Mass Production of accessible PDF documents now possible

Actuate Corporation has just announced the general availability of Xenos Axess. Following the completion of usability testing and technical evaluation by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), CNIB, and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), Xenos Axess is the first enterprise-class solution to produce high volumes of accessible PDF documents for the visually impaired.

Xenos Axess is ideal for organisations that consistently produce and present high-volume documents such as monthly banking, credit card or investment statements. It integrates with an organisation’s existing enterprise content management (ECM) infrastructure to capture and transform high-volume print streams and standard PDF document streams into tagged, accessible PDF documents for customers with limited or no vision using assistive technologies. Xenos Axess is delivered via the Xenos Enterprise Server™ platform.

The development and readiness of Xenos Axess involved expert testing and guidance on accessibility and usability in conjunction with three of the largest advocacy agencies for people who are blind or visually impaired – the AFB, CNIB and RNIB. Feedback received from independent testers includes:

• “This was much more accessible than anything else I’ve encountered.”
• “Online statements are frustrating. But this statement with the tables made it easy for me.”
• “This is the first bank statement I’ve ever been able to access by myself on my PC, without help from a sighted person.”

“Xenos Axess fills a much needed gap in addressing the accessibility of financial statements and other business documents that are delivered in PDF format,” stated Paul W. Schroeder, Vice President, Programs and Policy, American Foundation for the Blind. "We are pleased to be helping Actuate ensure that their solution meets the accessibility and usability needs of people with vision loss. We also appreciate their participation in AFB Consulting's Accessibility Assurance® Program which, when fully implemented, will provide accessibility-specific Help and Feedback opportunities that will ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in Actuate’s ongoing development process."

Associated Link: Download the White Paper on PDF accessibility

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