Section 508: the PDF/PS/etc cases

I hope to address all the combinations I know about. If I haven't let me know what you've got and I'll see if I can find out the rules.

Some of these things may be hard to do or time-consuming to transcribe. Leave them until last - make sure you have alt tags on your images and titles on your frames long before you get to this level of compliance. Yes, someone could complain, but it's probably not too likely.

PDF

These files are fine if you provide a reader and if the file was created in such a way that the text is searchable. Try it on your files. If you've made a PDF file from something and the text is not searchable (e.g., it's just an "image" of the page), then you're not compliant. Go back and find the original and try again...

PS

If you have PS files in addition to HTML or searchable PDF, then that's fine - as long as it's obvious that the PS file contains the same info as the compliant file.

Having just PS... is there a PS "reader" that skips all the style and formatting info? If not, then you'll need a long description for the files (including all the text!!)

LaTeX

Similar to the PS option above - if it's also provided in HTML, then it's compliant. Use LaTeX2HTML to be completely compliant (make sure you set it up to add alt tags to your images). Is there a LaTeX "reader" out there that skips the style info?

Word, Excel, PPT

These are all compliant if you provide a link to a reader.

FITS

The FITS data does not need to be compliant other than there should be an accessible way to access the ascii header of the FITS file. Is fv compliant? I doubt that it is, but perhaps someone knows of a compliant FITS reader out there. If you do, let me know.


Page author: Karen Smale
Last updated: Monday, 19-Jun-2006 11:24:57 EDT.

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Last modified: Monday, 19-Jun-2006 11:24:57 EDT