PDF untagged Screen reader compatibility

PDF
Dec 12, 2023

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 48 screen reader / browser combinations

For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.

Code used for this test:


		<a href='SR_PDF_untagged.pdf'>SR_PDF_untagged.pdf</a>
	

Change History

Last updated: December 12, 2023

  • Bad NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Bad NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2017.3 to NVDA 2019.2
  • Bad NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Bad JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Bad JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 17.0.2007 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
  • Bad JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Bad VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.14 to VoiceOver macOS 13.6
  • Bad VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 12.4 to VoiceOver iOS 16.6
Screen readerBrowserModeNotesWhat the user hears
Fail NVDA 2023.3Chrome 120 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Untagged document, heading level 2. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2023.3FF 115 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, untagged document. Save as. Best for printing. PDF. Blank. In. Blank. Word which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re. Saving.
Fail NVDA 2023.3Edge 120 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Untagged document, heading level 2. Unlabeled graphic, graphic. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2022.2Chrome 105 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Untagged document, heading level 2. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2022.2FF 102 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, untagged document, save as best for printing PDF in Word which saves document as untagged, check. In Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2022.2Edge 105 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Untagged document, heading level 2. Unlabeled graphic, graphic. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2021.2Chrome 94 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2021.2FF 91 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, untagged document, save as best for printing PDF in Word which saves document as untagged, check. In Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2021.2Edge 94 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Graphic unlabeled, graphic, save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check. In Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2020.2Chrome 86 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2020.2FF 78 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, untagged document. Save as. Best for printing. PDF. In. Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re. Saving.
Fail NVDA 2020.2Edge 92 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Graphic unlabeled, graphic. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged. In Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2019.2Chrome 79 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2019.2FF 68 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, save as. Best for printing. PDF. In. Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re. Saving.
Fail NVDA 2019.2IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged. Check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2018.4Chrome 73 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail NVDA 2018.4FF 60 Reading Reads fragments of text, no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Clickable, save as. Best for printing. PDF. In. Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re. Saving.
Fail NVDA 2018.4IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged. Check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail NVDA 2017.3IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged. Check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34Chrome 120 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions and incorrect roles. Untagged document, heading level 2. Save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, dot unlabeled graphic.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34FF 115 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or images. Untagged document, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34Edge 120 Reading Reads document text fragments and incorrect heading levels, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Unlabeled graphic, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Chrome 105 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions and incorrect roles. Untagged document. Save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, dot unlabeled graphic, heading level 2.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25FF 102 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or images. Untagged document, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Edge 105 Reading Reads document text fragments and incorrect heading levels, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Unlabeled graphic, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Chrome 94 Reading Reads document text fragments, but no image descriptions and incorrect roles. Untagged document. Save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, dot unlabeled graphic, heading level 2.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12FF 91 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or images. Untagged document, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Edge 94 Reading Reads document text fragments and incorrect heading levels, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Unlabeled graphic, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Chrome 86 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, dot unlabeled graphic.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24FF 78 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or images. Untagged document, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Edge 92 Reading Reads document text and incorrect heading levels, but no image descriptions. Heading level 2, untagged document. Unlabeled graphic, save as apostrophe best for printing apostrophe PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1Chrome 79 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1FF 68 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document, save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Graphic five. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2Chrome 73 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, dot, unlabeled graphic.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2FF 60 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document, save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving, clickable.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail JAWS 17.0.2007IE11 Reading Reads document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Graphic five. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 13.6Safari 16.6 Reading Reads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Utagged document, Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving. Image. Image.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 12.5Safari 15.6 Reading Reads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Image, untagged document, Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving. Image
Fail VoiceOver macOS 11.5Safari 15.0 Reading Reads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. 6 items, untagged document, Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat document properties after re-saving. Image
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.15Safari 14.1 Reading Only some text read, no indication of document roles or image descriptions 3 items, untagged document, image
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.14Safari 13.0 Reading Only text read, no indication of document roles or image descriptions 3 items, untagged document, image
Fail VoiceOver iOS 16.6Safari 16.6TouchReads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, image.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 15.6Safari iOS 15.6TouchReads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Untagged document. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, image.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 14.7Safari iOS 14.7TouchReads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, image.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 13.3Safari iOS 13.3TouchReads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, image.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 12.4Safari iOS 12.4TouchReads partial document text, but no indication of document roles or image descriptions. Save as best for printing PDF in Word which which saves document as untagged, check in Acrobat. Document properties after re-saving, graphic, unlabeled graphic.

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

  • Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
  • Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
  • Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
  • Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

  • Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
  • Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
  • Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
  • (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear