Accessibility of Flash Advances

Macromedia’s Flash MX 2004 provides limited compliance for Section 508, yet Macromedia has made significant efforts to meet these requirements. The government requirement Section 508 states that all Federal agencies’ electronic and information technologies be accessible to people with disabilities, which is designed to stimulate development of accessible products.

Ryan Hornbeck wrote an article on the accessibility of Flash, where he says that: “The hurdles of creating a version of Flash that functions properly with screenreading technologies are monumental. The visual nature of Flash, as well as the “timeline” features of the application, are virtually impossible to recreate textually. And yet, Macromedia has made significant efforts to meet these requirements. In order for software developers, including Macromedia, to comply with these guidelines, companies have created a “Voluntary Product Accessibility Template” to assist federal contracting officials in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial electronic and information technology products and services with features that support accessibility.”
 
“For Flash developers, the challenge remains to create sites that function with screenreaders. One great step toward compliance comes from show.me.uk, the group that developed “Our Global Garden.” This site, created exclusively in Flash, has gone the extra mile, creating full support for screenreaders, while keeping the primary site’s content visually dynamic. While websites can be created to be compliant, the software itself still requires further development. Five of the twelve points of 508’s initial section still remain unfulfilled,” according to Hornbeck.
 
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Source: AlwaysOn-Network