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Publishing in formats other than HTML

Wherever possible publish in HTML format because it is the most widely accessible. If you publish in other formats:

  • some users will not have the software or plug-ins to open certain document types
  • some may not be able to install software or plug-ins:
    • many companies do not allow employees to install plug-ins and other software on their desktop machines
    • plug-ins or software may not be available for the user's operating system
    • some users are not confident about installing new software or may not be able to manage the installation.
  • users may have a slow connection; downloading certain document formats is too slow or expensive (if they pay on the basis of connection time)
  • some formats are not fully accessible to visually-impaired people using screen readers.

PDF (Portable document format)

If PDF is used, an alternative accessible version of the content must be made available online. RTF (Rich Text Format) or TXT (text) format are acceptable alternatives. Although there have been significant accessibility improvements to the PDF format, a PDF document is only accessible when all of the following conditions are met:

  • the original document was created in an application compatible with "tagged Adobe PDF" (for example, MS Office 2000+ or Pagemaker 7+ on Windows platform only)
  • the original document was created with:
    • properly defined and styled structure (header styles, formatted columns, tables and lists)
    • text descriptions of images
    • low security settings (you cannot disable editing or the accessibility features will be overridden)
  • the conversion to PDF was done using Acrobat 5+ with correct conversion setup enabled
  • the converted PDF document has been manually checked to ensure the conversion process was successful
  • the blind user attempting to read the PDF document has access to appropriate screen reading technology:
    • a recent version of a Microsoft Active Accessibility [MSAA]-compliant reader (JAWS or Window Eyes)
    • an installation of Acrobat reader with accessibility functions and the necessary patch.
  • the screen reader is running on a Windows platform.

As a result of these extensive requirements, PDF documents are not considered accessible. In August 2002, the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission issued the following statement on the use of PDF:

"The Commission's view is that organisations who distribute content only in PDF format, and who do not also make this content available in another format such as RTF, HTML, or plain text, are liable for complaints under the DDA [Disability Discrimination Act]".

Some web authors may put information online in PDF format in the belief that this protects it from unauthorised change or use. This belief is incorrect. Online content in any format is at risk of misuse.

Word

While the Microsoft suite of office products is standard on university operating systems, some Monash staff do not use standard machines and some Monash website users may not have access to Microsoft products.

Where Word documents are used:

To make Word documents accessible to people with disabilities:

  • use Word styles for headings to provide a structure to the document
  • generate a table of contents to provide context and navigation through the document
  • avoid using text boxes; they are inaccessible to screen readers
  • avoid multi-column layout; this can create problems with reading order for some screen readers and increases the amount of scrolling for screen magnifier users
  • use footnotes rather than endnotes; notes at the bottom of each page improve readability for both screen magnifier and screen reader users
  • describe all images, charts and graphs in the body of the text; text alternatives are only accessible when the document is converted to HTML or PDF
  • avoid using complex tables and merged cells; it is not possible to make tables fully accessible within Word so keep them simple.
  • use bulleted list formatting, do not manually enter "*" or "-" or use graphics
  • turn off track changes
  • avoid the use of smart quotes as they may not be displayed correctly in older browsers (in Word, select Format --> Auto Format from the menu bar, click on the "Options" button and uncheck the Replace "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes" option

PowerPoint

To make PowerPoint files accessible to people with disabilities:

  • do not clutter the slides with too much text
  • use the built in templates; take care to use only those with good colour contrast
  • do not use additional text boxes; only content that is visible in the outline view is accessible to screen readers
  • describe images, graphs, charts and multimedia in notes (alert users that the notes contain content) or in a "hidden" slide; to hide a slide, right click on it in the slide sorter view and select the hide property.

To provide an accessible HTML version of PowerPoint slides, use the Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for Microsoft Office.

OperaShow is a useful alternative to PowerPoint. Presentations are created in HTML format and a projector style sheet (supplied with OperaShow) is attached. This converts the document into a presentation format.

Flash

See making images and multimedia accessible.

Resources