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Accessibility of Powerpoint converted to Presenter converted to PDF?

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2010-01-08 13:40:53
cwparks
Registered: Apr 2 2009
Posts: 36

We create "accessible" versions of PPT presentations by cleaning up graphics (and hard returns, etc), converting the PPT to PDF, and then cleaning up the tags if necessary. Our products are considered accessible if they generate a clean Adobe PDF accessibility report (which we know is only part of the story...but that's all we're required to provide at this point).

We've recently begun seeing PPTs that include animation; our usual strategy is to replace the animation with a static graphic before creating the PDF, which isn't ideal. We noticed that PDFs generated by Presenter can actually include animations, and we're wondering if the resulting PDF can actually pass an Adobe PDF accessibility check?

Does anybody happen to know anything about this?

Thanks!
Caroline

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.0, Windows
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2010-02-09 14:57:49
#1
DuffJohnson
Expert
Registered: May 30 2006
Posts: 96
cwparks wrote:
We create "accessible" versions of PPT presentations by cleaning up graphics (and hard returns, etc), converting the PPT to PDF, and then cleaning up the tags if necessary. Our products are considered accessible if they generate a clean Adobe PDF accessibility report (which we know is only part of the story...but that's all we're required to provide at this point).
Ok... just be aware that a clean accessibility report, by itself, is almost completely meaningless. It's possible to get a "clean report" with zero tagged content! If you stop at a "clean report" you are leaving yourself open to problems the very first time a real AT user tries to read your files.

...moving on...

cwparks wrote:
We've recently begun seeing PPTs that include animation; our usual strategy is to replace the animation with a static graphic before creating the PDF, which isn't ideal. We noticed that PDFs generated by Presenter can actually include animations, and we're wondering if the resulting PDF can actually pass an Adobe PDF accessibility check?
Sure, they can pass the checker; just treat the animation object as a graphic, ie, tag the animation as a Figure and add appropriate alt. text.

You need to be mindful of the possibility that the animation may violate accessibility standards in other ways, for example, it may present content that uses contrast or color to indicate information.

Certainly, if the animation includes text that flies on and off the visible page, you'll need to be sure that all such text is included in your alt. text.

Hope that helps.

Duff Johnson
Appligent Document Solutions
http://www.appligent.com

Duff Johnson
w - http://www.duff-johnson.com
t - http://www.twitter.com/duffjohnson

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2010-02-11 08:13:23
#2
cwparks
Registered: Apr 2 2009
Posts: 36
Thanks, Duff.

Believe me, we are painfully aware that our docs may not be truly 508-compliant...unfortunately, as contractors, we don't have a whole lot of influence over the requirements.

But I appreciate your reply about Presenter. That will give us a little more ammunition.

Thanks again!
Caroline
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2010-02-12 06:37:28
#3
DuffJohnson
Expert
Registered: May 30 2006
Posts: 96
cwparks wrote:
Thanks, Duff.Believe me, we are painfully aware that our docs may not be truly 508-compliant...unfortunately, as contractors, we don't have a whole lot of influence over the requirements.

But I appreciate your reply about Presenter. That will give us a little more ammunition.

Thanks again!
Caroline
I understand your position - many of our clients are in the same boat.

All I'm really suggesting is that you make sure that your customer knows that YOU know that this requirement - by itself - does not produce Section 508 compliance.

Duff Johnson
w - http://www.duff-johnson.com
t - http://www.twitter.com/duffjohnson

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