PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 3)

I&IT ACOE

29 Apr 202004:43

Summary

TLDRThe video from the I&IT Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACOE) introduces PAC 3, a free automated tool for assessing PDF document accessibility. It guides users through the process of uploading a PDF for testing, which results in a summary report of compliance, errors, and warnings. The report is divided into sections including a summary, detailed results, screen reader preview, document statistics, PDF export, and logical structure analysis. The video emphasizes that while PAC 3 is a valuable tool, it should be complemented with manual checks and assistive technology testing, such as using NVDA, a free open-source screen reader, to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of accessibility. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to explore more accessibility tips and to reach out for further information or assistance.

Takeaways

📚 **PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 3)**: A free automated tool for testing PDF documents' accessibility.
🔍 **Requesting PAC 3**: It can be requested through SODO and is used to identify errors and warnings in PDFs.
📁 **Selecting a PDF File**: To use PAC 3, select the 'Select PDF File' button and upload the document for testing.
✅ **Compliance Check**: PAC 3 automatically checks if the document is compliant with PDF/UA standards.
📊 **Results Overview**: The Summary Report provides a quick view of passed, warned, and failed checkpoints.
🔎 **Detailed Results**: Expandable options allow for a closer look at specific errors and their locations in the document.
🔍 **Screen Reader Preview**: A feature to visually check logical tag structures and heading levels.
📈 **Document Statistics**: Provides information on the document's structure and the frequency of each element or annotation.
📄 **Exporting Reports**: The Summary Report can be exported as a PDF for sharing, but lacks detailed remediation info.
📋 **Logical Structure View**: Allows inspection of Structure Elements and Artifacts within the document.
🤖 **Complementing Automated Tools**: Manual and assistive technology testing should be used alongside PAC 3 for a more comprehensive review.
📢 **NVDA Screen Reader**: A recommended free open-source tool for simulating the experience of a screen reader user.
📝 **Additional Resources**: For more information or questions, visit ontario.ca/ITaccessibility or use the Advice Request Form.

Q & A

What is the full form of PAC 3?
-PAC 3 stands for PDF Accessibility Checker, which is an automated testing tool used to evaluate the accessibility of PDF documents.
How can one obtain the PAC 3 tool?
-PAC 3 can be requested through SODO, which is a platform for accessing various tools and resources.
What does the 'Select PDF File' button look like in PAC 3?
-The 'Select PDF File' button in PAC 3 is represented by an icon that looks like a cursor over a document.
What does the Summary Report in PAC 3 display?
-The Summary Report in PAC 3 provides a summary view of the document's passed, warned, and failed checkpoints, using symbols like a check mark, gray circle-backslash, yellow triangle with an exclamation point, and a red X.
How can one view specific errors or warnings in PAC 3?
-To view specific errors or warnings, one can select the 'Results in Detail' option, which opens a dialog box that breaks down the checkpoints into specific error types and their locations within the document.
What is the purpose of the 'Screen Reader Preview' in PAC 3?
-The 'Screen Reader Preview' is used to visually check the logical tag structure of the document, verify the order of heading levels, and ensure that the correct tags have been used for the document's content.
Is the 'Screen Reader Preview' a substitute for assistive technology testing?
-No, the 'Screen Reader Preview' should not replace assistive technology testing. It is recommended to use assistive technology like NVDA, a screen reader, to simulate the experience of an assistive technology user.
What information can be found in the 'Document Statistics' view of PAC 3?
-The 'Document Statistics' view provides information about the document structure, broken down by Structure Element and Annotation, indicating how many times each particular element or annotation has been used.
How can one share the Summary Report results with others?
-The 'Summary Report as PDF' feature allows users to export the Summary Report results, which can then be shared with others for review or further analysis.
What does the 'Logical Structure' view in PAC 3 show?
-The 'Logical Structure' view in PAC 3 is used to view the structure of Structure Elements and Artifacts within the document, including their Properties, Page View, and Rolemap.
Why is it important to combine automated tools like PAC 3 with manual and assistive technology testing?
-Automated tools like PAC 3 are only one part of the testing process. Manual and assistive technology testing should also be completed to apply human judgment, identify issues that might be missed by automated tools, and simulate the experience of a screen reader user.
How can one request the NVDA screen reader?
-NVDA, a free open-source screen reader, can be requested through SODO, similar to how PAC 3 is obtained.
Where can one find more information or ask additional questions about PDF accessibility?
-For more information or additional questions, one can visit ontario.ca/ITaccessibility, complete the Advice Request Form, or email [email protected].

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to PDF Accessibility and PAC 3

This paragraph introduces the video series on PDF accessibility, presented by the I&IT Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACOE). It focuses on the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 3), a free automated tool available through SODO, designed to assess the accessibility of PDF documents. The video demonstrates how to use PAC 3, explaining the process from selecting a PDF file to reviewing the accessibility results. The paragraph emphasizes the ease of use and the importance of testing documents for compliance with PDF/UA standards.

📊 Understanding PAC 3 Results and Reports

The paragraph delves into the results and reporting features of PAC 3. It outlines the six sections of the PDF results, including the Summary Report, which provides an overview of passed, warned, and failed checkpoints. The Results in Detail section is highlighted for its ability to break down specific error types and their locations within the document. The paragraph also mentions the Screen Reader Preview for logical tag structure verification, Document Statistics for structural information, the Summary Report as PDF for sharing purposes, and the Logical Structure view for examining document elements and their properties.

