NIAAA Section 508 Coordinator 2016 Section 508 Interagency Accessibility Forum: Sharing Accessible Solutions For Everyone Low Cost and Simple Approach to Generating Accessible Forms Using Microsoft Word and PDF Generating Applications Toni Calzone NIAAA Section 508 Coordinator tcalzone@mail.nih.gov 10/11/2016 Draft 1 Rev 10_03_16

Please Keep Questions Until the Presentation is Finished We have a lot to cover Please Keep Questions Until the Presentation is Finished Send requests for the slide and demo documents to my email address tcalzone@mail.nih.gov if unable to download on line at this conference site. There is a transcript included of the steps spoken to complete the demo portion of this talk.

Key to Successful Creation and Remediation of Word and PDF Forms and Documents Know your audience to insure equal information to all Understand the location of where the material will be posted or distributed Know the pros and cons of tools you are using Combine pros of each tool to expedite creation, remediation, and revision Keep the process simple and easily revisable

What Works for Me to Revise Quickly and Train Users to Generate Revisable Accessible Forms Using Microsoft Word and PDF Generating Applications Create an accessible text and image version of the document in Word Becomes the Master Word Template for future changes to the text and images Create a pdf using Microsoft Word’s pdf generator Open the pdf generated document in Adobe Acrobat or other accessible pdf generator tools Run the accessibility checker tool in the pdf application

What Works for Me For long or forms with multiple questions Recommend using the table format to create the form to ease alignment issues. Set borders to none after form is completed

What Works for Me Check the Sections of the Word document to insure Title and Styles are in place for headers, sub headers and body of text Insure bolding of text has a style format Check to see if images are appropriately alt tagged Check links for phrases and check link location Check for flashing items Check text color used in document and associate with a style format

What Works for Me Check the list within the document to insure Bullets are Used Check to insure Roman Numerals and Hyphens are not Used Check for tables General, Simple, or Complex Save the Word Document Run Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker Files>Check For Issues>Check Accessibility Fix any listed issues for images and text

Demo Accessible word document set-up for form development Link to Word Document Convert Word Document to PDF File>Save as PDF with the name Publication_Form_Demo Link to PDF Document

Demo Continued The process for creating the completion of the form: With the created pdf open: Go the far left navigation bar and open the order panel Check the conversion to pdf from word Run the pdf accessibility checker Check reading order and alt tags Save pdf with text ending “accessform” Create some sample fields Save and close the current demo_accessform

Demo Continued Acrobat Master Form Template For Demo Link to Master Template With the pdf open : Use page replace to change the document text as needed Check to make sure forms fields line up to changed document and add or change new fields as needed Save and close the current as demo-accessform_fillin form The Section 508 Compliance and Use with mobility devices should not alter with this process

Demo Continued Testing Accessibility and Using the form with or without assistive technology: Select Shift+Ctrl+Y to activate the read out loud function Press TAB to move thru the form to read text with the document and fields to fill in the form. To go back use Shift + TAB. If activated the read out loud function can be deactivated by pressing Shift+Ctrl+Y For the hearing impaired or those that do not want to use the read out load function the form will work just fine using TAB through fields For those with cognitive or reading issues the read out loud function helps with completion of the form.

Demo Continued For signing the form the author saves the form prior to signing with their initials at the end of the document name. This becomes the primary name of the document for others to sign. To the right of each digital signature field there is a save and email to buttons to use.

Why I Use this Method For almost three years I worked on a method where I did not have to continually have to revise a form entirely when I or others need to make a change to reworking the document for accessibility or otherwise A word document can be used to create new and make future changes Staff can be trained to use this process for new forms or for revisions. If I am no longer available, the creator of the word document has the word and pdf form template

Why I Use this Method Form Designer applications Change from version to version at times Not all forms convert from one version to another especially if done over a 10 year period Do not convert easily to word to revise a form if the original can not be found. Not locked into using a particular form designer or hardware system Reduction in the amount of time on the accessibility portion especially if a form has to be revised

References http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/accessibility/pdfs/accessing-pdf-sr.pdf https://www.webaccessibility.com/best_practices.php?technology_platform_id=21 https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/reading-pdfs-reflow-accessibility-features.html

In Summation Hopes this helps some folks and agencies with their form designing process to reduce costs as well as time and efforts to deploy accessible forms If more help is needed I am available to help using remote meetings that can be recorded for training purposes tcalzone@mail.nih.gov Send requests for the slide and demo documents to the above email address. There is a transcript included of the steps spoken to complete the demo portion of this talk. If you notice any errors or needs for improvement send me those issues.

Please speak loudly or at microphone if one is available Thanks for Time Questions Please speak loudly or at microphone if one is available