PDF/UA

PDF/Universal Accessibility
Filename extension	`.pdf`
Type code	'PDF ' (including a single space)
Magic number	`%PDF`
Developed by	ISO
Initial release	15 July 2012 (2012-07-15)
Latest release	Part 1:2014 (18 December 2014 (2014-12-18))
Extended from	PDF
Standard	ISO 14289

PDF/UA (PDF/Universal Accessibility) is the informal^[1] name for ISO 14289, the International Standard for accessible PDF technology. A technical specification intended for developers implementing PDF writing and processing software, PDF/UA provides definitive terms and requirements for accessibility in PDF documents and applications.^[2] For those equipped with appropriate software, conformance with PDF/UA ensures accessibility for people with disabilities who use assistive technology such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, joysticks and other technologies to navigate and read electronic content.^[3]

On February 18, 2015 the US Access Board announced its Proposed Rule for US federal policy on accessibility, commonly known as Section 508. The proposed rule identifies PDF/UA as equivalent to WCAG 2.0 for "appropriate content".^[4]

Description

PDF/UA is not a separate file-format but simply a way to use the familiar PDF format invented by Adobe Systems and now standardized as ISO 32000.^[5]

In general PDF/UA requires Tagged PDF (ISO 32000-1, 14.8), but adds a variety of qualitative requirements, especially regarding semantic correctness of the tags employed:^[6]^[7]

PDF/UA complements WCAG 2.0,^[8] and should be used to make PDF files that also conform with WCAG 2.0.^[9]

The 2014 update to PDF/UA, published in December 2014, is the first fully accessible standard ISO has ever published; the PDF file distributed by ISO itself conforms to PDF/UA.^[10]

Requirements for conforming PDF files (Clause 7)

Complete tagging of "real content" in logical reading order
Tags must correctly represent the document's semantic structures (headings, lists, tables, etc)
Problematic content is prohibited, including illogical headings, the use of color/contrast to convey information, inaccessible JavaScript, and more
Meaningful graphics must include alternative text descriptions
Security settings must allow assistive technology access to the content
Fonts must be embedded, and text mapped to Unicode

Requirements for conforming PDF processors (Clause 8)

The ability to fully process tags and artifacts in PDF files
The ability to announce relevant actions to users
The ability to process and represent digital signatures, annotations and Optional Content
The ability to navigate the document by a variety of means

Requirements for conforming assistive technology (AT) (Clause 9)

The ability to represent information provided by a PDF/UA conforming reader to the AT user
The ability to navigate the document by a variety of means

The formal name of PDF/UA is "ISO 14289-1 Document management applications -- Electronic document file format enhancement for accessibility -- Part 1: Use of ISO 32000-1 (PDF/UA-1)".^[11]

Audience & Benefits

While the PDF/UA-specification is written for software developers, PDF/UA support is of interest to persons with disabilities who require or benefit from assistive technology when reading electronic content. With PDF/UA conforming files, readers and assistive technology, users are guaranteed – so far as the PDF format itself can provide – equal access to information.

The benefits of PDF/UA extend beyond people with disabilities. With support for PDF/UA, reader software will be able to reliably reflow text onto small screens, provide powerful navigation options, transform text appearance, improve search engine functionality, aid in the selection and copying of text, and more.

History

The PDF/UA project began in 2004 as an AIIM Standards Committee.^[12] The PDF/UA wiki, operated by AIIM, contains agendas, meeting-minutes and public-access documents pertaining to the development of PDF/UA.

Chaired since 2005 by President of Document Solutions, Inc. Duff Johnson, in 2009 AIIM's PDF/UA Committee became the U.S. Committee for ISO/AWI (Accepted Work Item) 14289 with Cherie Ekholm of Microsoft as International Project Leader.

The US Committee continued as the main driver of the standard's development through the WD, CD, DIS and FDIS Phases of ISO standards development, with review, comment and balloting by the member bodies of ISO TC 171.

ISO 14289-1:2012 (PDF/UA) was published in July, 2012. A minor update (ISO 14289-1:2014) was published in December 2014. The document is available directly from the ISO's webstore.^[13]

In October 2012 the US Library of Congress added PDF/UA to their list of archivable file formats.^[14] The LoC's guidance states that PDF/UA is "...a preferred format for page-oriented content by the Library of Congress."

Adobe Systems, the largest implementer of interactive PDF software, has announced its intention^[15] to support PDF/UA.

In December 2014 ISO published ISO 14289-1:2014, a minor revision of the original 2012 document.^[16]

In March 2016 AIIM and ANSI published PDF/UA as an American National Standard:.^[17]

AIIM's US Committee for PDF/UA has published the following documents in support of PDF/UA:

Achieving WCAG 2.0 with PDF/UA^[18]
PDF/UA-1 Technical Implementation Guide: Understanding ISO 14289-1 (PDF/UA-1)^[19]
PDF/UA-1 Technical Implementation Guide: Understanding ISO 32000-1 (PDF 1.7)^[20]

Ongoing ISO and AIIM Committee Activities

Work on ISO 14289-2 (PDF/UA-2) is ongoing. PDF/UA-2 will be based on PDF 2.0, expected for publication in early 2017.

