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Re: JAWS keyboard command for Page Labels in PDFs

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From: Karen McCall
Date: Feb 9, 2024 10:54AM

Page Labels are the way that anyone, including those of us who use a screen reader can get accurate information about what page we're on or to go to a specific page in a PDF. They have been a part of ISO 14289 since version 1.

The page Labels let you identify a cover page separate from the main body of the PDF. They also let you assign preface pages that may be Roman Numerals.

Without Page Labels, we can't accurately identify the page we're on.

Page numbers are NOT to be tagged in PDFs...that is what Page Labels are for.

Page Labels not only provide this accurate information to those of us using adaptive technology, but to everyone.

For example, if a PDF has three pages in Roman Numerals and page Labels have not been implemented, anyone can press Ctrl + Shift + N and enter iii and they will be told that the page does not exist.

With the correct Page Labels, pressing Ctrl + Shift + N and entering iii will take you to the preface page Roman Numeral iii.

As I say, these keyboard commands use to work so we could bypass the Ctrl + Shift +N and simply get the current page number. They don't anymore.

Cheers, Karen

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of <EMAIL REMOVED>
Sent: Friday, February 9, 2024 12:43 PM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List' < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Cc: 'ATHEN' < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] JAWS keyboard command for Page Labels in PDFs

What do you mean by page labels? Are you talking about page headers or document titles?

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Karen McCall
Sent: Friday, February 9, 2024 11:34 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Cc: ATHEN < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] JAWS keyboard command for Page Labels in PDFs

OK, neither keyboard command works. They both used to!
For both the NVDA and JAWS keyboard commands that are supposed to read Page Labels, neither works.
A workaround for JAWS is to press Ctrl + Shift + N and then Ctrl + B to give you the correct page X of Y.
BUT if Page Labels have not been implemented in the PDF, the page numbering will be wrong.
Note that Page Labels are the correct way to identify page numbers in a PDF so having this ability removed is not a good step forward.
At this point, I don't know if this is an Adobe PDF Editor/Reader issue or an issue with both screen readers.
Both of these should be documented keyboard commands!!!!!!! And they should work when Page Labels are implemented.!
Cheers, Karen

From: Karen McCall
Sent: Friday, February 9, 2024 12:03 PM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Cc: ATHEN < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: JAWS keyboard command for Page Labels in PDFs

Afternoon Everyone!
I have the NVDA keyboard command for reading Page Labels in PDFs: NVDA + End.
In JAWS, JawsKey + Page Down used to read the Page Labels but it doesn't seem to do that anymore.
There is no documentation on the Freedom Scientific website or reference to reading the Page Labels on any third-party "how to access PDFs with JAWS" web pages.
Does anyone know what the keyboard command to read page Labels in JAWS is? It did exist!
Currently, pressing JawsKey + Page Down returns "See All" which it is getting from somewhere on the screen.
Cheers, Karen