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NetCentric Technologies - CommonLook - Company Logo

CommonLook
PDF Accessibility: Problem Solved

Solutions for Compliance with Accessibility Standards:
ISO 14289-1 (PDF/UA),
W3C/WCAG 2.0/2.1,
U.S. Section 508 and U.S. HHS




Accessibility - Icon

Accessible PDF


A fully PDF/UA compliant PDF can be just as
accessible as a WCAG compliant website




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CommonLook PDF - Workflow Remediation Checklist




Creating Accessible PDF Documents Using CommonLook PDF


    A Checklist of Recommended Fixes Using CommonLook PDF

    The nuances of PDF remediation are often overlooked and difficult to master.
    Remediators sometimes use Adobe Acrobat to add tags, then stop there.
    Though tagging is a necessary step, it is only the beginning of the process.

    “Auto tagger” tools like Adobe Acrobat can correctly tag content,
    but that content needs verification against several factors,
    including correct tags for specified content,
    tag order (also known as reading order)
    and other manual checks.

    CommonLook’s recommended workflow checklist proves valuable
    when remediating PDF documents for accessibility compliance.




CommonLook PDF - Workflow Remediation Checklist


Recommended Fixes to Create Accessible PDF


    Before opening the document in CommonLook PDF:

    Open it in Adobe Acrobat and do the following:

    • Run OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the file
      if there is any scanned content

    • Add Form Fields and/or Links if applicable

    • Add JavaScript if needed

    • Embed fonts if needed
      (Note: This is required if you are remediating to the ISO Standard PDF/UA)

    • You can now use the Adobe Acrobat tool to add Tags to the document.
      Check for corruption in the physical view before you proceed.

    • Remember to use the “save as” function to
      preserve the edits you made to the PDF.

    Optional, yet recommended next steps:

    • Print the Table of Contents and mark Heading Levels

    • Review the document and identify tables that contain empty cells.
      If there are any empty cells, do not perform a full clean up
      because it removes them.

    • Does the document have images that convey relevant information?
      If not, you can use CommonLook to artifact images if they are
      decorative such as lines, boxes and watermarks.
      Artifact these images in the tag tree so they are ignored by a screen reader.



    Remediation Checklist for CommonLook PDF

    • In the Ribbon on the Settings tab:

      • Reset the Panels Location if needed

      • Choose selection settings as appropriate
        (Exact, Tagged/Untagged, etc)

    • Open the Tag Tree

    • Artifact images as needed
      (images that do not convey relevant information)

    • Remediate the document
      (best practice is to save periodically)

      • Verify the reading order

      • Check that the correct tag is being used

      • Look for color issues

      • Fix Tables, Forms, Links, artifact headers/footers, etc. as necessary

      • Set the Tabbing Order to follow the document structure

    • Add the Document Tag

    • Add Bookmarks

    • Clean up empty Tags

    • Metadata information;
      Check the checkbox (in Metadata) as applicable for
      W3C/WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA, ISO PDF/UA, U.S. Section 508, and/or U.S. HHS

    • Run CommonLook Verification on both structural and accessibility as needed

    • Generate and save your CommonLook Accessibility Report

    • Save your work!

    As you can see, ensuring documents are accessible and meet
    the accessibility standards is a thorough and methodical process.
    CommonLook Training delivers hands-on training on best practices
    to get the most out of your investment in CommonLook tools like
    CommonLook PDF and CommonLook Office.

    CommonLook Client Success Portal contains valuable information to use
    in the remediation process and to ensure your documents fully meet
    the accessibility standards and work well with screen readers.


For more information contact NewFormat


NewFormat AB
Smörblommegränd 14, SE-165 72 Hässelby (Stockholm), Sweden
tel:+46 (0)70 631 53 01

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NetCentric Technologies - CommonLook PDF - Logo
CommonLook PDF - Workflow Remediation Checklist