[nfbcs] latex benefits

[Doug Lee]

Perhaps an ironic question, but a fair one nonetheless...

In my experience, pdflatex generates screenreader-readable text, but with the following problems. Any known way to address these?

1. No PDF tags: Accessible PDF documents should have tags that indicate how assistive technology should render them.

2. Ligature issues: Ligatures generate as low-numbered font characters that JAWS, at least, can call other things. For example, in a document I just now generated, "fi" in the word "figure" generates as character 12, which
JAWS calls a space. "ff" in "different" generates as character 11, which JAWS calls "vertical tab." (For anyone who doesn't know, a ligature is a single character that represents two print characters in a more visually pleasing
manner. Another common example is "ae.")

On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 09:02:52PM -0600, NFBCS mailing list wrote:
When sharing a LaTeX file, I usually generate a PDF file and distribute that.
That's what I do with my resume for example.

I haven't found a tool that does a good job converting a .tex file into a .doc
file that you can then update in Word though.

On 24/01/17 20:23, Ryan Mann via nfbcs wrote:
>If you wanted to distribute a Latex document to somebody who uses Microsoft Word, would it be difficult?  When I checked years ago, it seemed like it would be.
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
>>On Jan 24, 2017, at 6:42 PM, Greg Kearney via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>>LaTex is a complex document processing and typesetting application that is uniquely suited for blind users in my opinion. While the learning curve is steep the results you will get out of LaTex and it's parent TeX are without equal in quality.
>>
>>It is perfectly possible to generate database diagrams, math expression or even music scores in LaTeX/TeX. There are addin modules to do all that and more. IT is suited for blind users because it is a code based system in which one composes the work in a text editor and then processes the code to generate the PDF typeset file.
>>
>>I have used LaTex since the 1970's and it has never failed me yet. HArd to learn but well worth the effort.
>>
>>Greg Kearney
>>>On Jan 24, 2017, at 3:32 PM, Andy B. via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>Someone recommended that I should start using latex. Is this true, and if
>>>so, what are the benefits?
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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-- 
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at Gmail

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-- 
Doug Lee                 dgl at dlee.org                http://www.dlee.org
SSB BART Group           doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com   http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
Snowmen fall from heaven, unassembled.
--anon