Transcript E-Text - Accessing Higher Ground

Alternate Media Workflow
Strategies for PDF
Why PDF?
Portable document format (PDF)
 Reads the same on any computer
 Looks like the book
 Contains all the text
 Smaller than TIFFs
 Easy for publishers

Types of PDF Documents

Text-based
– Text can be selected

Graphical
– Picture of text (i.e., a graphic)
– Text cannot be selected

Use text-select tool to tell the difference
PDFs and Publishers

Fairly easy for publishers
– Usually even small publishers can create a
PDF
Most accurate format
 Will be complete

– But watch out for teacher’s editions

Look for format choice on request forms
Requesting through ATPC

Use the ATPC request form
– www.atpc.net
In notes field at bottom, request PDF
 If additional processing is required,
send syllabus!


Please note: atpcnet.net is old URL;
new URL is atpc.net
Security Issues
PDF files can be locked in various ways
 Some files can be read but no text
extracted
 Some files cannot be read
 Sometimes OmniPage and/or
FineReader can OCR locked files
 Sometimes nothing can open the files

Different Acrobats

Adobe Reader
– Free
– Useful for students who need minimal
accessibility features
– http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/

Adobe Acrobat Professional
– www.uscollegebuy.com $55
– Useful for alt media specialists
– Extract text, create accessible PDFs, enabled
Adobe Reader features
Access with Acrobat Reader

Reads aloud
– But does not highlight or track

Enlarges text
– Nice reflow feature
Changes text/background colors
 Text highlighting, sticky notes, and
comments
 Access text-based PDFs

Adobe Reader Reality Check

As good as Kurzweil?
– NO

As good as PDF Aloud?
– NO

Appropriate as only assistive technology?
– NO

Nice as a free, widely available option?
– YES
Process with Acrobat Pro
Cropping
 Enlargement for printing
 Tiling
 Combining
 Some text extraction
 Works with text-based PDF

Processing Graphical PDFs

Must use OCR program
 Use virtual printer with Kurzweil
– Creates KESI files
– Will not work with locked files

Use OmniPage or FineReader
– Sometimes work with locked files
– OP handles tighter security than FineReader does
– Nothing works on “armadillo wrappers”
OCR Programs
Treat the same as a TIFF
 Load image file
 Zone
 Create templates

PDF Strengths

Good format for large print
– Cropping
– Fit to page on large pages
– Print sections on large pages (tiling)

Adobe Reader has some nice features for
free
– Change colors
– Reflow
– Voicing

Easy for most publishers to create
PDF Weaknesses

Not always fully accessible
– Screen readers do not always like them
– Reading order can be problematic
May be graphics
 May have too much security

Summary

Source files vs. end-user files
– Source files = for you to create alt media
from
– End-user files = alt media formats

PDF
– Consider PDFs as source files (files to
process) that sometimes double as enduser files (for certain students with limited
access issues)