1. Starting Point: What means efficiently in the field of accessible PDF creation? 2. The Workflow: Steps, Tasks and Tools. 3. The least an author can do 4. „Pimp your template“ - with axesPDF for Word 5. „Empower your authors“ - with axesPDF for Word 6. Summary & Conclusion

1. How to create accessible PDFs
from Microsoft Word? efficiently?
Markus Erle (Wertewerk)
How to bring
accessible PDF
documents to
the next level?
© Carsten Reisinger - Fotolia.com
PDF og tilgængelighed (Rosendahls & PDF Association) - København, Denmark - 31. October 2012

2. Agenda
1. Starting Point: What means efficiently?
2. The Workflow: Overview
3. The least an author can do
4. „Pimp your template“ - axesPDF for Word
5. „Empower your authors“ - axesPDF for Word
6. Summary & Conclusion

3. 1.
Starting Point

4. efficiently means
Not only for Freaks
1. everyone who can
handle MS Word is able
to create accessible PDFs
(even persons with
disabilities)

5. efficiently means
No repair
2. No post-processing
necessary - even for
complex document
elements (e.g. like tables,
notes or text boxes)

6. efficiently means
Faster & easier
3. the accessibility
authoring in MS Word is
less time-comsuming -
e.g. with context
sensitive task panes

7. 2.
The Workflow

8. Workflow: Overview
W
Author Convert Check & Repair Accessible PDF
1. Use Word as it is The Converter should 1. Check „Read“ the PDF with
intended to automatically
• styles
• create PDF-Tags from • Screenreader
document structure 2. Check manually
• available tools for • Braille display
lists, tables, notes • add missing • Semantics • Zoom-Software
2. Add all accessibility
accessibility features • Tag order
features • correct typical 3. Correct & Add • Assistive Technology
• Alternative text or mistakes • Mobile Viewer
decorative
Authoring Tools Tagged PDF Converter Checker for PDF Screenreader
Accessibility
• Word 2007 • „Build-In Tools“ (Word, • Jaws
• Word 2010 Libre Office / Open Office) • Acrobat Checker • NVDA
• Word 2013 • Adobe PDF-Maker With special Structure
(Add-In) View
• Libre Office / Open Office • axesPDF for Word • PAC 1.3
• axesPDF for Word (Add-In)
• pdfGoHTML
(Add-In)

9. Workflow: Overview
W
Author Convert Check & Repair Accessible PDF
1. Use Word as it is The Converter should 1. Check „Read“ the PDF with
intended to automatically
• styles • create PDF-Tags from • Screenreader
document structure 2. Check manually
• available tools for • Braille display
lists, tables, notes • add missing • Semantics • Zoom-Software
2. Add all accessibility
accessibility features • Tag order
features • correct typical 3. Correct & Add • Assistive Technology
• Alternative text or mistakes • Mobile Viewer
decorative
Authoring Tools Tagged PDF Converter Checker for PDF Screenreader
Accessibility
• Word 2007 • „Build-In Tools“ (Word, • Jaws
• Word 2010 Libre Office / Open Office) • Acrobat Checker • NVDA
• Word 2013 • Adobe PDF-Maker With special Structure
(Add-In) View
• Libre Office / Open Office • axesPDF for Word • PAC 1.3
• axesPDF for Word (Add-In)
• pdfGoHTML
(Add-In)

10. Workflow: Overview
W
Author Convert Check & Repair Accessible PDF
1. Use Word as it is The Converter should 1. Check „Read“ the PDF with
intended to automatically
• styles
• create PDF-Tags from • Screenreader
document structure 2. Check manually
• available tools for • Braille display
lists, tables, notes • add missing • Semantics • Zoom-Software
2. Add all accessibility
accessibility features • Tag order
features • correct typical 3. Correct & Add • Assistive Technology
• Alternative text or mistakes • Mobile Viewer
decorative
Authoring Tools Tagged PDF Converter Checker for PDF Screenreader
Accessibility
• Word 2007 • „Build-In Tools“ (Word, • Jaws
• Word 2010 Libre Office / Open Office) • Acrobat Checker • NVDA
• Word 2013 • Adobe PDF-Maker With special Structure
(Add-In) View
• Libre Office / Open Office • axesPDF for Word • PAC 1.3
• axesPDF for Word (Add-In)
• pdfGoHTML
(Add-In)

