NewFormat AB

NewFormat make PDF information permanently
accessible, searchable, readable and reusable
for the future and for as many people as possible.

We create accessible PDF in compliance with the ISO Standard PDF/UA.

Our solutions are based on
recognized ISO Standards based on PDF technology
and tested, reliable, and highly accessible software solutions from
the PDF Association vendor community.

Accessible PDF

Recommended Tools to Create, Validate and Remediate PDF files
for Compliance with the ISO Standard 14289, PDF/UA,
for Universally Accessible PDF

PDF/UA Creation Tools

In principle, universally accessible PDF documents can either be
generated directly during document creation, using a suitable program,
or indirectly generated by adapting an existing PDF document.

The indirect approach tends to require a great deal of work,
as all tags and numerous other settings will need to be provided manually.
This work can also become void as soon as a new version of the PDF document
replaces the old one, if any changes to the document’s content need to be made.
The adaptation process must then be started again from scratch.

The direct approach is almost always the better option;
post-creation PDF edits should be avoided or at least kept to a minimum.
Either way, it is essential that the document creation program can perform
the functions required and that the document creator can make use of them.




Validation for PDF/UA Compliance

A PDF document’s degree of accessibility is hard to determine at first glance.
How, then, can you tell if and to what extent a PDF file meets
the requirements of PDF/UA?

A reliable compliance test depends on at least two stages of validation:

1. a programmatic test, which can be performed by a piece of software, and


2. an interactive test carried out by a human.



Dedicated validation/test tools will help the user perform the programmatic test.
They test and show the extent to which the PDF document meets the standard’s
purely technical requirements (including requirements for tag-based document
structuring of document title, headings, paragraphs, columns, tables,
alternative text for images, etc...) and uses the correct syntax to implement them.

For programmatic PDF/UA compliance validation of a PDF document,
we recommend to validate the document with more than one test tool.




The semantic aspects of PDF/UA, however, cannot be tested in the same way:

• Is the reading order logical?


• Does the alternative text adequately represent the same information
  as the images to which it is attached?


• Do the header tags reflect their corresponding header levels?

These and other questions can only be answered after evaluation and testing
by a human user; PDF/UA always requires human interaction.




One further test (which should be run on at least a random sample of
all documents created) is to use the PDF document with a selection of
current types of assistive technology.

Regular users of the technology can be enlisted to test
the documents in this way; in most cases, however,
anyone can in principle perform a useful test with assistive
technology to confirm the readability of the PDF document.

One very simple option here is to use the free
Windows screen reader program NVDA.
A user can quickly get to grips with the core functions of
the software in order to test how well people with disabilities can
actually use an existing (ideally fully PDF/UA-compliant) document.




Tools and services for successful use of PDF/UA for accessible PDF

Contact NewFormat,
we will guide you to the right tools and services for your business

Why not only use native Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat,...
to create Accessible PDF?

It is not the assistive technologies (nor software tools such as
MS Office, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat,...)
that define what is an accessible PDF.

A PDF document is defined as "accessible PDF" only when it
meets the ISO Standard PDF/UA with guidelines!

Above mentioned popular tools to create and edit digital documents,
including to export a final document as "Accessible PDF",
don't (as of today) test for compliance with the valid accessibility standards,
in this case not for compliance with:

the ISO Standard PDF/UA for Universal Accessibility!




The exported PDF file thus risks not being "accessible PDF"
nor meet accessibility requirements under the EU Web Accessibility Directive
or the Swedish Act on Accessibility to Digital Public Services for everyone!

More specialized tools are needed (to avoid legal risks)
in the form of separate standalone tools or as plugins to
Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat, ...

Tools to create accessible PDF, to remediate accessibility errors,
and to test/validate for compliance with the ISO Standard PDF/UA

For full information, download of free trials, tutorials, recorded demonstrations, etc.,
click on the preferred tool below.




Software tools suitable for
CREATING accessible PDF according to ISO PDF/UA:

• axaio MadeToTag for Adobe InDesign

Plugin to Adobe InDesign. Windows and macOS.
Creates PDF files compliant with ISO PDF/UA.




