How to create an accessible PDF with a printed document:
If you want to create a PDF from a hardcopy, you will most likely have to import the document from a scanner. The problem with creating a PDF using a scanner is that it will create an image only document that is not accessible for people using assistive technology.In order for users of assistive technology to be able to access the contents of a scanned image, it must first be run through an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) scan, which will convert the image file to text (e.g. real-text). In order to perform this function using Acrobat Professional 6.0, you can use the "paper capture" function. This technology allows users to scan their images for legible text.
How to use Paper Capture function:
1. In Adobe go to: File> new
2. Select file from scanner.
2. At this point (if you have a scanner installed on your computer), you will
be taken to your scanner’s default option. Otherwise, you will be given
a list of scanner programs from which to choose. Make sure that your scanner
settings are set for at least 250 DPI (dots per inch). If your DPI setting
is set lower than this, the paper capture function will not work properly.
3. After you have successfully imported your scanned document into Acrobat,
perform the paper “Capture” function. To do that, go to: Document>Paper
Capture> Start Paper capture.
4. Set the output option for “real text and graphics.” Depending
on the length of your document, the capture may take a few minutes. Now your
document should contain real text.
Note: The quality of the PDF obtained using the “paper capture option” will depend on the quality of the image and the original document hardcopy. If the document contains only simple formatting and is a crisp and clear image, you may not have to edit a great deal.. If the original document is degraded or if the scanned image is of poor quality or even slightly skewed, a considerable amount of editing and rewriting may be necessary. This is why it is very important that the scanned image is of a high quality. For tips on how to create high quality scans of hardcopy documents that will later be converted to the PDF format, please review our Tips for Scanning Documents brochure.
How to create an accessible PDF having a scanned PDF available:
When your source document available is a scanned PDF, there are several steps
you can take to ensure that your PDF is accessible.
1) Verify the level of accessibility of your scanned PDF.
To do that go to our tutorial on: How to recognize
the level of accessibility of a PDF
2) If from the point above, you verify that your PDF is a “unstructured
one”, then you need to retrofit your PDF. A retrofitted PDF is a structured
or unstructured PDF that has been converted to Word and edited to add accessibility
features that the file lacks and then reconverted back to PDF file (this time
to an accessible one). To retrofit a document in Adobe go to: Document>
Paper Capture>Start Paper capture.
3) Set the output option for “real text and graphics.” Depending
on the length of your document, the capture may take a few minutes. Now your
document should contain real text (e.g. is not an image only anymore).