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Section 508
Policy: Tagging Granularity In
earlier articles we noted that Section 508 is vague when it comes to specifics
for handling document content. While alternate text is required for graphics and
proper structure is required for tables, Section 508 simply ignores some of the
most common documents. This means that those responsible for Section 508 compliance
could theoretically ignore them too. However,
in keeping with our philosophy - that usability is the stuff of real-world compliance
- we prefer to ask the harder questions that lie between mere formal compliance
and user's access to information in the real world. With that in mind, here are
some of the Section 508 policy questions that need to be answered: What
stays in the structure tree? Section 508 demands a "text equivalent for
every non-text element", which sounds good, but is nonetheless absurd. No-one
in their right mind will create alt. text for every rule-line, every instance
of a repeated logo, or even for every background or "cosmetic" image.
To do so would be wildly counter-productive, forcing blind and other disabled
users to sit through mountains of utterly mundane text that would, moreover, also
cost a lot to develop. Rather, we reccomend interpreting 1194.22(a) as applying
to "content" graphics and not to "cosmetic" or "layout"
graphics. Headings
Section 508 does not mention headings, which is singularly unfortunate. Headings
make the difference between organized content in which the user may skip to their
item of interest, and a giant blob of text, without cues for section breaks. For
non-MSAA screen-reader users, a lack of heading tags essentially means they have
to read through the whole document to get at or return to a given section. MSAA
screen-readers (such as JAWS) can't use heading tags at all, and so JAWS users
must rely on bookmarks for navigation - which makes a bookmarking policy necessary
as well. Lists
Section 508 does not mention lists either, usually displayed as "bulleted
lists" or "numbered lists" on the page. These are very useful for
organization or enumeration of points - especially when it comes to indicating
hierarchical relationships between items. While a PDF may be technically Section
508 compliant, without list tags, to screen-reader users, such a PDF will read
simply as paragraph text.
The
PDF Conference, Sept. 26-27 Join
Document Solutions CEO Duff Johnson and the other gurus of PDF as they answer
your questions (and strut their stuff) at the PDF Conference next week in Washington,
D.C. The
PDF Conference delivers expert solutions to organizations that rely on PDF. With
three distinct tracts, a diverse breakout schedule, peer-presented case studies,
and the chance to network with industry leaders, the PDF Conference offers distinct
value to every Acrobat user – and the most comprehensive Adobe Acrobat training
available. Who
Should Attend? - Managers
responsible for automating paper-based tasks
- Webmasters
involved with transactional forms and hosting PDF documents
- Document
control specialists
- Creative/print
professionals who use digital publishing workflows
- Section
508 compliance officers
- Technical
writers
- Virtually
anyone concerned with onscreen document production
- IT
professionals who maintain Acrobat desktop installations
On
Tuesday the 27th, Duff Johnson will present a discussion entitled "PDF Content:
Strategies for Section 508 Compliance". In this session, he'll focus on the
strategic issues surrounding Section 508 compliance for electronic documents in
general, focusing on the implications for PDF deliverables. The
discussion will include the realities of making and validating accessible PDFs,
and conclude with some high-level pointers on building accessibility into the
content development process, no matter what format you use to publish. | 
