RE: make Macromedia Flash Accessible

OBJECTIVE: Make Macromedia FLASH accessible via alternate methods?  Has
anyone done this? This is what we are thinking and  please chime in...we are
working with Macromedia Flash and not other macromedia formats.  We have two
premises:
(1)	If the FLASH plug-in is not used, provide an alternate method
viewing and reading .. For example an image or a text
(2)	If the FLASH plug-in is used, provide FLASH FILE and an alternate
method to either view OR reading, preferably read for web browsers with  the
plug-in turned off, screen readers, pwWebSpeak.  For example as in an ALT
tag or text and or TITLE tag.  

Please read the bottom message to understand my comments to Ken our
developer and Charles.

Ken:   Hmm, nice thought...but we need the FLASH for the ZOOM-ing and other
reasons.

Charles, pls read below and circulate if you like.  

Ken do you agree?

/rob
		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Kenneth Cline [mailto:kcline@redmon.com]
		Sent:	Thursday, September 30, 1999 1:45 PM
		To:	'Neff, Robert'
		Subject:	RE: make Macromedia Flash Accessible 

		Rob,

		I may have found the most expedient and elegant solution to
our dilemma possible.  In most instances, we can merely tell generator to
display the output as a GIF instead of a flash image.  Try this link to see
it in
		action.

	
http://207.153.198.240/usmint/fsq/display2.cfm?Plot_Opt=gu&stateg=AL&statet=
		AL&Mint=b&found=NJ&path=207.153.198.240%2Fusmint%2Ffsq

		The code changes are minimal, but it will have the following
limitations:

		- they can't zoom-in on the maps (it's a gif)
		- the "learn more about the 50 state quarters" page will
probably have to
		stay as a flash piece, because it is interactive (i.e. they
can click on a
		state)
		- the Fed Reserve Banks page will also have to stay as
flash, because of the
		roll-overs.
		- the image doesn't immediately begin to stream to the
display

		there are also the following advantages:

		- smaller download (the gifs should be around 12k)
		- no need for plug-ins (at all)
		- can alt-tag the heck out of them

		Thoughts?

