Flash Guidelines review

Hello all... I would like to get the Lists input on some Guidelines
Macromedia will be publishing in the coming weeks on making flash content
accessible... They are based loosely on the WAI top 10 (those that apply to
Flash). Guidelines follow:

Text Alternatives 
Whenever using narrative, or synchronized sound, provide the option of a
text based caption that describes the audible events and gives a visual
representation of the content as it is displayed. Provide captioning and
transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video. Text alternatives should
also be included with the HTML document associated with the Flash (SWF)
movie. 

Descriptive Links 
When providing navigation elements, or links to various parts of a flash
movie or site, make sure to provide descriptive link names. Links such as
"Click here", "Click this", or no description at all, give little or no
information to users who depend on assistive technologies. Creating flash
(SWF) movies with clear descriptions of nativation elements helps
tremendously, not only with accessibility, but with overall usability of a
site in general. 

Page Organization 
Another important factor to take into consideration when creating a site
that can be viewed by users with disabilities is consistent and easily
navigable interfaces. Presenting a clearly marked navigation element at the
beginning of a site and then disregarding that interface in other parts of
the site only leads to confusion and inconsistency when trying to navigate a
site with limited input or control.

Graphs Tables & Charts
When displaying charts or graphs, supply a description of the data in a form
that facilitates line-by-line reading. If using a flash element within an
HTML page to display an information based graphic, make sure to provide the
necessary descriptive content in an <ALT> or <LONGDESC> tag. This can be
accomplished using the provided HTML publish template, and placing a
descriptive text box on the same frame as the flash graphic within the Flash
(SWF) movie. 

Ensure User Control
If your site or presentation contains audio, narration, or animated
graphics, provide the ability to stop and start those elements. An example
of the ability to stop and start sound when using "Streaming" audio is
provided within the Flash Accessibility Kit under "Adding Audio Tracks for
Visual Elements." For linear animations simply providing a button within the
movie interface that issues a "stop()" or "play()" command can solve many of
the issues related to user control.

-- 
Michael Williams
Macromedia Flash Team
415-832-5991

Received on Thursday, 9 November 2000 18:19:16 UTC