1 00:00:01,450 --> 00:00:04,897 Accessible PDF documents 2 00:00:05,821 --> 00:00:11,004 Creating accessible PDF documents is not difficult. 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:16,181 In this video we will show you step by step what accessible PDFs are, 4 00:00:16,181 --> 00:00:24,163 how to create them in Microsoft Word and Acrobat Pro and how to test the accessibility of your documents. 5 00:00:24,163 --> 00:00:30,143 We will also explain how to convert scans into machine-readable PDFs. 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,205 STEP 1: WHAT ARE ACCESSIBLE PDF DOCUMENTS? 7 00:00:32,329 --> 00:00:36,200 First of all, what are accessible PDF documents? 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:42,831 They are easy to read with screen readers and magnification software; they are clearly designed and structured 9 00:00:42,831 --> 00:00:46,866 and have some technical specifications. 10 00:00:46,866 --> 00:00:51,888 The following rule applies: Start by planning the structure of your document. 11 00:00:51,888 --> 00:00:59,651 Focus on providing information and avoid a playful or confusing layout. 12 00:01:01,140 --> 00:01:03,540 STEP 2: CREATE ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENTS IN MICROSOFT WORD 13 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,235 Now let's take a step-by-step look at how to create an accessible PDF 14 00:01:07,255 --> 00:01:10,267 in Microsoft Word and then in Adobe Acrobat Pro. 15 00:01:10,768 --> 00:01:12,398 STYLES 16 00:01:12,423 --> 00:01:15,449 First, you assign styles to your text. 17 00:01:15,449 --> 00:01:20,596 To do this, open the "Styles" gallery. 18 00:01:20,596 --> 00:01:25,580 Select a text segment and assign it a style. 19 00:01:25,580 --> 00:01:29,184 Keep to the following structure: 20 00:01:29,184 --> 00:01:34,725 For the title of your document choose the style "Heading 1". 21 00:01:34,725 --> 00:01:39,402 Please use this style only once per document. 22 00:01:39,662 --> 00:01:49,357 For chapter headings select the style "Heading 2", for subheadings "Heading 3" and so on. 23 00:01:49,357 --> 00:01:53,655 For standard text, select the "Normal" style. 24 00:01:54,330 --> 00:02:00,713 Use sans serif fonts if possible, for example Arial or Helvetica. 25 00:02:01,266 --> 00:02:07,098 Using styles will allow for a table of contents to be created automatically. 26 00:02:07,254 --> 00:02:13,116 To do this, select the option "References" and then the tab "Table of Contents". 27 00:02:15,044 --> 00:02:17,244 DETERMINE THE DOCUMENT LANGUAGE 28 00:02:17,286 --> 00:02:21,569 So the screen reader knows which emphasis should be used to read the text, 29 00:02:21,569 --> 00:02:25,026 it is important to determine the document language. 30 00:02:25,034 --> 00:02:33,536 In most cases, Word has the German language as the default setting with the "Automatically detect language" option. 31 00:02:33,636 --> 00:02:38,589 If foreign language texts are used, which are not automatically recognized by Word, 32 00:02:38,589 --> 00:02:45,482 the language can be changed using the tool "Review - Language". 33 00:02:45,742 --> 00:02:51,016 To do this, select the correct language in the list and confirm. 34 00:02:51,172 --> 00:02:58,997 In the same way, individual words or passages can be assigned to another language. 35 00:03:02,135 --> 00:03:03,835 USE OF IMAGES AND GRAPHS 36 00:03:03,860 --> 00:03:07,027 You may also want to use illustrations in your document. 37 00:03:07,027 --> 00:03:12,000 Be aware that every illustration you use needs a caption and a so-called Alt Text, 38 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,827 providing the most important information about the illustration. 39 00:03:16,217 --> 00:03:23,870 You can enter an Alt Text by right-clicking on the illustration, selecting "Edit Alt Text" 40 00:03:23,870 --> 00:03:27,454 and writing the text in the input field. 41 00:03:28,130 --> 00:03:36,773 The text stored here is not visible in the document, but is read aloud automatically by the screen reader programs. 42 00:03:37,170 --> 00:03:46,959 The structure of an Alt Text consists of: 1.) the illustration type (e.g. photo, line drawing or pie chart), 43 00:03:47,193 --> 00:03:51,711 2.) a short description, as objective as possible 44 00:03:51,711 --> 00:03:55,096 (If possible, leave the interpretation to the reader) 45 00:03:55,252 --> 00:03:58,422 and 3.) the copyright notice. 46 00:03:58,422 --> 00:04:06,346 In general: use technical terms and put any terms quoted from the illustration in quotation marks. 