Module 2: Testing a PDF for Accessibility

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Voice Over (VO): Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice, AED-COP.

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VO: You are watching how to test and remediate PDFs for accessibility using Adobe Acrobat DC. This is Module 2, Testing a PDF for Accessibility. This video is one in a series showing how to make a PDF, Section 508 Conformant.

VO: In this module, we will review steps for testing a PDF's accessibility, including:

• How to set up the document's properties
• How to manually evaluate accessibility of the document's content
• How to use Acrobat's accessibility full check tool
• How to use Adobe's read out loud text-to-speech tool to read the PDF

VO: Before utilizing Acrobat's accessibility check tools, the PDF must be visually verified to identify issues that cannot be detected by the automated testing tool. For example, visually ensuring proper heading level structures were used, or verifying that descriptive alternative text was applied to images and objects.

VO: Please note, in order to perform the visual checks in Adobe Acrobat, you must be able to view the screen and use a mouse. Additionally, if the PDF contains attachments or is a portfolio, each individual document must be evaluated for accessibility using the correct testing methodology.

VO: For guidance on how to test Microsoft Office documents, visit www.section508.gov/refresh-toolkit/test.

VO: Now, let's take a look at the PDF's document properties. The PDF's document properties should contain a few key pieces of information, such as a descriptive file name and tags. It should also allow copying content for accessibility and have a specified language.

VO: To view the document properties, first open the PDF and select File, then Properties, then Description. In the Title field, verify that a descriptive title appears. Next, navigate to the Initial View tab, and from the Show drop-down box verify that Document Title is selected.

VO: If the Title field is missing a descriptive title and Document Title is not selected, the PDF is considered not accessible. A descriptive title will need to be added and the Show field will need to be set to Document Title before the PDF can be considered accessible.

VO: While on the Description tab, verify that the tagged PDF option is set to Yes. If the tagged PDF option is set to No, the document is not tagged, and therefore is not accessible. The document will need to be tagged before it can be made accessible.

VO: From the Properties window, select the Security tab and verify Content Copying for Accessibility is set to Allowed. If the option is set to Not Allowed, Assistive Technology will not be able to access the PDF's content, rendering the PDF not accessible.

VO: Change the Security Settings to allow Content Copying for Accessibility. Do this by selecting a different security option from the Security Method drop-down box, or by selecting Change Settings and then set the Security Settings as needed. If the Security Method has been set to No Security, then no restrictions for Content Copying have been applied.

VO: Lastly, ensure a primary language is assigned. From the Properties window, select Advanced, then Language, and verify that the proper primary language is assigned to the document. If the language is not set correctly, screen readers will be unable to reliably read the PDF, rendering the PDF not accessible. The correct language will need to be assigned before the document can be considered accessible.

VO: If the document contains multiple languages, the language will need to be set as a property of the tag associated with the content that contains a language change before the document can be considered fully accessible.

VO: Next, we'll take a look at the contents of a document. The physical view of the document may contain specially formatted text that may represent heading levels, lists, tables, figures, and form-field elements.

VO: Having a clear view of the elements that were used to create the document will help you identify what document elements need to be tested for Section 508 conformance.

VO: If the content within the PDF appears blurry or contains handwritten information, the document was most likely scanned. Scanned documents may or may not contain actual content. Without actual content, assistive technology will be unable to read or interact with the PDF.

VO: To verify that the PDF contains actual content:

1. First, go to Acrobat's View menu and select Show Hide, then Navigation Panes, then Content.
2. Next, expand the content tree by pressing Shift + 8.
3. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate the content pane.

VO: As you navigate the content pane, the content of the physical view of the PDF should highlight. If the pages in the PDF do not contain renderable content, the document is not accessible and optical character recognition or OCR will need to be performed.

VO: For more guidance, go to Module 4, Converting Scanned Documents into Section 508 Conformant PDFs.

VO: After verifying that the PDF contains renderable content, the tag structure tree will need to be examined to ensure all document elements such as headers, paragraphs, list, data tables, figures, and form field elements are associated with the correct tag.

VO: Note, all elements in a PDF must be tagged. If the element is not tagged, it will not be accessible by assistive technology such as screen readers.

VO: Elements that are tagged as artifacts, otherwise known as decorative images or repetitive content, will not show up in the tag structure tree. However, the tag will be visible in the content pane.

VO: To view and navigate the tags:

1. Go to Acrobat's View menu and select Show Hide, then Navigation Panes, then Tags.
2. Next, expand the tags tree by pressing Shift + 8.
3. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate the tags tree.

VO: As you navigate the tags tree, the content on the physical view of the PDF will highlight. If the tag does not properly represent the element on the physical view, the document is considered not accessible and the tags will need to be modified.

