How do I create on-line PDFs which will read them to visually impared customers?

Question

I have seen a handful of unanswered questions about getting Adobe Reader to read aloud, on-line or downloaded PDF content to people who are visually impaired. None of them seem to answer the questions about Acrobat X.1 or backward compatibility. Before I spend $45 for one chapter from a book, perhaps one of you experts know of a simple site which explains how to comply with the ADA Americans with Disabilities’ Act.
I know there are many variables like OS, Reader version and user ability to enable their sound card and configure a few settings.
This summary is excerpted from chapter 23 of The Acrobat X PDFBible by Ted Padova, published by Wiley. Follow the link further below to download the complete 16-page sample chapter. Adobe Acrobat is compliant with U.S. federal code regulating document accessibility for vision- and motion-challenged persons. This means that screen readers can intelligently interpret the PDFs you create; in other
words, PDF files can be read aloud in a reading order as a sighted person would read a document. Through an extensive set of keyboard shortcuts available in Acrobat, almost anyone with vision or motion challenges can share your documents and read them. In order for a document to be accessible, you must use authoring applications capable of delivering a document's structure to Acrobat. You need to know something about the internal structure of documents and which programs to use to create the structure required by Acrobat to make a document accessible. Not all the content in a document travels through the PDF-creation process with the information necessary to make a document completely accessible. Therefore, you need to perform some work in Acrobat to either add accessibility or to polish up a document for delivery to a screen reader in a form that makes sense to the user.
In chapter 23 of The Acrobat X PDF Bible, you will learn how to check documents for tags and accessibility, add additional tags and arranger eading orders. Topics covered include:
Using screen readers can interpret accessible PDF files and create audio output for people with vision and motion challenges. Using Adobe PDFMaker for Microsoft products, version 2000 or higher, including Word, Excel, Visio and so on; Adobe PageMaker 7 and higher; and Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe LiveCycle Designer, Adobe InDesign 2.0 and higher are capable of creating tagged and accessible PDF forms. Adding tags to PDF documents from a menu command within Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro and Pro Extended. Checking files for accessibility with the Quick Check command in Adobe Reader, Acrobat Standard, and Acrobat Pro and Pro Extended or with a Full Check in Acrobat Pro and Pro Extended. Tagging documents so they contain a structure tree. Elements in the tree locate respective elements in the document if you enable the Highlight Content menu command. Adding alternate text to elements in Acrobat by addressing the element's properties. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470612916.html
Thanks if you know something helpful

Answer 1

An accessible PDF is a well-formed Tagged PDF.
You start with the proper authoring application that has tag management (there are not that many - discussed below).
Your Tagged output PDF must be post-processed with Acrobat Pro.
You evaluate the post-processed PDF.
If satisfactory, you deploy the well-formed Tagged PDF.
Adobe Reader or Acrobat (from 8.x forward) both provide the read out loud feature (ROL).
While this is not equivalent to a full assistive technology (AT) application it can be useful for simpler narrative content.
However, PDF page content consists of graphic objects (text included) that are painted to the page in a sequence/order that is "machine" centric rather than human centric.
So, the raw print stream's read order can jump around. 
(Look over ISO 32000-1 Forward paragraph 2 & Sections 8.1 & 8.2 to get a feel for what "PDF" is (& isn't).)
PDF became an ISO Standard in 2008. This is currently ISO 32000-1. ISO 32000-2 is expected to be out in 2012.
In terms of accessible PDF, ISO 14289-1 is expected to be out in 2012.
ISO 14289 will define/describe the requirements for accessible PDF.
Adobe introduced "Tagged PDF" with Acrobat 5.x (PDF version 1.4) "Full" release.
For Acrobat 5.x this was an add-on that you took from the install CD-ROM.
Since then "Tag" creation, management, etc. has been included with the install of: 
(n.b., PDFMaker provides "tag management")
--| Acrobat 6.x  Pro (PDF version 1.5)
--| Acrobat 7.x Pro & 3D (PDF version 1.6)
--| Acrobat 8.x Pro  &  3D (PDF version 1.7)
--| Acrobat 9.x Pro & Extended (ISO 32000 & Adobe Supplement BaseVersion 1.7, ExtensionLevel 3)
--| Acrobat X Pro (ISO 32000 & Adobe Supplement BaseVersion 1.7, ExtensionLevel 3)
If the PDF is a well-formed Tagged PDF then ROL works its way down the structure tree (which can be viewed in Acrobat Pro's Tags panel).
A well-formed Tagged PDF (built to comply with ISO 32000 currently & going forward built to comply with ISO 14289 / ISO 32000 will, in fact meet current Section 508 criteria and Section 508 Refresh criteria.
Actually, it will met more rigorous criteria (Section 508, compared to other nations' requirements is somewhat anemic).
For English, ROL will read left to right; top down.
Not very useful for understanding tables and some other aspects of more developed content.
AT uses the structure tree to convey the PDF's logical hierarchy and semantic content flow to users.
So, a well-formed Tagged PDF is an essential for users of AT.
Section 14 of ISO 32000-1 provides discussion of logical structure and tags.
An ISO approved copy is at Adobe:
ISO 32000-1
In a nut shell, you'd want to provide a well-formed Tagged PDF.
To effectively  consume a downloaded well-formed Tagged PDF end-users will want to use AT (NVDA (free, open source), JAWS, etc.) rather than Adobe Reader / Acrobat ROL.
As to Ted's PDF Bible.
I've got 'em on my bookshelf. Most excellent global references for all things Acrobat.
However, to deploy well-formed Tagged PDF requires more detailed references.
There is the up front authoring. Content must be mastered so as to support output of a well-formed Tagged PDF.
There is the requisite post-processing of the PDF with Acrobat Pro.
There is the requisite understanding of what the tags/elements are & how to properly use them.
There is the need for specific "how-to" with examples.
As to a "simple site" - - well, ahhh, "simple" precludes anything of usable worth, eh.
A search on variations of "accessible PDF" will provide links to resources that provide "how-to".
One resource is the Accessiblilty Forum at the Acrobat User Community.
AUC Accessibility Forum
An older thread there has links to Adobe "how-to" for various Acrobat releases. 
An older list of reference material
As the core of Acrobat's accessibility features are largely the same since Acrobat 5.x older how-to documents are still useful.
For the most part, the most definitive discussions of the how-to & the why are in older Adobe documents.
Of course, stuff comes & goes out on the web so the links may or may not be functional.
(n.b., you'll have to copy-paste the URLs into a browser's address bar)
However, a search on a document's title may provide an alternative link. 
If not, send me a forum PM.
Remember that the key to success (for a well-formed Tagged PDF) is in the authoring.
Proper authoring with an application that provides adequate Tag management is critical.
--| Adobe FrameMaker or InDesign with Acrobat Pro
--|  MS Word with Acrobat Pro (for PDFMaker & ability to perform requisite post-processing of the PDF) for pre Office 2007
--| MS Word 2007  / 2010 have a Save As PDF feature that can provide tag management -- but Acrobat Pro is still needed to perform requisite post-processing
--| Open Office (& Acrobat Pro for requisite post-processing)
Be well...
Message was edited by: CtDave