Macromedia Flash Article

Overview
Ensuring that web content is accessible to users with disabilities is increasingly important to educational institutions. This sample educational resource center was created to demonstrate how developers can create accessible content with Macromedia Flash MX. The overall goal was to create a dynamic, hierarchical, 508(c)-compliant navigation system that meets the needs of screen reader users while at the same time leveraging the advantages of Macromedia Flash MX for users without special requirements.

In order to simulate a real world educational site, Macromedia has partnered with University of Arizona to create this sample application. While the content is real, it is not an accurate representation of the University of Arizona’s site.

User scenario
In developing the accessibility features of the University of Arizona site, three categories of users were considered: screen reader users, users with mobility impairments, and users without a specific disability. Screen reader users may be completely blind or have limited vision. Users with limited vision may use a screen reader together with another tool called a screen magnifier. Users with mobility impairments are those who have difficulty operating a mouse.

The goals of these users are often the same. Each would likely use this site to learn more about the University of Arizona, to explore admissions policies, to read about a course offering, or simply to find out how the basketball team is doing.

Macromedia Flash MX benefits

• Hybrid HTML and Macromedia Flash MX sites allow large organizations to incorporate their legacy HTML pages into the new site.
• With the use of shared objects, communication to the servers is minimized. Shared objects reduce server load, while at the same time, creating a faster experience for the end user.
• Screen readers interpret a page when a page loads. Unlike HTML, Macromedia Flash can change its content dynamically without causing a new page to load. However, in order for an accessibility user to be aware of changes in dynamic content the screen reader must be notified. The new accessibility features in Macromedia Flash Player 6 handle this by sending a “load” message to a screen reader only when accessible content visibly changes.

Development challenges

• Create a navigation bar that is intuitive and easy to use for all visitors.
  
• Assign accessibility properties to content generated dynamically.
  
• Control the tab order within the content to ensure that navigation is usable for people with mobility impairments.

Learn more
For more information about accessibility in Macromedia Flash MX, see the Macromedia Flash MX accessibility features page.

Application created by Fluid
Fluid is a recognized expert in building advanced, Flash-based web applications with distributed server architectures. Fluid's flexible methodology combines research, creative exploration, design, and development to deliver results on a wide range of projects leveraging the latest technologies.