To create an Accessible PDF you need the following:
a) Adobe 5.0, (Reader AND Writer) or Adobe Professional 6.0 installed in
your computer.
To check whether you have one of the Adobe programs mentioned go to:
Start> Programs> Adobe> Adobe Acrobat >Help>About Adobe. Ask
assitance to computer support at your department if you do not have the software.
(Note that Adobe 6.0 Professional offers the most advanced tools for creating
universally accessible documents).
b) Microsoft Word 2000 or newer version.
To check which version you currently have go to:
Start> Programs> Word> Help> About Microsoft Word
c) If you have Adobe Acrobat 5.0, you will need the "Make Accessible
plug-in" installed.To verify that you have the “Make Accessible
plug-in”, go to:
Start> Programs> Word> and look for the Menu called “Adobe
PDF” .If you have that menu, then you have the Make accessible plug
in.
How to create an accessible PDF with an electronic text document source:
The easiest way to produce an accessible PDF is by having the original source
document in an electronic text format. Microsoft Word 2000 and newer versions
contain accessibility features that ensure that your document is structured
in a logical fashion. These features are translated to a PDF format allowing
all users (including people using assistive technology) access to the content
in the document.
The word accessibility features allow you to:
- Add alternative-text (e.g. alt-text) to all images in the Word document
- Use styles and formatting for “Marking Up” (adding headings
and bullets to maintain logical order) headers and lists.
- Create hyperlinks (e.g. links) in text.
1) Open the Word document
2) In Word, add alternative text to images, use mark up, and add hyperlinks.
Learn step by step how to do it with our tutorial “Accessibility features of
Microsoft Word”
3) Only after completing step 2, in Word go to:
Adobe PDF (menu)> Change conversion settings. [You only have to set it up once and save your new settings] There, verify that the settings of each of the tabs as is indicated below and shown in figures 1-3:
Settings tab:
- Set conversion settings to “standard”
- Check mark all the options but “Attached source file to Adobe PDF”
Security tab:
- Uncheck the first two options “require a password to open the document” and “use a password to restrict printing and editing of the document and its security settings”.
- Check the options “Enable to copying of text, images and other contents” and “enable text access from screen reader devices for the visually impaired.
Bookmarks tab:
- Check the option “Convert Word Headings to bookmarks
- Uncheck the option: “Convert Word styles to bookmarks and click on
the OK button.
4) In Word, go to Adobe PDF(menu) > Convert to Adobe PDF
5) Specify file name, location to save the file and click SAVE button.
And that’s it, you have just created a fully accessible PDF document.