Comments on: From comments: web accessibility trips up a state medical board

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:39:22 +0000

Some PDFs that are present to the viewer as a scanned document also include the text of the document. I would say in this case the process just needs to be updated so that some OCR software is used to included the document as text and show the scanned document for the sighted.

By: No Name Guy

No Name Guy — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:21:45 +0000

Ron

Nothing “maybe so” about it. The facts are if one does not have the original electronic file, then it’s extremely difficult to make it text search-able from a scanned copy (you have to transcribe / retype the document most likely.) IF, a big IF you have the original electronic file of the document in question (from a word processing program) it’s a trivial matter to turn that into a PDF with full text search capability.

Now, perhaps some smart guy trial lawyers can develop the technology to have an accurate, reliable, easy to use, inexpensive piece of software that can read text from a scanned document. They’ll actually be useful to humanity in doing that, rather than doing whet they’ve done – hindering humanity by shutting down access to this information for everyone.

By: Don

Don — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:46:20 +0000

Interesting that this function is included in Adobe.

I tried it on a half dozen different documents. Even created a Word document, specifically to test it. Couldn’t get it to read one word to me.

By: kimsch

kimsch — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:49:20 +0000

There is a text-to-speech function in Adobe Reader. It's under the View menu, called Read Out Loud (bottom of the view menu). You activate Read Out Loud (Shift-Ctrl-Y)* then choose Read This Page Only (Shift-Ctrl-V)* or Read to End of Document (Shift-Ctrl-B)* As was noted about the Kindle above, this may not work on every document, but the functionality does exist. *Keyboard shortcuts probably different for Mac

By: Yeaah

Yeaah — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:24:45 +0000

Don: you can read pdf for without using adobe software, so even if adobe would have and killed pdf-to-speach, anyone else can create another one.

By: David Schwartz

David Schwartz — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:02:02 +0000

The rule is asinine because it creates the perverse incentives that resulted in this information not being accessible. It punishes limited accessibility more heavily than it punishes inaccessibility, and that is totally asinine.

By: Don

Don — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:45:32 +0000

reminds of me of the case of the Amazon Kindle. Amazon designed it with the ability to convert text-to-speech specifically because of the vision impaired issue.

Book publishers sued because they said this was a Copyright violation because the Text-to-Speech made it a public performance. Amazon eventually backed down instead of taking it to court. On a book-by-book basis, the Publishers now have the right to enable or disable text to speech on Kindles.

Presumably, Adobe, or any of their competitors, could design similar functions into their PDF reader products. But I am sure that one glance at what Amazon went through and their lawyers would kill the project.

By: mike

mike — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:42:47 +0000

Ron,
You really think the goverment does cost/benefits tests?
And then they do it accurately, and then they abandon projects which fail the test?
Here, exactly how many blind people in MA are trying to view medical discipline records on their laptop? (that number could be zero).
And this cant be done by a 16 year ago, probably have to hire at least one full time IT professional, with salary + full benefits.
This is just for silly law # 1…..there are many many more……

By: Ron Miler

Ron Miler — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:09:54 +0000

No Name Guy, maybe so. I’m more echoing the commenters who said it was not a very difficult thing to convert it.

By: peter

peter — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:00:29 +0000

“why is this rule asinine”

Read the post again. Its not the rule that is asinine, it is the Boards response to the rule by shutting down all access which is asinine.