Accessibility properties in the Accessibility palette

Designer includes a number of options that support screen readers. For each field object in a form, you can specify one of several settings for screen reader text:

• Custom screen reader text, which you set in the Accessibility palette

• Tool tips for objects, which you set in the Accessibility palette

• Captions for fields

• Names of objects, as specified in the Name option in the Binding tab

  The settings determine the information that screen readers read for objects on PDF forms. Only one setting is spoken for each object.

  When the form is saved as tagged PDF, Designer searches the form for these settings. The default search order is Custom Text, Tool tip, Caption, and Name. You can override this default order by using the Screen Reader Precedence option in the Accessibility palette.

  You can dynamically populate a tool tip and custom screen reader text with values from a data source.
  Note: Tool tips appear at run time when the user hovers the pointer over an object. The settings on the Accessibility palette have no effect on objects when the form is rendered as a PDF form.

  Role

  Determines how screen readers interpret the subform, table, selected row in a table, list, heading, or heading level:

  Table

  Assigns the role of a table to the selected subform. When the user navigates to this subform, most screen readers identify it as a table and indicate the number of rows and columns.

  Header Row

  Assigns the role of a header row to the selected subform or table row. When speaking the contents of a body row cell, most screen readers first identify the content of the corresponding cell in the header row.

  Body Row

  Assigns the role of a body row to the selected subform or table row. If a cell contains a subform, screen readers typically speak the content of the corresponding cell in the header row, followed by the fields in the subform.

  Footer Row

  Assigns the role of a footer row to the selected subform or table row.

  List

  Assigns the role of a list to the selected subform.

  List Item

  Assigns the role of a list item to the selected subform. A list item role can only be assigned to a subform that is contained in a subform that has a List role specified. You cannot define a table or table row as a list or list item; however, a list item can contain a table.

  Heading

  Assigns the role of heading to the selected text object.

  Heading Level 1 to Heading Level 6

  Assigns the role of the heading level to the selected text object.

  (None)

  Specifies a row that conveys information about the table or its content. The row is not considered to be part of the table; however, the screen reader will read its contents.

  Tool Tip

  Defines a tool tip for the object. Tool tips appear at run time when the user hovers the pointer over the object. A screen reader can read the text entered in this box.

  You cannot have both unique custom tool-tip text and unique custom screen-reader text for one object. You must choose one or the other. If you want to use the same text for the tool tip and the text read by the screen reader, type a tool tip and select Tool Tip from the Screen Reader Precedence list.

  Note: Tool Tip is a dynamic property for most objects. Dynamic properties are identified by active labels that have a green underline that you can click to dynamically bind the property to a data source. To turn active labels on and off, use the Show Dynamic Properties command in the Object palette menu.

  Screen Reader Precedence

  Indicates which setting the screen reader should read. Only one setting is spoken for each object:

  Custom Text

  Reads the text specified in the Custom Screen Reader Text box. This setting is the default.

  Tool Tip

  Reads the text specified in the Tool Tip box.

  Caption

  Reads the caption specified for the object. The position of the caption relative to the object does not change the order in which the screen reader reads the caption. By default, the screen reader reads the caption if nothing is specified in the Tool Tip box or the Custom Screen Reader Text box. This setting is the preferred choice for screen readers.

  Name

  Reads the name of the object, as specified in the Name field in the Binding tab of the Object palette.

  None

  Disables the custom tool tip or custom screen reader text for the field.

  Custom Screen Reader Text

  Defines custom text for the selected object. The screen reader reads the text entered in this box.

  You cannot have both unique custom tool tip text and unique custom screen reader text for one object. You must choose one or the other. If you want custom screen reader text to be both the tool tip text and the screen reader text, type the custom text and select Custom Text from the Screen Reader Precedence list.

  Note: Custom Screen Reader Text is a dynamic property for most objects. Dynamic properties are identified by active labels that have a green underline that you can click to dynamically bind the property to a data source. To turn active labels on and off, use the Show Dynamic Properties command in the Object palette menu.

Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons.