Review of Adobe Reader

Adobe Reader Reviewed 27 Aug 2012 · Average score 80%

Summary

Generally Adobe Reader 10 is fairly accessible, the only concern is that the help file contents cannot be recognised by NVDA.

Detailed Results

#	Test	Outcome	Notes
1	Built in accessibility checks	67%	Whilst Windows Narrator does not work with Adobe Reader, unless the Java Access Bridge is installed, all other internal accessibility features work.
2	Application works with External Assistive Technologies	67%	Majority of menu items work with NVDA, however, certain critical navigation buttons cannot be reached through keyboard.
3	Text or other alternatives for image elements.	100%	Not applicable.
4	Keyboard / Alternative input with focus	100%	Keyboard access reaches most menu items, those that can be reached have good descriptions. Tabbing could be better.
5	Labels for objects, fields or controls	100%	Most labels are well placed and descriptive.
6	Audio alerts have visual cues	67%	There are alternative audio alerts offered and support is enabled through sound sentry on Windows 7.
7	Alternatives for Video / Animation	100%	Not applicable.
8	Media events offer user control	100%	Not applicable.
9	Textual Information for screen reader	67%	The majority of text and navigation can be recognised by NVDA.
10	Keyboard shortcut keys offered	67%	Generally most keyboard shortcuts are accessible and do not clash with the screen reader shortcuts, however, labeling can be better on some menu items.
11	Save user preferences for style and zoom	33%	It is possible to only change font size through zoom alone.
12	Timed events can be altered	100%	Not applicable.
13	Change colours and contrast	67%	The built in high contrast feature changes the menu items but the viewed PDF remains unchanged.
14	Uniform and standardised presentation	100%	Adobe has a well established uniform and standardised presentation, consistent with known operating systems.
15	Documentation	67%	Clear instructions are available online or as a help file. Unfotunately, NVDA is not able to recognise the content of the help file.