47 00:04:06,346 --> 00:04:10,330 It is also advisable to state in the illustration description 48 00:04:10,330 --> 00:04:17,055 whether the illustration is merely decorative or part of the content. 49 00:04:17,471 --> 00:04:21,074 Now add the illustration caption. 50 00:04:21,074 --> 00:04:27,971 While the Alt Text is active in the background, the illustration captions are visible for everyone. 51 00:04:27,971 --> 00:04:34,089 These are usually shorter and do not always provide a complete description of the illustration content. 52 00:04:34,588 --> 00:04:41,845 You can create an illustration caption by right-clicking on the illustration and selecting "Insert Caption". 53 00:04:42,390 --> 00:04:49,047 You first select whether it consists of a figure, a table or a formula. 54 00:04:49,229 --> 00:04:54,369 Afterwards write a short caption in the input window. 55 00:04:54,810 --> 00:05:00,000 This way, the caption can be reliably assigned to the image, 56 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,509 even with a screen reader. 57 00:05:02,509 --> 00:05:08,436 Such a caption also makes it possible to create a list of figures, 58 00:05:08,436 --> 00:05:11,299 which in turn can be used for navigation. 59 00:05:11,923 --> 00:05:13,876 ACCESSIBLE LINKS 60 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:17,144 Next, we'll create an accessible link. 61 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:25,231 To assure good readability of a link, it should be attached to a meaningful description. 62 00:05:25,231 --> 00:05:30,933 To do this, select the desired term, for example: "University of Potsdam". 63 00:05:31,115 --> 00:05:37,901 Right-click to open the context menu and select the "Link" option. 64 00:05:37,901 --> 00:05:41,501 This is where you paste the actual link. 65 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:47,323 The text that is displayed in the document can also be adjusted here. 66 00:05:47,635 --> 00:05:52,008 It is important to also add a ScreenTip. 67 00:05:52,008 --> 00:06:00,992 Additional information can be added to the link here, e.g. the destination of the link or some brief information. 68 00:06:00,992 --> 00:06:05,606 This will appear as soon as the mouse hovers over the link. 69 00:06:05,606 --> 00:06:10,304 These descriptions are a valuable aid for users of screen readers. 70 00:06:11,305 --> 00:06:13,305 BULLET POINTS AND LISTS 71 00:06:13,330 --> 00:06:17,311 Bullet points and lists are also important structuring tools. 72 00:06:17,411 --> 00:06:24,878 In order for lists to be tagged as such in both Word and PDF documents - and thus recognized by the screen reader - 73 00:06:24,878 --> 00:06:29,602 the list tools provided for this purpose must be used. 74 00:06:29,602 --> 00:06:36,005 There are three types of lists to choose from: the Bullet Library, 75 00:06:36,005 --> 00:06:41,422 the Numbering Library and a multilevel list. 76 00:06:42,023 --> 00:06:43,597 TABLES 77 00:06:43,622 --> 00:06:47,534 There are a few things you should keep in mind when creating a table. 78 00:06:47,534 --> 00:06:52,915 A table should not only be recognizable as such visually, but also by a machine. 79 00:06:53,315 --> 00:06:58,623 Therefore it is best to use the table tool provided for this purpose 80 00:06:58,623 --> 00:07:03,030 and not spaces or tabs. 81 00:07:03,030 --> 00:07:10,687 Using the tool "Insert" you can insert a table with the desired number of rows and columns. 82 00:07:10,687 --> 00:07:18,766 Please check the option "Table Design" in the menu to see whether the first line of your table is set as Header Row. 83 00:07:18,766 --> 00:07:21,637 If not, check the box. 84 00:07:21,637 --> 00:07:32,461 Likewise, if you want your table to have a first column on the left or a last column on the right or a total row at the bottom. 85 00:07:32,772 --> 00:07:37,551 An Alt Text should also be assigned to a table. 86 00:07:37,551 --> 00:07:44,687 As with an illustration, this text is not visible in the document, but is read out by screen readers. 87 00:07:44,687 --> 00:07:52,247 To do this, right click on the desired table and select "Table Properties" in the context menu. 88 00:07:52,481 --> 00:07:59,389 You can then add a short description in the "Alt Text" tab. 89 00:07:59,571 --> 00:08:03,256 It's similar with a caption. 90 00:08:03,256 --> 00:08:11,852 Right-click the selected table again and select the tool "Insert Caption". 91 00:08:11,852 --> 00:08:19,684 In the selection menu, switch from "Figure" to "Table" and add a short caption. 