🔍 Remediation and Additional Testing with Assistive Technology

This section emphasizes that automated tools like PAC 3 are only part of the testing process. It advises on the necessity of manual and assistive technology testing to catch issues that automated tools might miss. The paragraph specifically recommends using NVDA, a free open-source screen reader, to simulate the experience of a screen reader user. It also provides guidance on where to find resources for fixing common PAC 3 errors and warnings, and how to reach out for more information or assistance.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡PDF Accessibility

PDF Accessibility refers to the practice of ensuring that PDF documents are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This concept is central to the video as it discusses how to use the PAC 3 tool to test PDF documents for compliance with accessibility standards. The tool checks for various accessibility errors and provides feedback on passed, warned, and failed checkpoints, which are crucial for making PDFs accessible to users with disabilities such as visual impairments.

💡PAC 3

PAC 3, or the PDF Accessibility Checker version 3, is a free automated tool highlighted in the video for testing the accessibility of PDF files. It evaluates PDFs to determine if they meet PDF/UA compliance, highlighting the accessibility status of documents through a detailed analysis of errors and warnings. The tool's easy-to-use interface and automated testing capabilities are demonstrated in the video, making it a pivotal resource for creators looking to ensure their PDFs are accessible.

💡SODO

SODO is mentioned in the video as the platform through which PAC 3 can be requested. While not detailed in the script, it is implied to be a resource or service management platform that provides access to various tools, including PAC 3. This indicates a structured approach to accessing software tools within the organization or community focused on IT and accessibility.

💡Screen Reader Preview

The Screen Reader Preview is a feature of PAC 3 described in the video. It allows users to visually check the logical structure of a PDF document to ensure it is correctly tagged for screen readers. This feature helps in verifying the order of heading levels and the appropriate tagging of document elements, which is crucial for screen reader users. The video notes that this should complement, not replace, testing with actual assistive technologies.

💡Logical Structure

Logical Structure refers to the way elements within a PDF are organized and tagged to convey their meaning and order, which is essential for accessibility. The video discusses how PAC 3 allows users to view the structure of structure elements and artifacts within the document. This view helps in understanding how different parts of the document are perceived by assistive technologies and is key to ensuring the content is navigable and understandable.

💡Manual Testing

Manual testing is discussed in the video as an essential complement to automated tools like PAC 3. It involves human judgment to identify accessibility issues that automated tools might miss, such as the appropriateness of alternative text for images. The video stresses that while tools like PAC 3 are useful, they do not capture all potential accessibility issues, making manual testing indispensable.

💡NVDA

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is mentioned in the video as a free, open-source screen reader that can be requested through SODO. The video recommends using NVDA to simulate the experience of a screen reader user, emphasizing its importance in the accessibility testing process to ensure PDF documents are navigable and usable by individuals who rely on this technology.

💡Checkpoints

Checkpoints in the context of the video refer to specific criteria used by PAC 3 to evaluate the accessibility of PDF documents. These checkpoints can pass, warn, or fail, indicating the compliance level of the document with accessibility standards. Each checkpoint relates to different elements of the document, such as text, images, and structure, and helps identify specific areas needing improvement.

💡Summary Report

The Summary Report is a feature within PAC 3 described in the video. It provides an overview of the document's accessibility status, summarizing the passed, warned, and failed checkpoints. This report is crucial for quickly assessing the accessibility level of a document and is available for export as a PDF to share with others, though it does not include detailed results needed for remediation.

💡Document Statistics

Document Statistics is a view within PAC 3 that provides information about the structure of the document, as mentioned in the video. It breaks down the usage of various structure elements and annotations within the PDF, offering insights into the complexity and detailing of the document's layout. This feature helps in understanding the document's composition, which can influence its accessibility.

Highlights

PAC 3 is a free, automated testing tool for PDF document accessibility.

It can be requested through SODO and outlines various errors and warnings.

The PAC 3 Checker is user-friendly, allowing easy testing of PDF documents for accessibility.

The tool automatically tests documents and provides a compliance status.

Results are categorized into six sections: Summary, Report, Results in Detail, Screen Reader Preview, Document Statistics, Summary Report as PDF, and Logical Structure.

The Summary Report provides a quick view of passed, warned, and failed checkpoints.

Results in Detail offers specific error types and locations within the document.

The Screen Reader Preview helps verify logical tag structure and heading levels.

Document Statistics view provides information on document structure elements and annotations.

Summary Report as PDF allows exporting of results for sharing without detailed remediation information.

Logical Structure view helps examine the document's structure elements and their properties.

Automated tools like PAC 3 are only part of the testing process; manual and assistive technology testing is also crucial.

Manual testing applies human judgment to identify issues that automated tools might miss.

Assistive technology testing, such as with NVDA, simulates the experience of a screen reader user.

NVDA is a free, open-source screen reader available through SODO.

The video provides a demonstration on how to use PAC 3 and interpret the results.

ACOE's Intranet resource offers guidance on fixing common PAC 3 errors and warnings.

For more information or questions, viewers can visit ontario.ca/ITaccessibility or email [email protected].