Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: layingthe groundwork)
From: S. Kashdan (skashdancablespeed.com)
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:43:20 -0800 (PST)
I also feel that all documents should be available in text format if they
are offered in PDF format, in order to make them fully available to all
those with visual impairments, which actually includes 17 percent of people
over 65 years of age and 26 percent of those over 75 years of age in this
country. In addition to  text files being a lot
easier for everyone to literally cut-and-paste to start making their own
documents, those who want to view them with screen magnification won't have
the difficulty of maneuvering through the very long lines that result in the
PDFs when magnification is used. And those who want to print them out in
large print will be able to do
that with text files--something that
can't be done with PDF files, and something that more and more seniors with
even slight vision loss appreciate.

The text files are
also very much easier for people using screen readers and synthesized
speech, etc. to access, and this can include people with print challenges
such as dyslexia, or motor difficulties that make it challenging to handle
hard copy or navigate through PDFs, as well as people who use them
because of visual limitations.

Unless the PDF files are consciously and carefully made with the
accessibility procedures in mind, they can be not simply difficult, but
absolutely impossible for people using screen readers and synthesized speech
to access.

Sylvie Kashdan
Jackson Place Cohousing
800 Hiawatha Place South
Seattle, WA 98144
www.seattlecohousing.org


----- 
Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Netherton" <andrewnetherton [at] gmail.com>
To: <crm114 [at] rff.org>; "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Document format (was RE: sample document library:
layingthe groundwork)


On 2/14/07, Rodney Elin <crm114 [at] rff.org> wrote:
> Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) has many advantages with it's
> portability and universal features, but the very nature of a PDF file
makes
> it impossible to access for anyone with any sort of visual impairment.
>
> PDF is a great format for ensuring that the formatting of a document it
> retained when being transferred between dissimilar systems, but if we want
> to create a document library that is accessible to the greatest number of
> people, then it should be kept at least in a text or word processing
format
> IN ADDITION TO any PDF storage.

I can see your point.  If we make a text file available, it will also
make it a lot easier for people to literally cut-and-paste to start
making their own documents.  PDF will be good for reading through the
formatted documents, but text would be best for editing.


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