PDF (Portable Document Format) plays an important role when it comes to sharing information as a digital document. As a digital society, it is vital to recognize the importance of creating accessible PDFs and documents which ensure equal access to all members of the community.
PDF documents are popular to use as they preserve the visual and layout formatting of the content as intended originally by the creator and hence have become synonymous with ‘Universal Accessibility’ as PDFs support the semantics of rendering a logical structure to its content. This is central as people with disabilities and other visual impairments rely heavily on accessible documents for information and knowledge sharing.
The Need for Creating Accessible PDF Documents
Accessibility considerations are important as around 20% of the world’s population use assistive technology devices such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, text-to-voice software to access content. This includes students as well as employees with disabilities.
It is the responsibility of the parent institution or organization to ensure that any information held/ shared in PDF format complies with Section 508, WCAG 2.0, PDF U/A, & ADA regulations.
Here’s where the PDF remediation process of assigning tags and creating a perceivable, operable, and accessible structure independent of the document layout comes into play.
What is a Tagged PDF?
A tagged PDF is a PDF document where its content is marked-up using HTML tags to provide context and a logical reading structure to the document.
PDF remediation sets a hierarchy-based order of marking-up content, making it easy to navigate documents for those using assistive technology devices.
What are PDF tags?
Tags are digital labels that provide information to assistive technology about what elements the documents contain. Each PDF tag categorises the content and stores some attributes to it. They are similar to the HTML tags and their attributes including lists, tables, images, headings, paragraphs, forms, artifact and many more.
The tag structure can be viewed on the left panel of a PDF document. To an accessibility expert, this provides the information in the order by which the document will be read-out. Most PDF remediation tools allow for edits in the tag tree panel, to establish a logical reading order to the document.
Why is Tagging PDF Important?
- As per World Health organization (WHO) , currently there are more than 2 billion people living with some form of disability. Out of which, 1.3 billion people are said to be experiencing some form of blindness or visual impairment.
- Most corporate and government organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and other academic bodies use PDF to widely share information on the web. Hence, it is fundamental that this information is accessible to all.
- According to the WCAG(Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) guidelines, Section 508 , fair treatment is required for people with disabilities. It specifies that all electronic information and communication technology like websites, electronic documents, and apps must be fully accessible to all users equally.
In simple words, a tagged PDF is an accessible PDF version that removes any accessibility barriers and allows users to navigate the content – headers, body text, menus, lists, tables, images with alternative text, fillable form fields and artifacts, using a screen reader or any assistive technology.
For businesses and institutions who are seeking affordable, fast, and simpler solutions for Section 508 compliant PDFs, connect with us at contact@continualengine.com.
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