PAW Overview
Introduction
The PDF Accessibility Wizard (PAW) is an add-in to Microsoft® Word that makes it possible to create accessible PDF documents. PAW provides tools to allow content authors to run accessibility tests in the Microsoft Word environment and to remediate accessibility issues, thus enabling organizations to greatly improve the accessibility of both Word and PDF documents.
Use of PAW does not require prior knowledge of accessibility. When saving a word document, click on Create NetCentric PDF from the PAW tab in the Word ribbon.
PAW will lead you through a step-by-step process, specifically tailored to your document. As you go through this process, PAW will help you fix the accessibility issues in the Word document and will create the additional information required to create an accessible PDF document, as described below.
PAW Process
The PAW process involves going through accessibility checkpoints that correspond to Section 508 as well as a number of other key accessibility and usability checks.
- To launch PAW, click on the PAW tab in the Word ribbon and select Create NetCentric PDF, or alternatively select Save as from the Word menu and then select NetCentric PDF.
- Once PAW is launched, the PAW panel will be displayed to the right of the Word screen. Click to familiarize yourself with the PAW panel.
- PAW displays the first checkpoint that is applicable to your document. Follow the instructions to complete the checkpoint.
- Click Next to continue to the next task.
- Once all tasks for the current checkpoint have been completed, PAW will continue to the next applicable checkpoint. Note that some of the checkpoints may require you to make changes to the Word document.
- Once all the applicable checkpoints for the current Word documents have been completed, PAW will generate an accessible PDF document.