Until recently, the focus in content accessibility has tended to focus on HTML and XML. As a result, content managers often turn a blind eye to the hundreds of thousands of PDF files sitting on their servers, downloaded every day... and 99% of them, hideously inaccessible, and utterly non-compliant with Section 508.
In this Learning Center, Planet PDF introduces the basic issues of accessible PDF, and what you can do about it. If you have questions, please post them on the new PDF Accessibility Conference in the Planet PDF Forum.
Accessibility is not an especially familiar concept in the computing world. Most of us encounter the idea of accessibility often enough by way of special vehicle parking spaces, ramps, braille signage, beeping crosswalks, and so on. Improving accessibility is more than a courtesy, it is an accepted and vital goal of any advanced society.
In February, 2003, I argued on Planet PDF that accessibility is a big issue for Adobe Systems - and for the future of the PDF format. See that article, and a sidebar: Comparing Tagged PDF to Accessibility for the Masses for my suggestion. With the release of Reader and Acrobat 6.0 and the Read Aloud feature, Adobe took a major step towards my recommendation for adopting an Accessibility for the Masses perspective. If you have Reader 6.0 and speakers attached, open a PDF and try a Control-Shift-V. (You'll be glad to know that Control-Shift-E stops it!).
Problem: you host PDF files, and they are some of the most heavily downloaded files on your site. You need to make them compliant with Section 508. At the same time, you want them to deliver a good experience to the end-user, beyond formal compliance. Can it be done?
OK, so you want to stamp your document. Maybe you need to give reviewers some advice about the document's status or sensitivity. This tip from author Ted Padova demonstrates how to add stamps with the Stamp Tool along with related comments.
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