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The US Access Board has issued new rules updating its “Section 508” accessibility requirements. PDF/UA-1 support is required for PDF creation software producing PDF 1.7 files.

Will PDF/UA be an option or a requirement for PDF documents in the coming refresh of Section 508? Duff Johnson walks you through the issues and reviews 3rd party testimony on PDF/UA.

The December 2011 ANPRM asserts “…it is straightforward to apply the WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements to all electronic content.” NetCentric’s Duff Johnson, chair of the US Committee for PDF/UA, contests this claim, provides examples to show PDF/UA’s importance when considering PDF accessibility and argues for specific regulatory language that makes it clear to developers and evaluators alike that PDF accessibility must be assessed in specific technical terms.

Duff Johnson reviews a recent report on PDF content accessibility produced by the Australian federal government. The Report accurately characterizes the current state of affairs for Assistive Technology (AT) users attempting to interact with PDF content. However, it does not clearly identify the reasons why most AT users have a poor experience with PDF. Additionally, the Report provides no comparison of PDF accessibility, functionality, remediation complexity or cost with alternative formats. As a result, several of the Report’s key conclusions are unsupported by the data presented.

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