What is PDF Accessibility
PDF Accessibility (typically called PDF/UA which stands for “User Accessibility” or ADA stands for “Americans with Disabilities Act”)means the PDF document contains features that make it more accessible for people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low vision.
PDF/UA
PDF/UA is the informal name for ISO 14289, the International Standard for accessible PDF technology. A technical specification intended for developers implementing PDF writing and processing software, PDF/UA provides definitive terms and requirements for accessibility in PDF documents and applications. For those equipped with appropriate software, conformance with PDF/UA ensures accessibility for people with disabilities who use assistive technology such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, joysticks and other technologies to navigate and read electronic content.
– Wikipedia: PDF/UA
ADA Compliance
ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements that companies and organizations make every effort to make education accessible to those with disabilities including those who are visually and audibly impaired.
Format Details
PDF/UA and ADA Compliance is not a separate file-format, but instead uses the PDF format and features invented by Adobe Systems to ensure documents are accessible to all users.
Some of the features of a PDF/UA or ADA compliant PDF include:
- Searchable text
- Bookmarks for documents over 9 pages
- Document tags
- Alt Text used to describe an image to one visually impaired
- Logical reading order (left-to-right) in tables
- No background images or watermarks
- Table rows that don’t split across pages
- Document Title
- Form fields with tool-tips (descriptions)
Accessibility in Xodo PDF Studio
These features and/or settings built into Xodo PDF Studio make reading PDF documents more accessible to users.
- Accessibility Display Preferences - additional options to change color of documents for higher contrast and easier reading
- Invert Colors Mode - inverts document and text colors to create higher contrast for easier reading
- Zooming - increase the size of the document when viewing to see content easier
- Pan and Zoom Tool - displays a window highlighting the currently viewed area within the document
- Loupe Tool - draggable rectangle that zooms in on the PDF to show an enlarged view
- Keyboard Shortcuts - keyboard hotkeys to start application tools without the menu or toolbar
- Highlight Form Fields - highlight all fields in the form, making them easier to locate
- Layout and Magnification Preferences - set the default view of documents opened within the application
- Navigation Tools - use bookmarks, page thumbnails and keyboard shortcuts to easily navigate the document
Operating System Accessibility tools
Accessibility tools in Windows
Windows operating systems have built-in tools that provide increased or alternate access to information on the computer screen. Narrator is a light version of a screen reader. Magnifier is a screen magnification tool.
For more information on the accessibility tools in the Windows, see the Microsoft Accessibility website.
Accessibility tools in Mac OS
macOS has built-in tools that provide increased or alternate access to information on the computer screen.
For more information on the accessibility tools in the Mac operating system, see the Apple Accessibility website.
Accessibility tools in Linux
Accessibility tools are not available in all Linux distributions. Check your Linux version documentation for more information on what is available.
Below are some known Linux distros with accessibility tools.