92 00:08:19,918 --> 00:08:26,247 Notice: a table should not be used as a layout grid. 93 00:08:26,247 --> 00:08:30,162 If you want to create a document with several columns, 94 00:08:30,162 --> 00:08:36,337 use the option for multi-column documents found in the menu "Layout" instead. 95 00:08:36,938 --> 00:08:38,815 COLORS 96 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,529 Perhaps you would like to color your document now. 97 00:08:42,629 --> 00:08:45,756 Do not use too many different colors. 98 00:08:46,256 --> 00:08:52,381 Make sure to use color values with the highest possible gradation. 99 00:08:52,381 --> 00:08:58,990 In particular, there should be as high a contrast as possible between the text and the background. 100 00:08:58,990 --> 00:09:01,942 Black and white is the highest possible contrast. 101 00:09:01,942 --> 00:09:06,313 If individual terms or groups of words are highlighted in color in the text, 102 00:09:06,313 --> 00:09:11,762 they need to be additionally emboldened or receive other visually recognizable features, 103 00:09:11,762 --> 00:09:17,381 because some users cannot see the color highlighting. 104 00:09:18,610 --> 00:09:22,773 Before we check our document, two more notices: 105 00:09:22,773 --> 00:09:29,462 Avoid manually creating paragraphs or adding spacings in the text by hitting the space key repeatedly. 106 00:09:29,462 --> 00:09:36,000 Instead, use the tab key or the key combination "Control + Enter" 107 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,988 for a new paragraph on the next page 108 00:09:38,988 --> 00:09:43,083 or specify the spacing in the styles. 109 00:09:44,401 --> 00:09:49,914 Unfortunately, the accessible output of footnotes does not yet work very well. 110 00:09:49,914 --> 00:09:53,807 It is therefore advisable to avoid these if possible 111 00:09:53,807 --> 00:09:56,837 or at least to limit their number. 112 00:09:57,550 --> 00:09:59,918 CHECKING THE ACCESSIBILITY 113 00:09:59,931 --> 00:10:06,266 After you have finished your document, you can now carry out a first accessibility check in Word. 114 00:10:06,266 --> 00:10:12,702 To do this, select the "Check Accessibility" tool under the "Review" option. 115 00:10:12,902 --> 00:10:17,690 The output field now shows what is still missing. 116 00:10:17,690 --> 00:10:23,468 By clicking on the listed element, you jump directly to the right place in the document 117 00:10:23,468 --> 00:10:31,011 and can add the missing information. In our case, an illustration is still missing the Alt Text. 118 00:10:34,550 --> 00:10:36,750 EXPORTING AS PDF 119 00:10:36,775 --> 00:10:40,835 After the review, you can export the document as a PDF. 120 00:10:40,835 --> 00:10:46,380 To do this, select the "Acrobat" tab and create a PDF. 121 00:10:46,614 --> 00:10:51,025 Please do not create the PDF using the "Print" function. 122 00:10:51,060 --> 00:10:54,009 STEP 3: CHECKING AND EDITING PDFs IN ADOBE ACROBAT PRO 123 00:10:54,033 --> 00:10:57,510 After exporting, we open our PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. 124 00:10:57,526 --> 00:11:01,930 First, let's look at the Bookmarks feature. 125 00:11:02,060 --> 00:11:08,504 With the Bookmarks function, which can be found at the top left, you can display the document structure, 126 00:11:08,504 --> 00:11:12,000 as it is stored for the visually impaired. 127 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:17,922 If the styles have been used correctly in Word, a correct hierarchical structure will appear here. 128 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,134 DEFINE THE DOCUMENT LANGUAGE 129 00:11:21,222 --> 00:11:26,377 If you did not yet define the document language when creating the document in Word 130 00:11:26,377 --> 00:11:28,445 you can do this now. 131 00:11:28,445 --> 00:11:36,095 To do this, you can specify the language under "File / Properties" and the "Advanced" tab. 132 00:11:36,095 --> 00:11:41,380 Caution: this way you determine the language of the entire document, 133 00:11:41,380 --> 00:11:47,200 while in Word you can also specify a different language for individual words or paragraphs. 134 00:11:47,820 --> 00:11:49,434 READING ORDER 135 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,404 If you have worked a lot with graphs or tables, 136 00:11:53,504 --> 00:11:59,409 screen readers may misinterpret the reading order of the document. 137 00:11:59,409 --> 00:12:05,844 You should therefore check the order by opening the 138 00:12:05,844 --> 00:12:09,354 "Reading Order" tool in the left bar with a mouse click. 