# PDF forms on iPad / iPhone

Category: accessible Devices

## Post 1 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 12:34:17

Hey guys,
Saw an iPad last night and I have to say the web layout was amazing. I've known for years because I'm a programmer, where things were on web pages, but actually being able to first click in the middle column (middle of the screen) then flick down and read the whole story no ads no nothing, it was absolutely amazing!
OK but here's the clincher nobody answers online anywhere:
How many of you use these for productivity? The keyboard seems intuitive enough, spatial relationships aren't a problem for me. But one area in particular: How well will it handle PDF forms?
And is there a difference between how iPad handles them vs. how iPod Touch does? These types of question I think need to be addressed because it's not enough just to be accessible (as way cool as that is to be able to just use the device) but you have to be able to actually use it to do what you need.
I've considered the Maccessibility.net site, but I really don't want to go back to 1996 and use a mailing list. I don't see why the blinkosphere is so so behind the times where everywhere else I go for non-blind-related things I can just use a group on Facebook or an online wiki. Mailing lists are so incredibly clunky and inefficient: online repositories are such time savers and the info is always available for searching.
anyway PDF forms? What have you all found?
Thanks for any feedback,
Leo

## Post 2 by The Roman Battle Mask (Making great use of my Employer's time.) on Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 12:49:24

I don't know about PDF forms but if you post a URL to one I'll give it a try. I use my ipod touch for mainly entertainment and email triage. I find that typing is not efficient on it although duable. I will use a normal computer if I need to type more then a sentence. For looking ant new email and determining weather it needs action the ipod is great. It is also good for viewing simple web pages and RSS feeds alhtough I find it inefficient for larger sites. Another use is taking quick notes with the note app since I always have my ipod with me. In summary I would say the ipod is mainly an entertainment device that can be used in a limited fassion to stay connected but not to get real work done.

## Post 3 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 14:43:50

Any form off the IRS site would do it but I'll point you at one.
The main difference I noticed between the iPod sized device and the iPad is that the keyboard was literally big enough that you have your fingers placed in normal typing position, not just your thumbs. A fellow guard member, my mentor actually, uses the iPad for a lot of what he's doing in the Coast Guard. It's basically the size of a clipboard.

## Post 4 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 16:13:59

OK here's a good form, it's got many pages in it:
Coast Guard Auxiliary Enrollment Application
Here's the direct URL if you want to see that:
http://forms.cgaux.org/archive/a7001f.pdf
And I appreciate your looking at it.

## Post 5 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Wednesday, 11-Aug-2010 17:44:21

Bringing this up to the top again, the form is in my prior post but have good wi fi when you download it it's a couple meg.
Just curious if any of you can do this.
Thanks for looking at it, guys.

## Post 6 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Saturday, 28-Aug-2010 13:34:04

OK MacDaddys and other iPhone / iPod Touch users I could really use your help here's direct access to another form:
http://forms.cgaux.org/archive/a7029H-Jan2010.pdf
It's considerably smaller than the previous one I mentione and contains no embedded script.
I tried it with two readers in Windows - JAWS and NVDA. Neither worked JAWS shows where some borders start and end and NVDA just says blank.
Here's the problem: According to the forms FAQ page there's a licensing issue with Adobe in Windows, preventing third party software from accessing parts (most of) the document.
On Apple products, their reader isn't a third party tool like Windows Readers: it's part of the OS. What they're trying to prevent in Windows I guess is an external software package extracting the form.
Readers aside, the FAQ says Apple products don't have the same problems Windows Acrobat Reader for Windows does.
So if one of you all can download it into your Apple device and give it a go, that would be most appreciated.

## Post 7 by BigDogDaddy (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Saturday, 28-Aug-2010 15:51:17

I'll take a look on monday morning.

## Post 8 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Saturday, 28-Aug-2010 20:10:55

I had a friend look at this particular form and while Apple iPhone handles it better it doesn't expose the form.
So that form has problems but wonder if you would look at any others off the
http://forms.cgaux.org/
site.
The defective form above is 7029 or Activity Log so anything else from there would be appreciated. From what I've seen from non voiceOver users, the Apple devices do seem to handle PDF really well.
What my friend did was port the form in via iTunes and tell iBooks it was a book. Maybe there's another way? Anyway I'll have to ask Command for a different method to get them my hours info I guess. But your checking it is appreciated. In fact you all have been most informative on here and BlindCoolTech regarding how these devices behave / do things with the reader.
Thank you.