Skip to Page Content
CATEA Home
About GRADE
Accesselearning Tutorial
Course Design Models
Fact Sheets
Guidelines: Accessible
 Distance Education
Leadership Institute
Lunch & Learn Series
Training Events
Resources

Guidelines: Accessible Flash Applications



Categories: Must Should MAY

The "May Items" can provide added functionality for people with disabilities.

 

  1. Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs. If any acronyms or abbreviations are used in the presentation, including the expansion of the acronym or abbreviation where it first occurs improves the navigability of the presentation. The expansion allows viewers to search for actual words instead of individual letters. This expansion can be done by placing the actual meaning of the definition in parenthesis following the abbreviation or acronym. For example, GRADE (Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education).

  2. Identify the primary natural language of a document. Place a disclaimer at the beginning of the Flash presentation stating the primary language of the presentation if there is text involved. This allows those using assistive technologies to adjust those devices accordingly in order for those users to obtain the most information they can from the presentation.

  3. Rendering text invisible on screen but visible to screen readers. This can be done by changing the color of the text to the color of the background.

  4. Auto Labeling associates elements with labels placed close to them. If labels are placed close to the elements they describe flash automatically makes the screen reader associate that element with the label. However only the first word of the label is read out by the screen reader.

  5. Testing the speaking order. In order to do this the flash movie must be exported as screen readers.

  6. Good spacing must be maintained when using input elements.Incorrect spacing between input elements could cause the screen-reader to read the elements incorrectly, thus confusing the user to input elements incorrectly.

  7. Control over the speed of delivery. If your flash movie contains a high amount of information, it may not be possible for the screen reader to read the screen contents before a screen transition. Providing a control over the speed of delivery can be useful here.

  8. Print the document using black ink only. If your presentation is hard to read on a black-and-white printer, it may be hard to read for most users - as well as being hard to read for people with and without disabilities on many opaque projectors. (Using the black-and-white feature does not catch all possible contrast problems.)

  9. Consider using sans-serif fonts. Undecorated sans-serif fonts, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana, are easier to read in large print than serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Courier.

  10. Transition effects can be removed altogether. Animated slide transitions and animated text or images typically add little to a presentation and can be distracting for many users.

  11. Allowing audio input. By using voice recognition and training audio input can also be accepted to enable navigation without the use of input devices requiring motor skills.


Top of Page