139 00:12:09,510 --> 00:12:14,242 If this is not available, you can right-click on the tool 140 00:12:14,242 --> 00:12:21,441 "Reading Order" in the bar. Each element now has a number. 141 00:12:21,441 --> 00:12:28,865 This indicates the order of the object within the document as it will be translated by the screen reader. 142 00:12:28,865 --> 00:12:33,660 If something is wrong here, drag the element to the correct place with the mouse button pressed. 143 00:12:33,660 --> 00:12:39,573 In our case, the two images were not in the right position. 144 00:12:41,074 --> 00:12:42,975 CHECKING THE DOCUMENT 145 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,863 You can now check your document once more. 146 00:12:45,863 --> 00:12:50,546 To do this, select the "Accessibility" tab in the right column. 147 00:12:50,646 --> 00:12:55,840 If this is not available, select the option "More tools" 148 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,494 and add the tab "Accessibility". 149 00:12:59,494 --> 00:13:03,514 Now click on "Accessibility Check". 150 00:13:03,514 --> 00:13:09,457 Now you get a complete overview of your document and any possible problems. 151 00:13:09,457 --> 00:13:16,420 Here you also have the option of correcting deficiencies, for example adding missing Alt Texts. 152 00:13:16,420 --> 00:13:21,674 In addition, tips and assistance are given for troubleshooting. 153 00:13:21,674 --> 00:13:26,009 In our case we still have to add the title of the document 154 00:13:26,009 --> 00:13:31,971 and are asked to manually check a color contrast. 155 00:13:32,580 --> 00:13:38,150 Don't let any red warnings intimidate you. With a little practice they will get less, 156 00:13:38,150 --> 00:13:42,149 even though they might not disappear entirely. 157 00:13:42,149 --> 00:13:47,895 This is especially true for documents that are only being made accessible at a later point. 158 00:13:47,895 --> 00:13:53,953 If you plan your documents accordingly from the beginning, you should soon see hardly any warning messages. 159 00:13:54,380 --> 00:13:57,146 STEP 4: CONVERT SCANS INTO ACCESSIBLE PDF DOCUMENTS 160 00:13:57,270 --> 00:14:00,349 You have probably experienced this: The scan of a text 161 00:14:00,373 --> 00:14:03,651 is not available as machine-readable text, but as an image. 162 00:14:03,651 --> 00:14:09,901 To convert your scans into readable, accessible documents, do the following: 163 00:14:10,001 --> 00:14:15,790 Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat Pro and select the tool "Enhance Scans" 164 00:14:15,790 --> 00:14:25,088 in the toolbar on the right. Now you can select "Recognize Text" from the menu above. 165 00:14:25,088 --> 00:14:34,057 Your scan will now be converted to text. However, depending on the quality of the scan, the results can vary widely. 166 00:14:34,057 --> 00:14:37,978 Then save the document as a Word document, 167 00:14:37,978 --> 00:14:46,175 by selecting the option "File", "Export To" and "Microsoft Word". 168 00:14:46,175 --> 00:14:49,645 Now choose the storage location and confirm. 169 00:14:50,321 --> 00:14:54,982 Now you can open the text in Word, correct it if necessary 170 00:14:54,982 --> 00:14:59,536 and edit it according to the guidelines already mentioned. 171 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,531 If the scanned file contains graphs, these must first be 172 00:15:04,531 --> 00:15:09,495 deleted in the converted Word document, then scanned separately 173 00:15:09,495 --> 00:15:17,459 and inserted into the converted Word document as graphs in jpeg or png format. 174 00:15:18,580 --> 00:15:25,263 Finally, create an accessible PDF from the Word document in Acrobat Pro. 175 00:15:25,820 --> 00:15:27,920 STEP 5: SUMMARY 176 00:15:28,010 --> 00:15:32,960 I will briefly summarize what to pay attention to 177 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:38,871 when creating an accessible PDF. First, you assign the styles. 178 00:15:38,871 --> 00:15:44,820 You then specify the document language and add a caption and Alt Text to the images and graphs. 179 00:15:44,820 --> 00:15:51,830 With the tools provided for this purpose, you can create bullet points, 180 00:15:51,830 --> 00:15:58,407 lists and tables. You add links correctly and observe the design guidelines. 181 00:15:58,830 --> 00:16:04,861 Finally, determine the reading order and test the accessibility. 182 00:16:05,710 --> 00:16:07,454 Do not worry! 183 00:16:07,454 --> 00:16:13,861 With a little routine and planning ahead, it is not difficult to create accessible documents.