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Question

Is the accessibility reliable?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
May 16, 2018
16 replies
3802 views

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?

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Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

Legend

You really want to upgrade to Acrobat Pro DC:2018, the latest version with the latest, most accurate accessibility checker. If you're making accessible PDFs, it's critical to have the latest versions of all your software because Microsoft, Adobe, and other manufacturers are making significant improvement to accessibility features.

For example, using the latest version of Acrobat Pro DC:2018, you'll have improved tools for making PDFs accessible, such as the Autotag utility. Many more improvements, too many to mention here.

If you're using Adobe InDesign and exporting to PDF, the export is making more accurate, tagged PDFs than previous versions.

Also recommended: switch to the subscription version of Acrobat so that you always will have the latest, most accurate tools for accessibility.

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

Legend

You check the latest updates and versions here: https://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates.html

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

Legend

And you can see a brief list of new features (not everything) here: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/user-guide.html

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Subscribers will get these new features. With permanent licenses, you only get new features by buying an upgrade (just as in the days before subscriptions).

M

mrn81935511Author

Participating Frequently

Does it mean "Subscribers" can always get the new upgrade version?

And the permanent license user only get the new features regard to the version that he/she had purchased?

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

It's up to date as in "no free updates are available". You have a security update from this month. But you do not get new features like improved accessibilty checking.

M

mrn81935511Author

Participating Frequently

noted, is it there are released new feature of improvement on accessibility then we need to purchase the new version again?

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

You can purchase an upgrade to Acrobat 2017.

M

mrn81935511Author

Participating Frequently

How come mine Acrobat DC Pro is not always up to date???

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Ok, the versions are critical. Today, Adobe uses the name "Acrobat DC" to mean only the subscription version, which is always up to date. But originally it was also the name of the product with a perpetual license. Later they decided this was Acrobat 2015.

So, to try to turn this back into something that makes sense: your partner is running Acrobat 2017, and you are running the version before, Acrobat 2015. You can purchase an upgrade to Acrobat 2017. We can assume that there were improvements to accessibility checking in these 2 years.

Acrobat 2017 is already behind the subscription version, which always gets changes first.

M

mrn81935511Author

Participating Frequently

Actually it is really confusing me on so many different name of the products....

As you said, I am suggested to upgrade my current version to Adobe Acrobat DC Pro to Adobe Acrobat 2017 Pro, is it free upgrade?

a_C_student16379412

Inspiring

"the accessibility full check only prompt error on one of the PDF"

Hard to say. One of the images may be marked as an artifact or incorrectly tagged as text or something else.

"How can I trust the full check result of accessibility?"

You can't and shouldn't. An automated checker can be helpful in checking certain aspects of accessibility, but can't do the whole job - not by a long shot.

How i fully confirm the PDF is compliant to W3C to the public?

A knowledgeable person must check the PDF against all the W3C and/or ISO 14289 criteria - depending on your requirements.

M

mrn81935511Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks for your prompt reply.
Attached pls find the image containing same logo definitely without alternative text but they got different accessibility result( one passed and one failed)

How it could be? How can I know images may be marked as an artifact or incorrectly tagged as text or something else?

Pls advise.

a_C_student16379412

Inspiring

Sorry, really hard to say without examining the PDF. Sometimes there is a null string for Alternate Text or Actual Text that is impossible to see and fix without diving into the innards of the tag. See https://taggedpdf.com/508-pdf-help-center/actual-text-with-null-string/

Or, could be something completely different. You might try the free PAC 3 from Access for All. It does a more thorough job compared to the checker built in to Acrobat Pro, and sometimes is better at pointing out the specifics of errors. Downloading PAC 3 - Stiftung «Zugang für alle»

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