PDF untagged Screen reader compatibility

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 40 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: September 11, 2022

• NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
• NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2017.3 to NVDA 2019.2
• NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
• JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
• JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 17.0.2007 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
• JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
• VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.14 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
• VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 12.4 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6

Screen reader	Browser	Mode	Notes	What the user hears
NVDA 2022.2	Chrome 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.
NVDA 2022.2	FF102	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.
NVDA 2022.2	Edge 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.
NVDA 2021.2	Chrome 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.
NVDA 2021.2	FF91	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.
NVDA 2021.2	Edge 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.
NVDA 2020.2	Chrome 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.
NVDA 2020.2	FF78	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.
NVDA 2020.2	Edge 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.
NVDA 2019.2	Chrome 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.
NVDA 2019.2	FF68	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.
NVDA 2019.2	IE11	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.
NVDA 2018.4	Chrome 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.
NVDA 2018.4	FF60	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.
NVDA 2018.4	IE11	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.
NVDA 2017.3	IE11	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.
JAWS 2022.2207.25	Chrome 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.
JAWS 2022.2207.25	FF102	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.
JAWS 2022.2207.25	Edge 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.
JAWS 2021.2107.12	Chrome 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.
JAWS 2021.2107.12	FF91	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.
JAWS 2021.2107.12	Edge 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.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	Chrome 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.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	FF78	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.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	Edge 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.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	Chrome 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.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	FF68	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.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	IE11	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.
JAWS 2018.1811.2	Chrome 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.
JAWS 2018.1811.2	FF60	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.
JAWS 2018.1811.2	IE11	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.
JAWS 17.0.2007	IE11	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.
VoiceOver macOS 12.5	Safari 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
VoiceOver macOS 11.5	Safari 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
VoiceOver macOS 10.15	Safari 14.1	Reading	Only some text read, no indication of document roles or image descriptions	3 items, untagged document, image
VoiceOver macOS 10.14	Safari 13.0	Reading	Only text read, no indication of document roles or image descriptions	3 items, untagged document, image
VoiceOver iOS 15.6	Safari iOS 15.6	Touch	Reads 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.
VoiceOver iOS 14.7	Safari iOS 14.7	Touch	Reads 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.
VoiceOver iOS 13.3	Safari iOS 13.3	Touch	Reads 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.
VoiceOver iOS 12.4	Safari iOS 12.4	Touch	Reads 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