508 Compliant in Flash
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- mrock
I know I can google this forever, but is there a way of making flash 508 compliant? Is there a best practices with this type of stuff. Thanks for any feedback/advice.
- kumori040
I spent weeks researching Flash and 508 when I was working on a project for PUR last year. It's not impossible, but not very effective.
Since I worked in AS2, I can't speak specifically to how well AS3's implementation is. However, in AS2, you'll find that you can pretty easily create audio tracks for screen readers using the Accessibility Inspector. Also, its best to create your own closed-captioning system for any video you show.
There are tons of documents you should look through to find best- practices (most articles I forgot to bookmark). I think the biggest hurdle is this: Accessibility in Flash requires that EVERY object on the stage be explicitly specified as being screen-readable or not. If you forget to specify even one object, you run the rick of the screen reader app freaking out and terminating its connection to the Flash movie.
Good luck!
- mrock0
Thanks acescence for the link and kumori04 for your 2 cents. Am I assuming that more and more websites are going this direction? We just had one project that needed to be "508" so far. if you find those links that would be very helpful as well.
- vaxorcist0
budget?!? Make damn sure this isn't a last minute request..... takes time and attention
- ornj0
Best to build the flash with this goal in mind, going back and retro-fitting accessibility in is likely a lesson in futility.
- kumori040
mrock, i think your assumption that more websites are going to be more 50 compliant is only kind of true. A number of sites are CONSIDERING going that direction, but it seems no one has created a solid way of architecting a site that is easy to normally interface with, but also easily accessible to screen readers. For instance, Procter & Gamble said they're making all their product sites 508 compliant, but none of their sites actually do it remotely well. It's tough.
I believe that, if more sites become 508 compliant, they definitely won't be doing it using the Flash platform.