Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: layingthe groundwork) | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
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.
- Re: sample document library: laying the groundwork, (continued)
- Re: sample document library: laying the groundwork Dirk Herr-Hoyman, February 14 2007
- Re: sample document library: laying the groundwork Stuart Joseph, February 14 2007
- Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) Rodney Elin, February 14 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) Andrew Netherton, February 14 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: layingthe groundwork) S. Kashdan, February 15 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) Stuart Joseph, February 15 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) James Kacki, February 14 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) Catya Belfer-Shevett, February 14 2007
- Re: Document format (was RE: sample document library: laying the groundwork) Andrew Netherton, February 14 2007
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