reading Order" tool. It will allow you to fix it.