7 Replies Latest reply: Dec 1, 2011 9:42 AM by donapatrick RSS

    Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure

    rjones888 Community Member

      I am preparing a PDF file that needs to be 508 compliant. I have individual MS Word files (.doc not .docx) that I have converted to PDF. The Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF option is selected when I created the PDF files. The Full Accessiblity Check runs fine on the individual files but I when I combine all of the PDF files into one PDF file and run the Full Accessibility Check I get an error message that says "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF file". (I'm using Acrobat Pro 9.)

       

      I have played around with adding and deleting various PDF files from the main file but have not been able to pinpoint the offending file. I've tried "reflowing" pages and fixing tags and structures to no avail. I've spent too much time trying to solve this problem. The client is not going to accept the file with this problem. I've created Accessiblity files before using the same method without this problem. Does anyone have any ideas for fixing this problem?

       

      Thanks.

        • 1. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
          HudginsRTR

          I'm in the same boat, and on a deadline.

          Were you ever able to figure this out?  Thanks!

          • 2. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
            rjones888 Community Member

            I never found out why I was having that problem. I ended up combining all of the Word files into a single file and making the PDF file from the single Word file. After that we were able to run the accessibility report for the whole report.

            • 3. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
              CtDave CommunityMVP

              The following may have bearing on the situation.


              The structure tree of a Tagged PDF that is inserted into an open Tagged PDF is always placed at the end of the open PDF.
              This is true regardless of where the the inserted PDF is placed in the open PDF.

              If Combine is used to make a new, single PDF each PDF's structure tree lands at the bottom of what is in the file that precedes it.

              Deletion of a page or pages does not remove the associated components of the structure tree.

              The structure tree exist independently of the PDF page content.

              While the Adobe PDF & the Section 508 full checks evaluate many aspects neither of them individually or collectively evaluate all requisite aspects of an Accessible PDF. Sometimes an evaluation of greater granularity is need; walk the structure tree from top to bottom with Highlight selected and cross-check pages using the Find Element feature.

               

              Be well...

              • 4. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
                HudginsRTR Community Member

                Thanks for the feedback.  I have read something very similar, which might

                have been posted by you or borrowed from you, in another forum.  What I am

                working on is a training manual, which consists of many images and elements

                that would cause days worth of looking through the structure tree.  The

                document is 746 pages long.  It is made of about 25 merged PDFs.  I merged

                them in order so it shouldn't be an issue about the tree, but with Pro 9, I

                never know what to expect.  My problem with the whole thing is that I can

                merge a cover, title page, endorsement letter, and module 1 to find that

                module 1 caused the problem.  Or I can do just mod 1-4, and 4 will cause the

                problem.  Or if I start at the end of the manual, modules 20-16 may be fine,

                but 15 is the problem.  I've encountered a lot of issues with 508 because

                what we do tends to be very complex, but this is a new one for me.  Thanks

                again for the feedback, though.  I'm just glad to know that there are others

                out here working on similar projects.

                • 5. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
                  donapatrick

                  I'm having the same problem with a 540 page PDF files with lots and lots of data tables. The individual files chapters and appendixes all return no errors in the accessiblity report but when I combine them (all at once or one at a time) I evenutally get the "an incorrect structure was found in the PDF when I run an accessiblity check. I have Acrobat Pro  10.1.1 The soruce files were Word 2003 which I changed to Word 2007 before converting to PDF with all appropriate accessiblity options enabled.

                   

                  This file was originally given to me as a PDF with strange things happening (tags disappearing, large sections of text not able to be tagged) so I tracked down the source files and tought I'd give it a go by tagging each chapter, testing them then combining them at the end. Now I get the structure error.

                   

                  I'm ready to give up and say this is an impossible file.

                   

                  Hoping someone has a real fix -- I've tried everything I've found with no success. I don't think combining the Word files and tagging them is an option since I have only about 16 hours left to finish this file. (I've been working on it for weeks)

                   

                  Thanks...

                  • 6. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
                    HudginsRTR Community Member

                    With 16 hours, you might be too late.  I checked my document after

                    combining each chapter to narrow down the problem file.  Then I looked

                    through the structure tree deleting sections until I found a smaller

                    problem area (still probably 100 pages).  Then I checked every tag until I

                    found an image tag with no real image.  It was a ridiculous solution, but I

                    finally found it.  I know that provides little hope but it's the best I've

                    got.  Good luck!

                    • 7. Re: Accessibility Report-Incorrect Structure
                      donapatrick Community Member

                      Thank you for your response -- I never did figure out the issue, but it is good to know there is a fix. Sorry my thanks is so late.