Well, I actually think we're saying the same thing. Scanning a document,
no matter where you are in the process, is not the same thing as getting
access to the underlying text. IMHO, using OCR to convert images into
text is not the same thing as making a document like a PDF accessible.
Errors in OCR can be introduced. For example, I just had to take a
contract management certification test, and one of the classes only
provided me with a PDF that was a scanned image. Even though the OCR was
reasonably good, there were still errors. I don't want to miss a
question on a test because I used the wrong acronym due to an OCR error.
Also, using OCR on a scanned image doesn't give you access to
underlying document elements, such as form fields, alternate text for
images, table mark-ups, links and so on. I definitely don't consider the
OCR of a scanned image to be on par with a PDF created from some desktop
publishing software where I have access to the underlying text and the
associated mark up.
On 20/02/16 01:02, Alan Lemly wrote:
I'm not sure I agree. I scan pages all the time and using OmniPage, can elect
to run them through OCR and then save them as editable PDFs. Granted, software
processing is required to do this but it's not desktop publishing software. My
original point was that it's not accurate to call all PDF files images which
can't be read by screen readers because that certainly isn't the case. I
believe it's fairly easy to print web pages or other program output to PDF
files provided you have the necessary utilities to do so and those PDF files
contain readable text.
Alan Lemly
-----Original Message-----
From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
Christopher Chaltain
Sent: Friday, February 19, 2016 10:36 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Readable PDF Files was RE: Unacceptable Response from Issuu
Support Team Regarding VoiceOver Accessibility
It isn't always just up to the creator of a PDF file to determine whether an
image is being used or the underlying text is available to Adobe. That's true
if the author is using desktop publishing software to create a document and is
saving it in a PDF format. However, if you only have a hard copy of a document
and you're going to scan it, which you often have to do when capturing a
signature, then the creator of the PDF doesn't have a choice.
On 19/02/16 14:58, Alan Seemly wrote:
Alan,
I'd like to correct your statement that "PDF is actually a picture of
the document and no screen reader can read a picture to you." While
it's true that screen readers can't read images or pictures, PDF files
can most certainly be saved in either an editable or searchable format
so that their text is preserved and readable by a screen reader. Not
all PDF files are images but it is up to the creator of them to decide
whether they contain text that can be read or searched electronically.
Alan Lemly
*From:*viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] *On
Behalf Of *Alan Paganelli
*Sent:* Friday, February 19, 2016 10:18 AM
*To:* viphone@googlegroups.com
*Subject:* Re: Unacceptable Response from Issuu Support Team Regarding
VoiceOver Accessibility
I went through this with iPhone Life. They were very nice folks who
took the time to explain to me that the reason why they use PDF is so
the magazine in PDF format looks exactly like the print magazine. PDF
is actually a picture of the document and no screen reader can read a
picture to you.
HTH
Alan
Sent from my iPad Air
On Feb 19, 2016, at 7:31 AM, Christine Grassman
<cgrassman1...@gmail.com <mailto:cgrassman1...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Dear All:
Issuu is an app which provides access to millions of magazines,
newsletters, etc., on virtually any topic you can think of. My son,
who is also a VoiceOver user, wanted to access his high school s
newspaper which is on the platform. However, it is in an image pdf.
Furthermore, trying to get around the app is nightmarish, and it
does not appear that any of the available resources is accessible.
I wrote to their support center, and this is the response I
received. My response to that unhelpful response is first, with the
response in the middle, with my original message at the bottom. I
think this is absolutely something which should be available to
those who use screen readers. If others agree, I think we should
bombard them with requests to make their platform accessible.
Christine
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *"Christine Grassman (issuu Support Team)"
<feedb...@issuu.com <mailto:feedb...@issuu.com>>
*Subject: Update from issuu Support Re: Poor VoiceOver
accessibility*
*Date: *February 19, 2016 at 10:16:27 AM EST
*To: *Christine Grassman <cgrassman1...@gmail.com
<mailto:cgrassman1...@gmail.com>>
*Reply-To: *issuu Support Team <feedb...@issuu.com
<mailto:feedb...@issuu.com>>
## Please do not write below this line ##
Christine
*Christine Grassman*
Feb 19, 16:16
With all due respect, there is no excuse for this. Apple makes
available to developers, free of charge, guidelines for making apps
accessible. There's absolutely no reason not to do this.
Christine
Sent from my iPhone
Angel
*Angel*(Help Center)
Feb 19, 11:51
Hi Christine,
Unfortunately we don't have a way for those with visual impairments
to use screen reading technology or have a way to make our site
accessible at this time. We also haven't been informed of any plans
to add that functionality any time soon. I'm so very sorry about that.
If we do introduce this functionality at any point, we will put up
an announcement on our blog (blog.issuu.com
<http://blog.issuu.com/>) and on our help center (help.issuu.com
<http://help.issuu.com/>), so please do keep checking these places
for updates.
Please don't hesitate to write back if you have any other questions,
and we'd be happy to assist you.
Best regards,
Angel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
issuu is oniOS <http://bit.ly/issuuonios>andAndroid
<http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid>.
To learn more about issuu, please visit ourHelp Center
<http://help.issuu.com/hc/en-us>.
Christine
*Christine Grassman*
Feb 15, 22:42
I am blind, as are my children. We use iPhones with VoiceOver
accessibility to access text. I am deeply disappointed that Issuu is
not voiceover accessible. Only some features are accessible, and one
cannot find and read magazines. In this day and age, this is
unacceptable. Information should be accessible to us just as to others.
There is no reason why the text of your millions of publications
should not be accessible using a screen reader. I hope that you will
address this as quickly as possible.
Christine Grassman
Sent from my iPhone
This email is a service from Help Center. Delivered byZendesk
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