What is PDF?

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a special document format from Adobe Systems Inc., a software company. The file format allows users to create Web-ready documents that preserve the look of the originals, even down to the fonts and text colours. The PDF file can then be viewed by anyone with Acrobat Reader. Adobe freely distributes Acrobat Reader, the software necessary to view, print, navigate and search PDF files.

When properly configured on a workstation, the Adobe Acrobat Reader software can be launched by the browser any time a PDF file is encountered. You can download the Acrobat Reader at the Adobe Systems Web site. As well as representing the printed pages of your document, PDF supports additional navigational aids such as hyperlinks (links to URL addresses), bookmarks (links from one page to another) and also links to sound files and video files.

Accessible PDF

An accessible plug-in that allows access to PDF documents by persons using adaptive technology for screen reading is available from Adobe Systems' accessible information page. The tool converts PDF documents into simple HTML or ASCII text, which can then be read by a number of common screen reading programs that synthesize the HTML as audible speech. The accessible plug-in can be obtained from Adobe Systems' accessible information page.