		-Ken



		> -----Original Message-----
		> From: Neff, Robert [mailto:Robert.Neff@usmint.treas.gov]
		> Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 1999 8:33 AM
		> To: 'Charles McCathieNevile'
		> Cc: Kenneth Cline (E-mail)
		> Subject: RE: make Macromedia Flash Accessible
		>
		>
		> Charles:  thanks and will forward to the experts...
		>
		> Ken:  Good morning Mr. Expert!  PLs erad form the
		> bottom...Could you please
		> review the code (see comments under CMN: ) .  Could you
		> please make a simple
		> standard operating procedure that we may use as reference.
		>
		> Thanks!
		>
		> 		-----Original Message-----
		> 		From:	Charles McCathieNevile
[mailto:charles@w3.org]
		> 		Sent:	Tuesday, September 28, 1999 7:11 AM
		> 		To:	Neff, Robert
		> 		Subject:	RE: make Macromedia Flash
Accessible
		>
		> 		Rob,
		>
		> 		this is exactly the code I was suggesting.
I'll
		> add a couple
		> of lines to show
		> 		you what I mean, with cmn: in front of them
-
		> remove that in
		> the real
		> 		thing... (I can't recall if this is the
right way to use
		> EMBED - your coders
		> 		will know whether there is a NOEMBED I
should have used
		>
		> 		cheers
		>
		> 		Charles
		>
		> 		On Tue, 28 Sep 1999, Neff, Robert wrote:
		>
		> 		  Charles,
		>
		> 		  <OBJECT
		> classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"
ALT="Plot of
		> 		  the 50 States Quarters Nation Map"
		>
		>
codebase="http://active.macromedia.com/flash2/cabs/swflash.cab
		> #version=3,0,0
		> 		  ,0" ID=va WIDTH=550 HEIGHT=335>
		>
		> 		  <PARAM NAME=movie
		>
		>
VALUE="http://www1.usmint.gov/50states/fsq/flash/usa.swt?leg_1
		> =0&leg_2=35&le
		>
		>
g_3=70&leg_4=104&leg_5=139&leg_6=174&path=www1.usmint.gov/50st
		> ates/fsq&found
		> 		  =GA&mint=B">
		>
		> 		  <PARAM NAME=quality VALUE=high>
		>
		> 		  <EMBED
		>
		>
SRC="http://www1.usmint.gov/50states/fsq/flash/usa.swt?leg_1=0
		> &leg_2=35&leg_
		>
		>
3=70&leg_4=104&leg_5=139&leg_6=174&path=www1.usmint.gov/50stat
		> es/fsq&found=G
		> 		  A&mint=B"
		>
		> 		  swLiveConnect=FALSE WIDTH=550 HEIGHT=335
		> 		  QUALITY=high
		> 		   TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash"
		>
		>
PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/inde
		> x.cgi?P1_Prod_
		> 		  Version=ShockwaveFlash">
		>
		> 		CMN: <OBJECT data="the_same_thing.smi"
		> WIDTH="x" HEIGHT="y">
		> 		CMN:   <OBJECT data="the_animated_image.gif"
WIDTH="x"
		> HEIGHT="y">
		> 		CMN:     THere is some really good stuff
that
		> we have done,
		> but in the
		> 		meantime look at the <IMG SRC="blah"
ALT="blah blah">
		> 		CMN:   </OBJECT>
		> 		CMN: <OBJECT>
		>
		> 		  </EMBED></OBJECT>
		>
		>
		>
		> 		  Thanks, rob
		>
		> 		  		-----Original Message-----
		> 		  		From:	Charles
McCathieNevile
		> [mailto:charles@w3.org]
		> 		  		Sent:	Monday, September
27,
		> 1999 11:30 PM
		> 		  		To:	Robert Neff
		> 		  		Cc:	w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
		> 		  		Subject:	Re: make
		> Macromedia Flash
		> Accessible
		>
		> 		  		Actually the way to do this
in
		> HTML is to
		> use the OBJECT
		> 		  element, with a
		> 		  		cascade that allows you to
put something
		> more useful than a
		> 		  simpe alt
		> 		  		element.
		>
		> 		  		In fact a SMIL presentation
is
		> probably more
		> accessible than
		> 		  flash - there
		> 		  		are several players,
including
		> open-source
		> stuff and the
		> 		  Real Networks G2
		> 		  		player. But you can put that
		> into an object
		> cascade along
		> 		  with the flash
		> 		  		version, a quicktime movie
(there are
		> circumstances where
		> 		  that is a good
		> 		  		alternative) and a number of
other
		> versions...
		>
		> 		  		Charles McCN
		>
		> 		  		On Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Robert
Neff wrote:
		>
		> 		  		  i was thinking another way
to make
		> Macromedia Flash
		> 		  Accessible for those who
		> 		  		  do not want to download
the software.
		> Seems there is a
		> 		  way to make an image
		> 		  		  display if you do not have
		> the plug-in.
		> Of course, if you
		> 		  have an image
		> 		  		  then we can have an ALT
tag,
		> where we can
		> describe the
		> 		  visual presentation.
		>
		> 		  		  comments?
		>
		>
		> 		  		--Charles McCathieNevile
		> mailto:charles@w3.org
		> 		  		phone: +1 617 258 0992
		> http://www.w3.org/People/Charles
		> 		  		W3C Web Accessibility
Initiative
		> http://www.w3.org/WAI
		> 		  		MIT/LCS  -  545 Technology
sq.,
		> Cambridge
		> MA, 02139,  USA
		>
		>
		> 		--Charles McCathieNevile
		mailto:charles@w3.org
				phone: +1 617 258 0992
http://www.w3.org/People/Charles
				W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI
				MIT/LCS  -  545 Technology sq., Cambridge
MA, 02139,  USA

Received on Thursday, 30 September 1999 15:27:15 UTC