Creating accessible PDFs – course outline
The following is an outline of a typical PDF accessibility training day. Please note that courses can be tailored to individual requirements. For example, we can include a workshop to look at a selection of your organisation's published PDFs and examine the strengths and weaknesses of the production processes behind them.
9.30. Session 1 — structuring source documents correctly
This session explains the importance of building structural elements, particularly headings and tables of contents, into source documents. It also highlights potential problems in various document production processes and explains how to avoid them.
- Using structural elements (headings, lists etc).
- Tables of contents
- Images and alt text
- Links
- Potential pitfalls: colour contrast, footnotes, text formatting, white space, charts and graphs
- Converting to a tagged PDF
10.45. Break
11.00. Session 2 — introducing Acrobat Professional
This session introduces Acrobat Professional. It covers scanned documents, Acrobat’s various accessibility reports and its principal PDF accessibility editing tools.
- OCR: dealing with scanned documents
- Accessibility reports
- Read Out Loud and Reflow
- The TouchUp Reading Order tool, order panel and tag tree
- Reading order problems
12.30. Lunch
1.30. Session 3 — working with Acrobat Professional
This session provides practical examples of common PDF accessibility problems and how to fix them. Topics include footnotes, complex data tables and essential PDF housekeeping.
- Links, headings, alt text, footnotes and data tables
- Meta data, document language
- Opening PDFs in Adobe Reader or Acrobat
- File size optimisation
15.00. Break
15.15. Session 4 — accessible PDF forms
This session covers the creation and distribution of fully accessible interactive forms using LiveCycle Designer.
- Creating accessible PDF forms
- Understanding screen reader "forms mode"
- Accessible validation
- Online and email distribution, and automated data compilation
Further information
For further information please call us on 01932 355 222 or 07918 952 874.
