The European Directive 2016/2012 of 26 October 2016 requires that all documents and forms, downloadable and published on existing public sector websites after 23 September 2018, be made “accessible” at latest by 23 September 2020. In addition, any document of this type published on new public sector websites (those published after 23 September 2018) must be accessible no later than 23 September 2019 (Article 12 (3)). Among the 3 keys of SEO (accessibility, keyword optimization, clear navigation) accessibility plays a vital role because it transforms your content into indexable formats that Google will better reference. The more your content is numerous and relevant, the better your Search Engine Optimization will be.
The accessibility of PDF documents offers many advantages: A certified publication: publications made accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.0 / ISO 14289-1 standards are eligible for “e-accessibility” certification issued by Ipedis. An improved SEO: the use of XML tags to structure the document in the same way as a HTML page enables better indexing of content by search engines.
The need to read a document only once suggests that all four formats should be considered, and appropriate ones should be made available depending on where the information will be read. If someone needs to read an agenda during a meeting, for example, an audio tape is not ideal, unless the tape is distributed ahead of time. In this situation, braille or large print may be the best choices, or if the agenda is available beforehand, the person may prefer to download the electronic file into a portable reading device for review during the meeting. Like sighted people, blind individuals want to follow along with the text and fully participate. Understandably, handouts may continue to change until close to the time of the meeting, so time pressure may become a concern. But good planning and communicating in advance with blind or visually impaired attendees will result in a better experience for everyone.
To help you comply with these regulations, we have developed an innovative technology solution: e-Accessible-PDF, which renders PDF documents “accessible”, at an ultra-competitive cost. Whether you are in the non-profit sector or the private sector, this solution allows you to expand your audiences and make them more inclusive for people with disabilities.
As many as 10% of the population in Europe have some form of visual impairment. Besides those who suffer from blindness or partial sight, there are others who experience vision disorders resulting from sensory, cognitive or motor disabilities. Our mission is to breakdown digital access barriers by making information on the Internet accessible to all, including this large segment of the population. In this regard, international standards have been ratified according to the WCAG 2.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standard. EU Legislation thereon has also been adopted and with the use of effective innovative technologies, it is possible to surf the Internet with specialized software using speech synthesizer or braille.
Some people with reduced mobility, are not able to use the mouse, they therefore navigate with adapted keyboards or use the “focus” mode to interact on a web page. In this case tagging of documents proves to be of a precious help. According to WHO, about 1.3 billion people in the world, have some form of visual impairment. In Europe, the statistics show that almost 10% are affected. These figures include people with blindness, low vision, cognitive and motor impairments. The majority of these individuals are over 50 years old. With the growing and ageing of the population, coupled with a greater prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), the WHO estimates that the number of visually impaired is expected to double by 2050.
For many years we have developed and improved our accessibility and PDF tagging techniques and now have developed a proprietary solution to accelerate the production of Ultra Accessible PDFs. This allows us to produce on a fast turnaround and at competitive costs quality PDFs. We have customers around the world, public or private companies, and meet the international standards defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), such as ADA, Section 508, WCAG 2.0 AA, HHS and PDF / UA. We are able to produce various accessible documents such as PDF, documents from the Microsoft range (word, Excel, Power point) or Epubs. Read extra info on Accessible PDF at the fair price
Unfortunately, PDF, Word, Excel or PPT documents, which are widely integrated on websites, are rarely adapted to these tools. Our role is to render these documents accessible for processing by reading software so that they can be vocalized in the correct reading order. For Apple computers, it is the “VoiceOver” reader that is used. However, this software is not compatible for PDF browsing. There are also some screen readers for mobile devices. “VoiceOver” is used on Iphones/ Ipads, “Talkback” on Android devices (Smartphones, tablets) and “Narrator” on Windows phones.
For screen readers to read a PDF document effectively, the document must have an underlying logical structure and reading order. This logical structure and reading order use behind-the-scenes elements called tags, which a PDF author adds to the document. Tags define the intended reading order of the content on each page. Screen readers rely on these tags to present text in a way that makes sense when someone is hearing the text read out loud. The tags allow a screen reader to interpret page elements such as headings, sidebars, tables, and multi-column text.
Following the conventional techniques for formatting documents with a word processor is important because doing so facilitates the production of these alternate formats. Software used to translate text into braille, for example, is designed to find and utilize standard word processing codes and to apply them to generate text formatted in the ways that are common practice for the production of braille. When generating large print, often a text must be reformatted, and this task is easier when proper coding in the word processor makes the page numbering, margins, line spacing, tabs, etc. consistent.
What are the benefits of the Accessible PDFs we produce ?
– PDFs that meet the following standards PDF / UA, ADA, Section 508, WCAG 2.0 AA, HHS…
– Documents validated through user tests
– Accessible PDFs directly utilisable
– Quick production turnaround
– A fast and customized service
For your users :
– More user-friendly navigation
– The ability to convert text to voice
– Reading on different media (tablets, mobile, screen magnifiers)
– Replacing mouse actions with keyboard combinations
– The possibility of searching in images
– A help to navigation
Braille readers may read braille on paper or they may have access to a device that can display refreshable braille. Refreshable braille displays allow the reader to scroll through the text in an electronic file. Pins on the display move up and down, as needed, in order to generate the braille “dots” that form the letters read with the fingers. Refreshable braille displays can be found as part of portable note-takers that are small machines that typically function for blind people like handheld personal data assistants do for sighted people. Refreshable braille displays may also be attached to a desktop computer. Braille on paper is generated by using software to translate the text into braille and then using a braille printer, known as an embosser, to produce the paper copies. For french visitors read more details at pdf accessible.