[scribus] New for 1.6.0 - Tagged PDF to improve accessibility of PDFs?

[Matthias Schmitt]

Hello,

On 11.09.2013, at 20:23, Alexandre Prokoudine <alexandre.prokoudine at gmail.com> wrote:

> http://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/1.5.x_Roadmap

There is one feature that I am missing on this list: Tagged PDF. I know that everybody has his personal priorities and feature requests, but I think this one is particular important.

Beside other features tagged PDFs improve the accessibility of PDF documents especially for visual disabled users. Public organisations request more and more, that the documents delivered by graphic artists and advertising agencies are not only delivered in printed form, but also as accessible PDFs, which can be offered on websites for download. Inaccessible PDFs present therefore a form of discrimination of handicapped people.

Especially public organisations are bound by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Here an extract:

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Article 21
Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, including by:

(a) Providing information intended for the general public to persons with disabilities in accessible formats and technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities in a timely manner and without additional cost;

…

(c) Urging private entities that provide services to the general public, including through the Internet, to provide information and services in accessible and usable formats for persons with disabilities;
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This convention was signed by more than 150 countries. In the last years more than a hundred countries have converted the UN Convention into local law.

So what has this to do with Scribus? Very simple … as Scribus cannot create tagged PDFs the program cannot be used to generate documents for public organisations. Of course it is possible to convert a non tagged PDF into a tagged PDF with Adobe Acrobat Pro, but this is a lot of manual work and a real PITA.

So may be this feature should be considered for the Roadmap.

Best regards

Matthias Schmitt

magic moving pixel s.a.
23, Avenue Grande-Duchesse Charlotte
L-3441 Dudelange
Luxembourg
Phone: +352 54 75 75 - 0
http://www.mmp.lu