Document Cloud View SDK - is failing Accessibility test for Screen Readers

[ANJEUK]

Hi

We are developing a Public Sector web site, in the UK. This, like every Public Sector web site in the UK, is governed by Legal enforced requirements for Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA standard). This means that all text on the web site must be Accessible via a Screen Reader (e.g. NVDA - the most popular reader, and supported by Adobe).

We tested the Embeded pdf capability of the Document Cloud View SDK (now called the pdf Embed api ?). It was great – just what we wanted – brilliant product. BUT – we then tested with NVDA.

Failure – the Screen Reader cannot see the text based pdf – at all ! Export it to Standard Acrobat Reader, and NVDA ‘sees’ it fine. So there is a bug with the View SDK viewer.

Retested using the Bodea test page at

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/view-sdk-demo/index.html#/view/FULL_WINDOW/Bodea%20Brochure.pdf

This failed on NVDA – so its easy for Adobe support to check out.

Made a Case - ADB-14021967-Y1N5 – you can see all the testing details there. Support asked me to post this on this forum. NVDA Support team also tested this – they agreed there is a problem with the Adobe View SDK – and they showed me that there is a Hidden Checkbox in the demo page view SDK – that turns off Accessibility for Screen Readers ! (i.e. its not just on the demo page - its part of the View SDK) Very strange, and not what Adobe should be doing ?

Please can you investigate and fix – if the View.SDK is not able to work with Screen Readers, then no Public Sector web sites, in most countries worldwide, will be allowed to use it – not a good thing ? Thanks Andrew

PS - Just to clarify - Adobe Support had phoned me, and told me that the support method on this product is via this Forum - rather than the normal Adobe Support cases - i.e. I am not looking for any assistance from other users on this, but I am providing the info for the Adobe development team, to report a bug. I am a bit confused by this process - surely a bug report should have gone in via the Adobe Support Case, but apparently that is not how it works - the support case has been closed by Adobe (although the bug still exists and development have not been informed), and development now have to hear about the bug from this Forum posting !

[Suren P]

Thanks for using View SDK and sharing the feedback. Currently View SDK doesn't support content accessibility and that is the reason why it is failing for text based PDF. We will consider this for future development, please be rest assured that we are actively monitoring this forum and it has reached the correct team.

[ANJEUK]

Thank you SurenP for getting back on this. 

For reference, in the United Kingdom, this is the government web page that covers this requirement for Accessibility

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps

On this page, you will see that the legislation requiring this is :

Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

The deadline for compliance is September 2020 - i.e in 2 months time.

My understanding is that similar requirements exist in many other countries.

i.e. this need for the text of a pdf file, in a web site viewer, to be Screen Reader usable is a key requirement, and so hopefully it is high on the list of development tasks for the View SDK

I am very impressed by the View SDK - ignoring the Accesiblity problem, it looks like a real advance in making pdf files much more usable within a web site - so well done to the dev team on making this tool, and wishing you all best for getting it Accessible as well - then it really will be useful.

It would be good if you could reply on this post when the SDK has been made Accessible - then anyone interested will be able to pick up on this, having 'followed' this post.

Thanks

Andrew

[Suren P]

Yes Andrew, we will update on this forum post when it is ready.

[Ezra5CC3]

It's been a year and a month since this post and the issue is still ongoing. All pdfs being embedded with your API are completely inaccessible, and as near as I can find, there is no information available on the timeline of this fix. Companies using this API is in violation of local accessibility laws and - more importantly - customers and employees with disabilities are impacted. Can you give us some kind of update on this?

[Michael29738064doz2]

Also very interested in this functionality from an ADA Title II public entity perspective. Any updates on progress?

[umair14]

Is there any update on accessibility issues on SDK PDF Viewer? Its been 6 months now. Any roadmap or progress on it? Can anyone please confirm on Accessibility including screen reader?

[Michael29738064doz2]

I just found the hidden accessibility check box too in the link you shared! I removed the class that hides it in dev tools and then tested with NVDA and now everything works as expected. It seems like this was developed to be an option only accessible to screen readers, but I cannot find a way to get to it with NVDA+keyboard navigation.

Adobe - please have this enabled by default (or at least not hidden!), and if you can provide more information on this feature and how to use it, that would be very helpful. Thank you!

Related code from the shared example:

<div><input class="Accessibility__elementInvisible___3eGvf" type="checkbox" id="accscreen" aria-disabled="false" value="Enable Accessibility for screen reader."><label class="Accessibility__elementInvisible___3eGvf" for="accscreen">Enable Accessibility for screen reader.</label></div>