Committee Organization & Leadership

AIIM's US Committee for PDF/UA led development of the document from 2004 until 2010, when the draft became an ISO NWI. Both US and ISO Committees maintain their work on AIIM's PDF Standards wiki.^[21]

Project Leader, International Committee: Cherie Ekholm and Duff Johnson
U.S. Chair & Spokesperson: Duff Johnson, Independent Consultant
TC 171 SC 2 WG 9 Secretary: Betsy Fanning, AIIM
Convener, International Committee: Matthew Hardy, Adobe Systems

Participation by subject matter experts, software developers and other interested parties is invited and encouraged.

PDF Association Activities

The PDF Association helps promote PDF/UA in a variety of ways.

PDF/UA Competence Center

In 2011 the PDF Association created the PDF/UA Competence Center as a way for vendors to develop educational resources and share experiences regarding implementation of PDF/UA.^[22] The Matterhorn Protocol (see below) is a product of the PDF/UA Competence Center.

NVDA goes PDF/UA Project

In 2012 and 2013 the PDF Association helped raise money and awareness for NV Access's NVDA to further development of the world's first PDF/UA conforming screen reader.^[23]

The Matterhorn Protocol

In August 2013 the PDF Association's PDF/UA Competence Center published the Matterhorn Protocol, a set of 31 checkpoints and 136 failure conditions to help software developers make it easier for document authors to create fully accessible PDF files and forms.^[24]

The PDF/UA Reference Suite

In June 2014 the PDF Association's PDF/UA Competence Center published the first iteration of the PDF/UA Reference Suite, a set of reference-quality documents conforming to PDF/UA-1.^[25]

The Tagged PDF Best Practice Guide

In December 2015 the PDF Association's PDF/UA Competence Center unveiled the first public draft of its Tagged PDF Best Practice Guide.^[26] Publication is expected by the summer of 2016.

Seminars, Books and Brochures

The PDF Association conducted numerous educational seminars on PDF/UA throughout Europe, North America and Australia in 2012 and 2013. A book, "PDF/UA in a Nutshell",^[27] was produced in both English and German. An informational brochure^[28] was also produced in both languages.

References

External links

ISO standards by standard number

List of ISO standards / ISO romanizations / IEC standards

1–9999	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 16 31 -0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 128 216 217 226 228 233 259 269 302 306 428 518 519 639 -1 -2 -3 -5 -6 646 690 732 764 843 898 965 1000 1004 1007 1073-1 1413 1538 1745 1989 2014 2015 2022 2047 2108 2145 2146 2240 2281 2709 2711 2788 2852 3029 3103 3166 -1 -2 -3 3297 3307 3602 3864 3901 3977 4031 4157 4217 4909 5218 5428 5775 5776 5800 5964 6166 6344 6346 6385 6425 6429 6438 6523 6709 7001 7002 7098 7185 7200 7498 7736 7810 7811 7812 7813 7816 8000 8178 8217 8571 8583 8601 8632 8652 8691 8807 8820-5 8859 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -8-I -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 8879 9000/9001 9075 9126 9293 9241 9362 9407 9506 9529 9564 9594 9660 9897 9899 9945 9984 9985 9995

10000–19999	10006 10116 10118-3 10160 10161 10165 10179 10206 10218 10303 -11 -21 -22 -28 -238 10383 10487 10585 10589 10646 10664 10746 10861 10957 10962 10967 11073 11170 11179 11404 11544 11783 11784 11785 11801 11898 11940 (-2) 11941 11941 (TR) 11992 12006 12182 12207 12234-2 13211 -1 -2 13216 13250 13399 13406-2 13407 13450 13485 13490 13567 13568 13584 13616 14000 14031 14224 14289 14396 14443 14496 -2 -3 -6 -10 -11 -12 -14 -17 -20 14644 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 14649 14651 14698 -2 14750 14764 14882 14971 15022 15189 15288 15291 15292 15398 15408 15444 -3 15445 15438 15504 15511 15686 15693 15706 -2 15707 15897 15919 15924 15926 15926 WIP 15930 16023 16262 16612-2 16750 16949 (TS) 17024 17025 17203 17369 17799 18000 18004 18014 18245 18629 18916 19005 19011 19092 (-1 -2) 19114 19115 19125 19136 19439 19500 19501 19502 19503 19505 19506 19507 19508 19509 19510 19600 19752 19757 19770 19775-1 19794-5 19831

20000+	20000 20022 20121 21000 21047 21500 21827:2002 22000 23270 23271 23360 24517 24613 24617 24707 25178 25964 26000 26300 26324 27000 series 27000 27001:2005 27001:2013 27002 27003 27004 27005 27006 27007 27729 27799 28000 29110 29148 29199-2 29500 30170 31000 32000 38500 40500 42010 80000 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14

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