Making objects accessible

Use the Accessibility palette to define custom screen reader text for an object.

To test your form, ensure Acrobat is set up to Read Form Fields in the Preferences (Reading category) dialog box in the Edit menu.

1. Select the object on the form design.

2. Click the Accessibility palette and, in the Custom Screen Reader Text box, type the custom text.

Use the Accessibility palette to define a custom tool tip for an object. For most objects, tool tips appear at run time when the user hovers the pointer over the object. Tool tips appear for some read-only objects, such as a paper forms barcode object, only when a screen reader is in use.

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

If nothing is specified in either the Tool Tip box or the Custom Screen Reader Text box, then the screen reader uses the caption for the tool tip and for reading.

1. Select the object on the form design.

2. Click the Accessibility palette and, in the Tool Tip box, type the text you want. To create a multiline tool tip, type the first line and then use the Ctrl + Enter command to go to the next line.

3. If there is also custom screen reader text defined for this object, and you want the screen reader to read the tool tip instead of the custom screen reader text, from the Screen Reader Precedence list, select Tool Tip.

By default, the screen reader searches the form settings for screen reader text in the following order: Custom Text, Tool Tip, Caption, and Name. You can override this default order using the Screen Reader Precedence option.

1. Select the object on the form design.

2. Click the Accessibility palette.

3. In the Screen Reader Precedence list, select the preferred option.

   For example, if you want the screen reader to read the name instead of the caption, select Name. This also changes the search order to Name, Custom Text, Tool Tip, and then Caption.

In certain situations, you may not want the screen to read any text for an object, not even the type of object. You can turn off text for a screen reader on an object-by-object basis.

To test your form, ensure Acrobat is set up to Read Form Fields in the Preferences (Reading category) dialog box in the Edit menu.

1. Select the object on the form design.

2. Click the Accessibility palette.

3. In the Screen Reader Precedence list, select None.

When tabbing into an exclusion group, the screen reader first reads the text for the exclusion group and then the caption for the active radio button.

When a user with vision impairment tabs into a radio button, the screen reader needs to read two things:

• A general description of the purpose of the group of buttons

• A meaningful description for the purpose of each radio button

  For example, a form contains a group of radio buttons that pertain to payment. For the exclusion group as a whole, you need speak text to say “Select the method of payment”. For each of the buttons, you need a value for “Cash”, “Credit Card,” and “Check”. When the user tabs into the exclusion group and the first radio button, Cash, becomes active, the screen reader says the type of object and then says “Select the method of payment. Cash” and then it says the state (whether it is checked or unchecked).

  Designer includes options that support screen readers for defining speak text. You can use the Accessibility palette to define custom screen reader text and tool tips. You can also use object names, as specified in the Name option of the Binding tab, and captions. In most cases, the captions for the radio buttons should provide meaningful text for the screen reader.

If the form design contains lists created by nesting subforms in a form design, you can use the Accessibility palette to set the appropriate subform role for each subform that makes up the list so that the screen reader can announce the list, the number of list items, the nesting level, and the list end.

For example, assign the role of List to the top-level subform and assign the role of List Item to the nested subforms that make up the list items.

Images may help improve comprehension for users with some types of disabilities, However, many screen readers do not read graphics. For users with vision impairments, images may decrease the accessibility of your form.

If you choose to use images, provide text descriptions for all image and image field objects. When users navigate to the object, the screen reader speaks the text. Ensure that the text describes the object and its purpose on the form.

You provide text descriptions using tool tips or custom screen reader text in the Accessibility palette or text fields, captions, and object names, as specified in the Name option of the Binding tab.

In addition to providing descriptive text for images, consider these general guidelines to enhance the accessibility of images in your forms:

• Ensure that images enhance the form content without providing unnecessary detail.

• For images that use color, choose high-contrast colors for maximum readability.

• Ensure that the image size is not so small that it is difficult to read.

As part of the form design process, a form developer can use scripts to provide a richer user experience. You can add scripts to most form fields and objects. For example, you can create simple scripts to dynamically update values on an interactive form in response to user input.

When designing scripts for accessibility, consider these general guidelines:

• Keep the form content free of visual interruptions. For example, avoid features that cause content to flicker, blink, or move.

• Ensure that pop-up windows appear only as a result of user-initiated actions. Similarly, do not allow the current focus of the form to change or content to redisplay unless initiated by the user. The focus of the form refers to the user’s current view. For example, if the user is completing fields in the lower half of the form, do not allow the focus to change to the upper-left corner of the form unless the user chooses to navigate to this location.

• Users with disabilities may require more time to provide input in fields. Do not specify time-based responses for input fields.

• Be aware that client-side scripts can interfere with screen readers and keyboards if the script changes the focus of the client application. For example, the change and mouseEnter events, when used with drop-down lists or list boxes, have the potential to cause inappropriate actions. Client-side scripting should be written to avoid problems with screen readers and keyboards.

For more information about scripting, see Scripting Basics.