PDF Accessibility and Useability Issues

The Portable Document Format (PDF) may be one of the most popular formats for posting documents to the Web, but it can also present a variety of barriers to access for people using screen-reading technologies. In this presentation, Sean Keegan, a premier expert on document and web accessibility, will address usability and accessibility issues of the PDF, strategies for the creation of accessible electronic documents, and the appropriate use of software applications to ensure accessibility of web documents. Sean Keegan is the Web Accessibility Instructor at the High Tech Center Training Unit for the California Community Colleges. The High Tech Center Training Unit provides training and technical support to higher-education faculty and staff on the use of assistive computer technology for students’ with disabilities. As part of this continuing mission to improve access for students with disabilities, Sean conducts workshops and trainings to faculty and staff in the area of accessible web design, web usability, captioning of web-based multimedia, and the use of assistive computer technology. www.htctu.net