Myth: Section 508 doesn’t apply to PDF documents
WRONG. Most website accessibility efforts begin with a focus on ensuring that HTML content complies with the terms of the law – which makes sense, because most websites are based in HTML
Government websites often use PDF for a high proportion of overall site content, and in many cases, an even greater proportion of high-value content.
PDF files tend to be produced by someone other than the website developers or administrators. This content often goes overlooked with respect to accessibility – even though PDF files represent a huge volume of the documents that site visitors use everyday.
Myth: Section 508 compliance means it will read well in JAWS
WRONG. It’s possible to tag a PDF to be compliant with Section 508, and still deliver a negative experience in JAWS or other screen-readers. The current Section 508 regulation permits, for example, a 100 page document to include nothing but paragraph tags, offering no navigational accommodations to AT users.