• axesPDF for MS Word

Plugin to MS Word for Windows.
Creates PDF files compliant with ISO PDF/UA.




• CommonLook Office for MS Word and MS PowerPoint

Plugin to MS Office for Windows.
Creates PDF files compliant with
ISO PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0, U.S. 508 and/or U.S. HHS.






Software tools suitable for
VALIDATING accessible PDF according to ISO PDF/UA:

• PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 3)

No cost. For Windows.
First fast way to validate a PDF file for compliance with ISO PDF/UA.




• axesPDF QuickFix

Extended/professional version of PAC 3 for Windows.
Validates for compliance with ISO PDF/UA.




• callas pdfGoHTML

No cost. For Windows and macOS.
First fast way to validate a PDF file for compliance with ISO PDF/UA.




• callas pdfaPilot

For Windows and macOS.
The feature for validation of PDF/UA compliance
can be used without cost without cost.




• callas pdfToolbox

For Windows and macOS.
The feature for validation of PDF/UA compliance
can be used without cost without cost.




• CommonLook PDF Validator

No cost plugin to Adobe Acrobat for Windows.
First fast way to validate a PDF file for compliance with
ISO PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0/2.1, U.S. Section 508 and/or U.S. HHS.




• CommonLook PDF

Extended/professional version of CommonLook PDF Validator.
Plugin to Adobe Acrobat for Windows.
Validates for compliance with ISO PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0/2.1,
U.S. Section 508 and/or U.S. HHS.




• Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA)

For Windows and macOS.
No cost Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) from Paciello Group.




• VIP-PDF-Reader - PDF Reader for Visually Impaired Persons

No cost PDF reader for Windows.




• NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)

No cost screen reader for Windows.






Software tools suitable for
CORRECTING an inaccessible PDF
to be accessible PDF according to ISO PDF/UA:

• axesPDF QuickFix

Extended/professional version of PAC 3 for Windows.
Corrects for compliance with ISO PDF/UA.




• CommonLook PDF

Extended/professional version of CommonLook PDF Validator.
Plugin to Adobe Acrobat for Windows.
Corrects for compliance with ISO PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0/2.1,
U.S. Section 508 and/or U.S. HHS.






Tools/Services for enterprise-wide, continuous and
automated tracking of PDF files for accessible PDF,
and production of accessible PDF documents in
large volumes from live data/databases:

• CommonLook Clarity

For Windows.
Continually monitors websites and maps the status of accessible PDF.
Generates reports showing compliance with valid accessibility standards,
such as ISO PDF/UA, W3C/WCAG 2.0 AA, WCAG 2.1 AA,
U.S. Section 508 and U.S. HHS.




• CommonLook Dynamic

For Windows.
Automatically generates accessible PDF from
print streams and live data/databases.
Creates PDF files compliant with ISO PDF/UA, WCAG 2.0/2.1,
U.S. 508 and/or U.S. HHS.

Do you need help to create accessible PDF in compliance with PDF/UA?

Accessible PDF (PDF/UA) ensures accessibility to digital public service for everyone.

We help customers to create any volume of accessible PDF documents,
out of native MS Office (Word and PowerPoint) and Adobe InDesign documents,
and PDF documents generated by other tools.

Interesting?

We are here to help you - Contact NewFormat for Accessible PDF

More Information and Resources

Accessible PDF - Requires Full Compliance with PDF/UA

• Accessible PDF - Requires Full Compliance with the ISO Standard PDF/UA




Accessible PDF (PDF/UA) for Accessible eGovernment

• Entirely Barrier-Free - Accessible PDF (PDF/UA) for Accessible eGovernment




Samples of Accessible PDF Documents - Accessible for Everyone!

• Samples of Accessible PDF Documents




Accessible PDF as a Service - PDF/UA Services

• Accessible PDF as a Service




Training in PDF Standards

• Training in PDF Standards




Next-Generation PDF

• Next-Generation PDF - PDF and the “Any Screen” Challenge

Samples of Inaccessible PDF Documents - Not Accessible for Everyone!

• Samples of Inaccessible PDF Documents