Flash

1. Introduction
2. Files You Need
3. Interface of Flash MX
4. Accessibility Issues
5. Text Equivalents
6. Speaking Order
7. Animation
8. Closed Captioning
9. Publish to Blackboard
10. Publish to WebCT
11. Resources

Interface of Flash MX

Macromedia Flash Overview

Flash's introduction provided several new options to designers, allowing them the ability to create animated movies and web forms. Flash movies are relatively small in file size compared to traditional full motion video, and has since become a standard tool for many web designers. as a direct result, Flash became more prevalent in web design. Flash's popularity also stems from its ease-of-use, and its ability to interact with the user.

However, prior to the release of Flash MX, presentations and websites created in Flash were inaccessible to most individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, even if the designer of the Flash presentation wanted to create accessible content (such as placing text near objects on the screen) in previous versions of Flash, the options for accessibility were limited and difficult to implement.

Flash MX Professional 2004 is the latest version and offers a greater number of accessibility features; its release paralleled with the release of Flash Player 6, which interacts well with assistive technologies. Flash MX Professional 2004 provides a similar interface to previous versions of Flash, but it also includes an accessibility panel, which gives developers the ability to specify brief, descriptive text for elements. In cases where longer text is needed, a description field is also provided. There is also a field that allows for ordering the way in which elements will be read by screen readers.

In particular, the accessibility panel provides a way of presenting information to users who rely on screen readers for interacting with online content. However, the key to creating any accessible Flash presentation lies in design. For example, to drastically improve the user's experience, make sure elements that interact with the user (such as a button) are correctly ordered so that they are read or tabbed through in a meaningful manner. But, keep in mind that when designing for individuals with disabilities, you are benefiting all users.

Occasionally, websites will offer users a choice between a Flash version and an accessible HTML version. It is a common misconception that two different websites are needed for true accessibility. While this is an option, it is not likely in your best interest to create and maintain two individual websites. Another option, although not optimal, is to have two individual pages (one Flash and one non-Flash) which lead to a common accessible site. This is a more feasible option especially if the Flash introduction preceding the website contains little to no information.

Lastly, the majority of available Flash accessibility workshops and tutorials (including this one) emphasize a "limitation of liability" on the work. This means that even if you follow all the suggested guidelines, there is not a guarantee that you will have a completely accessible Flash presentation. The reason for this is two-fold:

• The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards do not specifically address Flash and are open to interpretation; for example, the W3C states: "Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task,".
• Presentations can claim to be "accessible" having met some minimum criteria; but the complexity of Flash compounds difficulty in claiming that a presentation is completely accessible.

Making non-MX Flash Accessible

If you are interested in making your Flash presentations accessible, it is highly recommended that you purchase or upgrade to Flash MX or Flash MX Professional 2004. However, in recognition that acquiring Flash MX or Flash MX Professional 2004 may not be possible, a few techniques that can increase the accessibility of non-MX Flash presentations . are listed below.

1. First, make sure your users have downloaded Flash Player 6. This player now has the ability to expose text elements to the screen reader, allowing at least basic accessibility.
2. Download a trial version of a screen reader such as (JAWS from Freedom Scientific and see how your presentation is read. By changing the location of the text, it can be read in a more logical order.
3. Put text elements close to graphics. This allows them to be read by the screen reader and is a similar approach to providing a text-equivalent.
   Note: To render the "invisible" on the screen but still readable by a screen reader, change the color of the text to the same color as the background.
4. Avoid changes to the screen. Elements that change over time cause the screen reader to repeatedly start reading at the beginning of the presentation every time the change occurs. This can be especially irritating if you have banner ads that loop.
5. If you need closed-captioning, you can type the text at the bottom of the presentation to synchronize it with the video or you could use a captioning tool called MAGpie that works with Flash.
   
   Note: Captioning is more specifically addressed later in this module in the Lab: Working with MAGPie and Flash.
6. As a last resort, create a separate website. This is not the recommended or ideal option, but realistically, certain Flash presentations can be extremely difficult to make accessible.
   

The next page will discuss accessibility issues in Flash

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