11. Workflow: Overview
W
Author Convert Check & Repair Accessible PDF
1. Use Word as it is The Converter should 1. Check „Read“ the PDF with
intended to automatically
• styles
• create PDF-Tags from • Screenreader
document structure 2. Check manually
• available tools for • Braille display
lists, tables, notes • add missing • Semantics • Zoom-Software
2. Add all accessibility
accessibility features • Tag order
features • correct typical 3. Correct & Add • Assistive Technology
• Alternative text or mistakes • Mobile Viewer
decorative
Authoring Tools Tagged PDF Converter Checker for PDF Screenreader
Accessibility
• Word 2007 • „Build-In Tools“ (Word, • Jaws
• Word 2010 Libre Office / Open Office) • Acrobat Checker • NVDA
• Word 2013 • Adobe PDF-Maker With special Structure
(Add-In) View
• Libre Office / Open Office • axesPDF for Word • PAC 1.3
• axesPDF for Word (Add-In)
• pdfGoHTML
(Add-In)

12. Document View Structure View (e.g. with PAC Preview)

13. Document View Structure View (e.g. with PAC Preview)

14. tag
Out of order!

15. logical reading
Out of order!

16. 3.
The least an Author can do

17. Use styles

18. Add alternative text

19. Anchor images and text boxes

20. Use Word as it is intended to
e.g.: no empty paragraphs

21. 4.
„Pimp your template“
with axesPDF for Word

22. 3-Role-Model: What knowledge is necessary?
Template Rule
Author
Creator Creator
Word Basic Advanced Expert
axesPDF for Word 0 - Basic Advanced Expert
PDF Accessibility 0 Basic Expert

23. 3-Role-Model: What knowledge is necessary?
Template Rule
Author
Creator Creator
• uses template and styles • creates the page layout
• uses Word features (e.g. for TOC, • predefines styles (font, margin
footnotes) and outline-levels) • knows all Word objects and
Word • uses building blocks and content • adds instructional text, attributes
controls building blocks, content
• anchores objects controls, protection
• uses the task panes (e.g.
• maps styles to PDF structure • works with the extracted Word
alternativ text, decorative,
elements document structure
axesPDF for Word layout table, definiton list,
• defines the default settings (e.g. • edits rules
checking)
initial view, bookmarks) • adds new rules
• clicks the create button
• knows all the PDF structure
• knows PDF structure elements elements
PDF Accessibility 0
at least by name • knows how people with
disabilities use accessible PDFs

24. Predefine Styles
With Accessibility in mind!

25. Predefine Styles
With Accessibility in mind!
Set outline level!

26. Configure Table Header Cells

27. Configure Table Header Cells

28. Configure Table Header Cells

29. Configure Table Header Cells

30. Configure Table Header Cells

31. Configure Rules: Footnotes

32. Configure Rules: Footnotes

33. Save default settings for
Accessibility in the template

34. Save default settings for
Accessibility in the template

35. 5.
„Empower your Authors“
with axesPDF for Word

36. Support Accessibility Authoring
in MS Word

37. Lean & Clean PDF-Tags
<Document>
only PDF Standard-Tags
neither nested nor needless
Sections

38. „Straighten“ up the errors Empty paragraphs
Wrong bullets
Fixing bugs Inkonsistent heading
automatically levels
during conversion

39. PDF/A-Support
on the fly you can create
PDF documents
specialialized for digital
preservation - with the
highest compliance level 1a

40. 6.
Summary & Conclusion

41. Memo 1
Prepare your templates
with Accessibility in mind

42. Memo 2
Use Word as
it is intended to

43. Memo 3
Fulfill all accessibility
requirements in the source
document

44. Memo 4
Use reliable tagged PDF converter
supporting PDF/UA compliance

45. Memo 5
Check manually with a
simplified structure view

46. Checking Tools with simplified structure view
pdfGoHTML PDF Accessibility Checker PAC 1.3

47. Thank you!
Feel free to ask questions!

48. Try the public beta!
www.axespdf.com/try

49. Picture Credits
Elevator images and Button „Next level“: (c) Carsten Reisinger - Fotolia.com
Man repairing car: http://www.flickr.com/photos/comedynose/5596445582/
Clock: (c) wagg66 / photocase.com
Electric iron: (c) Lucky Dragon - Fotolia.com
Library Bookcases: (c) wonderment - Fotolia.com

50. Markus Erle
erle@wertewerk.de
Wertewerk
Mirabeauweg 4
D-72072 Tübingen
www.wertewerk.de