VO: If you are uncertain what type of tag is being used:

1. Right-click on the tag and select Properties.
2. The Type field will display the tag's name.
3. To modify the tag, simply select the correct tag type from the list of tags.

VO: Next, use the tag structure tree to verify the document's logical reading order. Tags must follow the visible logical layout of the page. Without a proper logical reading order, assistive technology users will find it difficult or impossible to follow the natural flow of the document's content.

VO: To verify logical reading order:

1. First, open the tags pane and expand the tag structure tree.
2. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate the tag structure tree.

VO: As you navigate the tags tree, the content on the physical view of the document will highlight. If the tags are arranged in such a way that they follow the visible logical layout of the page, the document has a logical reading order. If the tags appear to be out of order, the tag structure tree will need to be rearranged before the PDF can be considered accessible.

VO: Now we will evaluate the logical tab order. If the PDF contains links or form field elements such as text boxes or button controls, the PDF must be evaluated for a logical tab order. The tab order must follow the visible logical layout of the page.

VO: To evaluate the tab order:

1. First press the Tab key to navigate the document.
2. Then verify that the keyboard focus follows the visible logical layout of the page.

VO: When pressing the Tab key, if the keyboard focus does not follow the visible logical layout of the page, then the document is not accessible and the tab order will need to be adjusted.

VO: Next, we will check the PDF for figure elements. If the PDF includes figure elements that are not decorative, the figures must contain alternative text. Alternative text is descriptive text that describes the purpose of an image. Without alternative text, users that are unable to see the images in the document will not be able to access all the information provided in the document.

VO: To verify that useful alternative text was used for images:

1. View figures by navigating to Tools, then Accessibility, then Reading Order, then Check, Show Tables and Figures.
2. Next, look for text descriptions placed on meaningful images and objects.
3. For images marked by a figure, right-click and select Edit Alternate Text.
4. Examine all captions associated with the image for a text description.
5. Examine the surrounding content for text that describes the image and other objects.
6. Next, check that the descriptive text conveys the purpose and/or function of the image or object.
7. For images of text, check that the descriptive text matches the text contained in the image verbatim.

VO: If the alternative text descriptions are not correct, the document is not accessible and the alternative text will need to be corrected.

VO: Now, we will look at data tables. If the PDF contains data tables, the data table must be tagged using the Table Tag. Additionally, all column and row header cells must be tagged with the Table Header or TH Tag.

VO: Complex tables containing more than one set of column headers or that have data cells which span across multiple columns or rows must contain proper scope. Scope denotes which data cells are row headers or column headers and span identifies a number of columns or rows a data cell extends across.

VO: Images of data tables are not considered accessible and must be converted into proper data tables that contain actual content.

VO: To evaluate simple data tables for accessibility:

1. First, navigate through the document and identify the first data table.
2. Next, go to the Tags pane.
3. From the toolbar within Acrobat, click on the Selection tool and then select the first data cell in the data table.
4. From the Tags pane, select Options, then Find Tag from Selection.
5. Expand the Table Tags and identify each table row or TR Tag that is associated with each column or row header.
6. Now, expand the TR Tag to verify each data cell is tagged as a table header.

VO: After verifying that table header cells are identified properly, make sure that all non-table header cells are tagged as table data. If any of the table data cells are not associated with the correct tag, such as Table Header Tag or Table Data Tag, then the table is not accessible. The tags will need to be modified before the table can be made accessible.

VO: If you are validating a complex data table for accessibility, in addition to these steps, you will also need to check the scope for column and row headers as well as a span for data cells.

VO: To evaluate scope and span in a complex table:

1. First open the Order pane.
2. Select Options, then Show Reading Order Panel.
3. Select the Reading Order number associated with the data table.
4. From the Reading Order panel tool, select Table Editor.
5. Now, right-click on each column and/or row header cell and select Table Cell Properties.
6. Verify that scope is set to column header for column header data cells and that row header is set for row header data cells.
7. For column headers that also represent a row header, make sure that both column header and row header are selected.
8. Next, identify any data cells that span across more than one column or row and right-click on the cell, then select Table Cell Properties.
9. Verify that the span identifies the proper number of columns or rows and cell spans.

VO: If the scope and span are not properly identified, the complex table is considered not accessible and the data cells properties will need to be properly set before the data table can be considered accessible.

VO: Note, the Table Editor tool may not always function properly. Therefore, you will have to use the tag structure tree to verify the table tags are set properly and assistive technology to ensure that the table reads correctly.

VO: Next, we will review Form Field Elements. If the PDF contains Form Field Elements, it is important each Form Field Element contain a tooltip and appear in a logical tab order.

VO: In order to correctly and accurately complete a form, it is necessary to follow instructions, directions and cues and also be able to enter information in the correct fields.

