How to Tag Asterisks and Footnotes for PDF Accessibility
Question details
The user needs to correctly tag an asterisk reference and its corresponding footnote for a blind student to ensure PDF accessibility, but the required tags are missing from the Reading Order tool.
- Product
- PDF Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing a PDF document for screen readers by adding structural accessibility tags for footnotes and asterisk references.
- Observed behavior
- The Note and Reference options are not visible in the default TouchUp Reading Order tool, requiring a manual tagging workaround.
Ensure you have access to the advanced Tags pane in your PDF editor and that your document's basic structural tags have already been generated.
Manually Create Reference and Note Tags via the Tags Pane
Use this method when the TouchUp Reading Order tool does not display the necessary options for Note or Reference tags.
Accessibility standards require specific tags to ensure screen readers properly announce footnotes. Since <Note> and <Reference> tags might not appear in the standard reading order tools, you can use a temporary tag and adjust the structure manually in the advanced Tags pane.
Select the asterisk in the document and apply a standard temporary tag (such as a Text or Paragraph tag) using the TouchUp Reading Order tool.
Open the Tags pane from the left navigation panel. Right-click the tag tree, select 'New Tag', and create a <Reference> tag for the asterisk, followed by a <Note> tag for the footnote content.
Drag the content container holding the asterisk into your newly created <Reference> tag. Next, drag the footnote text container into the new <Note> tag.
Locate and remove the empty temporary tags you created initially to keep the accessibility tag tree clean and compliant.
Ensure the <Note> tag is placed directly after or as close as practical to the <Reference> tag in the tree, without disrupting the logical flow of the surrounding paragraphs.
Manage and Edit PDFs Easily with WPS Office
WPS Office includes a comprehensive built-in PDF editor that allows you to easily manage document structures, add annotations, and organize footnotes. It is highly compatible with standard PDF formats and ensures a seamless reading and editing experience.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and click on 'PDF Edit' or open your existing PDF document directly from the home screen.
- 2. Navigate to the Insert Tab: Use the 'Insert' or 'Comment' tab to add necessary text boxes, annotations, or reference marks to your document.
- 3. Manage Document Layout: Utilize the navigation pane to review bookmarks, comments, and document layout for better readability and structure.
- 4. Export and Share: Save your optimized PDF document, ensuring high compatibility across all standard PDF readers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Note and Reference tags missing from the Reading Order tool?
Default reading order tools often feature a simplified set of tags (like Text, Heading, or Figure) for quick layout adjustments. Advanced structural tags like <Note> and <Reference> usually need to be created manually within the advanced Tags tree.
Where should a footnote tag be placed in the accessibility tree?
A <Note> tag should be placed as close as practical to its corresponding <Reference> tag without disrupting the logical reading flow. It is typically placed immediately after the sentence or paragraph containing the reference mark.
How do screen readers handle the <Reference> tag?
Screen readers identify the <Reference> tag to inform the user that the associated text (like an asterisk or superscript number) points to additional information, allowing them to anticipate the upcoming footnote context.
Can I use standard text tags for footnotes instead of Note tags?
While standard text tags will prompt a screen reader to read the text out loud, they do not provide the semantic context that a <Note> tag does. Using the correct tags ensures blind students and screen reader users understand the structural relationship between the text and the footnote.
