This web site contains content presented as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) documents. All PDF document links are annotated providing information on the number of pages and file size of the PDF..
An example is presented here:
On the page (on the Tidalfire web site) that contains a link to the PDF there will also be a link to the Adobe Reader download page where the latest version of Adobe Reader for various operating system platforms can be downloaded. The Adobe reader is a free download.
The following information refers to the use of the Adobe Reader version 8 software accessibility features. A comprehensive overview of Adobe Reader's accessibility features is available from the Adobe web site.
Adobe Reader 8 continues to improve the user's accessibility to PDF files. The information on this page provides a step-by-step overview of most of the prominent accessibility features of Adobe Reader 8, including improved control over user preferences and new accessibility settings. Download Adobe Reader 8 - external link
The Read Out Loud feature can be useful for individuals who do not use a screen reader, but who still would benefit from having a PDF read out loud. For example, a person with certain cognitive disabilities might benefit from reading and hearing information. It may also give developers an idea of how a PDF would be read by a full-featured screen reader.
To enable the Read Out Loud feature, Select View > Read Out Loud and then select one of the options listed in the table below. The shortcut keys for these options are also listed in the table.
| Control | Shortcut keys |
|---|---|
| Activate Read Out Loud | Ctrl + Shift + Y |
| Read This Page Only | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Read To End of Document | Ctrl + Shift + B |
| Pause/Resume | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Stop | Ctrl + Shift + E |
To change the default Read Out Loud attributes, choose Edit > Preferences > Reading from the list of categories on the left side of the window.
From here you can change several important attributes:
Reflow is more than just an accessibility feature. It is also useful for people who use handheld devices or other devices that have small screens. There are two main advantages to reflowing a document.
Reflow can be a very helpful feature, especially for people who need to enlarge the text, either within Adobe Reader or using an external screen magnifier.
To enable reflow, either select View > Zoom > Reflow or press Ctrl + 4.
Note
A document cannot be saved or printed while it is in Reflow view.
Automatic scrolling might be especially helpful for a person who has a motor disability, or for someone who is using the Reflow feature. Like Read Out Loud, there are several shortcut keys. To enable automatic scrolling, choose View > Automatically Scroll or press Ctrl + Shift + H. The other shortcuts are listed in the table below.
| Control | Shortcut key(s) |
|---|---|
| Start/stop | Ctrl + Shift + H |
| Change scrolling speed | Number key 0-9 or Up and Down arrows |
| Change scrolling direction reverse/forward | Hyphen or minus (-) key |
| Previous/next page | Left or right arrow key |
You can save a PDF as plain text which can then be printed as braille. As with other accessibility features, this only works if the reading order is clear and if there are no complex tables.
There are several default settings that a user can change to improve the native accessibility of Acrobat Reader. These include
To access a comprehensive overview of these features and also information on how to customise the Adobe Reader, Adobe has produced a Reader accessibility manual for this purpose.
This site contains content which may require the use of the following plug-ins:
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Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional