Adobe Reader Accessibility Features – GCU Technical Support

If you are using screen reader software or require information about troubleshooting using a screen reader, please refer to the following sections.

eBook Accessibility

In accordance with 508 Compliance, most eBooks are made accessible so users with mobility impairments, blindness, and low vision can use them with Adobe Reader. 508 Compliance relates to equal access to electronic information technology. In general, pictures and graphics need to have captions and the information must be displayed as text. This is so that anyone can access the information in something like a PDF.

Accessibility Characteristics

eBooks with Accessibility have the following characteristics:

Searchable Text

eBooks that consist of scanned images of text are inherently inaccessible because the content of the document is images and not searchable text. This prevents assistive software from reading or extracting the words and users cannot select or edit the text for accessibility.

Alternative Text Descriptions

Screen readers can read web links, but cannot read features such as images and interactive form fields unless they have associated alternate text. Alternate text and tool tips can aid many users.

Reading Order and Document Structure Tags

To read an eBook’s text and present it in a way that makes sense to the user, a screen reader or other text-to-speech tool requires a structured document. Document structure tags in a PDF define the reading order and identify headings, paragraphs, sections, tables, and other page elements.

NOTE If the eBook does not have Accessibility, the Disability Office also creates eBooks for some classes that do not have accessibility enabled. These eBooks are sent to the students individually. For more information, please contact GCU Student Disability Services.

Screen Reader or Magnifier in Adobe Reader

In Adobe Reader, the screen reader is an integrated text-to-speech tool that can be modified as necessary. The Magnifier tool allows certain parts of a viewed PDF to be enlarged as needed; this too can be modified as necessary.

Set-up and Use Accessibility Features

Use the Accessibility Setup Assistant to set up Adobe Reader for either a screen magnifier or a screen reader. To set up the Accessibility Setup Assistance:

Select Edit, then Accessibility.
Select Setup Assistant from the drop-down menu, and then select the options you want from each screen of the Setup Assistant.

When using a screen reader, reading settings for the current document can be changed at any time. To adjust the reading settings of your screen reader:

Select Edit then Accessibility.
Select Change Reading Options from the drop-down menu, and then adjust the reading settings.

NOTE If there is any difficulty changing these options, please contact GCU Student Disability Services.

Read Out Loud in Adobe Reader

Read Out Loud is a Text-to-Speech (TTS) tool that is built into Adobe Reader. It reads text contained within a document window. To use Read Out Loud, Adobe Reader, and a Text-to-Speech engine must be installed on the computer.

Activating Read Out Loud

To activate Read Out Loud in Adobe Reader:

Select View, choose Read Out Loud and then Activate Read Out Loud.
Select View again, choose Read Out Loud and then choose an appropriate option to either read the current page only or read to the end of the document.

Keyboard Shortcuts	PC / Windows Action	Mac OS Action
Activate and deactivate Read Out Loud	Shift+Ctrl+Y	Shift+Command +Y
Read only the current page out loud	Shift+Ctrl+V	Shift+Command +V
Read out loud from the current page to the end of the document	Shift+Ctrl+B	Shift+Command +B
Pause reading out loud	Shift+Ctrl+C	Shift+Command +C
Stop reading out loud	Shift+Ctrl+E	Shift+Command +E

To view the full list, see Keyboard shortcuts in Acrobat DC Help.

NOTE The document must be accessible, otherwise it may not be read at all or it may be read in the wrong order. Most eBooks are accessible, but some will not have this feature. If you require assistance regarding an eBook that is not accessible, please contact GCU Student Disability Services.

Editing Read Out Loud Settings

Here things like the reading order and other screen reading options can be changed. How the page is read, if the page or document should be read, the voice reading, as well as its volume, pitch and speed can be changed.

In Adobe Reader select “Edit” and then “preferences”
Select “Reading”

Troubleshooting the Read Out Loud Feature

If the read out loud function is not working on a Windows computer, you may need to adjust some settings.

Issue with Correct Voice Reading

If the Read Out Loud feature is not working properly, verify that you have a voice reader installed:

Select the Start menu and type Narrator in the search bar; once you select enter, your computer should begin talking.
Select the Voice Settings button to see a list of installed voices.
Take note of the voices that are listed, since these will be the ones that you can use in Adobe Reader.

Then, verify that Adobe Reader is using a voice that you have installed:

Open your Adobe Reader program.
Select Edit and then Preferences.
Select Reading from the categories on the left.
Under the Read Out Loud Options un-check the Use default voice option.
Choose a voice from the drop down menu that you have verified is installed on your computer.
Click OK and attempt to use the Read Out Loud feature by selecting Read This Page Only from the Read Out Loud options.

Unresponsive Adobe when using Read Out Loud

If Adobe becomes unresponsive when attempting to read your eBook or Read Out Loud is unable to read the text for your eBook, you can try adjusting the Reading settings for Adobe:

Open your Adobe Reader program.
With the eBook closed, activate the Read Out Loud feature using the steps listed above.
After activating Read Out Loud, select Edit, and then Preferences.
Select Reading from the categories on the left.
Under the Reading Order Options, select Use reading order in raw print stream, from the drop-down menu. Click OK.
Select File, then Open and locate your eBook.
Activate the Read Out Loud feature. Then, attempt to use the Read Out Loud feature by selecting Read This Page Only from the Read Out Loud Options.

Disable Protected Mode Settings

If Read Out Loud is still not working and you are using a Windows 10 computer, you can also try disabling protected mode settings. Keep in mind that if you disable this setting, we recommend you re-enable it after you are done using the Read Out Loud feature.

Open your Adobe Reader program.
Select Edit and then Preferences.
Select Security (Enhanced) from the categories on the left.
Under the Sandbox Protections, uncheck the box next to Enable Protected mode at startup.
If a warning box appears, select Yes to continue. Then, click OK.
Close Adobe Reader and restart the program.
Open your eBook and select View. Locate the Read Out Loud option and activate the Read Out Loud feature.
Select View, then Read Out Loud and then choose an appropriate option for reading.

Ease of Access

Screen resolution and text size may need to be adjusted to view GCU sites and PDFs more easily. Windows 10 has the Ease of Access Center that can assist with basic accessibility. This can be accessed by going to the Control Panel, then click on Ease of Access, finally click on Ease of Access Center.

Ease of Access features can also be located at the login screen by selecting the Ease of Access button, which is located in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Additionally, Ease of Access features can be found in the Window’s Settings menu by holding the Windows key and U, or by searching Windows settings for Ease of Access.

If you have further questions about these issues with this, please contact GCU Student Disability Services.

NOTE These methods, to access Ease of Access, can be used on Windows 8 and 8.1.