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The Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) supports accessibility fairly well. In the last two years, Adobe has provided browser plug-ins, translation services, and other tools that allow blind and low vision people to access PDF documents. You can access their solutions at http://access.adobe.com/. This solution works extremely well for PDFs that are text content.
Despite Adobe's efforts, many people believe that PDF files are not accessible. While the text is certainly accessible, the same cautions about web-based graphical material applies to PDF files. Any PDF that contains significant graphical content is problematic because PDFs do not provide the same level of supplemental description that are available on web pages.
PDF Forms are also a problem. Since many PDFs are electronic forms, intended to be printed, filled in with a pencil, signed, and mailed, this can be a problem for a blind/low vision individual.
Once again, the accessibility issue is one of use and not of technology. Some uses of the technology are perfectly accessible. Some uses are not.