VO: Note, if the PDF producer is Adobe Live Cycle Designer, then this process will not be sufficient. Until the AEDCOP publishes the harmonized processes for Section 508 testing, baseline tests for accessible electronic documents, Adobe Live Cycle, testers should rely on user testing with assistive technologies.

VO: To see if the PDF was created using Live Cycle:

1. Examine the document's properties by going to Acrobat's File menu and select Properties, then PDF Producer.

VO: To evaluate Form Field Elements for accessibility:

1. First, press the Tab key to find Form Elements such as Text Fields, Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, Combo Boxes, etc.
2. Next, hover over each Form Field to reveal the tooltip.
3. Now, check that the tooltips match the label or instructions.
4. Check that the tab order matches the visual and logical order of Form Fields.

VO: Now, we will evaluate PDF links. If the PDF contains links, the links must be uniquely identified, the purpose or destination of the link must be clear, and it must appear in a logical tab order.

VO: To verify that links are being used properly:

1. Press the Tab key to find links and user controls.
2. Now, check that each link has an unambiguous name and that it describes the destination, function, and/or that the purpose of the link is discernible within context.
3. If an image is a link or user control, then the alt text of the image can state the link purpose, function, or destination.
4. Lastly, check that the tab order matches the visual and logical order of links.

VO: If the link is not unique, even though it has a clear destination and appears in a logical tab order, then the PDF is not accessible and the link will need to be adjusted.

VO: Now, we will evaluate Sensory Characteristics. If a PDF uses sensory characteristics such as color, size, shape, and location, it must include text to convey meaning. Without text, individuals who are blind, low vision, or color blind will not have access to comparable information.

VO: To evaluate sensory characteristics:

1. First, find color and other sensory characteristics in your PDF.
2. Next, check that there is text that conveys the meaning of color or other sensory characteristics.

VO: If the full meaning of the document is not conveyed without relying on sensory characteristics, the PDF is not accessible. The original source document will need to be redesigned before the PDF can be made accessible.

VO: In addition to providing information for items conveyed by color or sensory characteristics, readability must also be evaluated. Having a high level of contrast between foreground and background results in more people being able to see and use the content.

VO: Standard-sized text must have a contrast ratio of 4.5 to 1. Large text, text size 14-point and bold, or size 18-point and regular, must have a contrast ratio of 3 to 1. Incidental text, text overlaid on images or logotypes, are excluded from the contrast ratio requirement.

VO: To evaluate color contrast ratios:

1. First, download the Color Contrast Analyzer. You can run the application without installing it onto your computer. See the baseline test document for the link.
2. Drag the foreground eyedropper icon over a sample of your text or image of text.
3. Then, drag the background eyedropper icon over a sample of your background color.
4. Now, check that the color contrast ratio passes level AA in the Color Contrast Analyzer.

VO: If the document does not contain strong color contrast, the document is not accessible. The original source document will need to be adjusted before the PDF can be made accessible.

VO: Now that the document has been manually tested, it is important to run Acrobat's Accessibility Full Check Tool to identify any issues not found when manually testing the document.

VO: To access Acrobat's Accessibility Full Check:

1. Select Tools, then Accessibility, then Full Check.
2. Select the Select All button to check all the checkboxes. This will ensure that the PDF is tested for full accessibility.
3. Then, select the Start Checking button.

VO: The Full Check Accessibility Report indicates all errors with full text and a red circle with an X. Expand each category in the report to see the full list of errors.

VO: Right-click on an error and select Fix to repair the error. Note that not all errors will have this option. If the Fix option does not appear, select the Show and Tags pane option. This will allow you to manually correct any tags.

VO: To do this:

1. Right-click on the tag and select Properties, then Type.
2. Now, scroll through and select the correct tag type.

VO: When using the Accessibility Full Check Tool to repair errors, if you select the Check Again menu option by right-clicking on the repaired error, the error will disappear if it was fixed properly.

VO: An additional resource Adobe offers is the Read Out Loud Text-to-Speech Tool. To get an idea of how text-to-speech may sound when reading a PDF, take advantage of Adobe's built-in Text-to-Speech tool.

VO: To access the Text-to-Speech Tool:

1. First navigate to the View menu and select Read Out Loud.
2. Then, activate Read Out Loud.
3. Then, select View. Then, Read Out Loud. Then, Start.

VO: Note, the Read Out Loud screen reader does not function the same as a dedicated screen reader such as JAWS. Therefore, the Read Out Loud screen reader must not be used for testing the document for Section 508 conformance.

VO: In the next module, we will dive in to how to remediate any errors found in a PDF after testing has concluded.

VO: Thank you for watching Module 2. You are encouraged to watch the other modules in this video series and revisit modules to gain a mastery of the information provided.

VO: To learn more about Section 508, visit www.section508.gov.

VO: This video is a product of the Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice, Chief Information Officers Council, and the Federal Aviation Administration.