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PDFs can be an accessible format - depends on how accessibly the file
being input (from CELCAT or Word or whatever) has been set up. I'm
guessing that if the CELCAT output is necessarily complex (just because
of the nature of it being a timetable) then the PDF will not be all that
accessible.

Best practice to alleviate *some* access issues quickly is to ensure
column and row headings are repeated every 6-10 columns/rows, to orient
the table so that there are more rows than columns (as screen readers -
and their users - tend to work linearly across rows, it makes it easier
to comprehend if a non-square table has more lines in the vertical
dimension than in the horizontal dimension), and to not 'lock down' the
PDF, enabling the student to change the Accessibility Options (font
colour etc) and use Reflow and Read Aloud options etc [this creates
issues with people wanting to lock down the timetable to stop students
changing anything - but an 'unlocked' version could easily be supplied
to those students that need one].

If the timetable is necessarily complex a PDF will not be ideal, but a
well-created PDF may well be the most accessible version that can
*easily* be produced.

We are about to publish (launch due November 13th) a guide to producing
accessible PDFs as part of our Accessibility Essentials series
www.techdis.ac.uk/accessibilityessentials

Best wishes

Simon Ball
TechDis Senior Advisor
JISC TechDis Service
www.techdis.ac.uk
Tel: 01904 717580
Mobile: 07813 917888
Skype: simontechdis



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