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RE: checking flash for accessibility

for

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Aug 18, 2005 10:20AM


> Some time ago there was talk of Freedom Scientific making Jaws >
available to developers for a reduced price.

I would suggest taking a look at IBM's Home Page Reader (HPR.) I don't
remember if HPR will handle Flash or not, but that information should be
on the site. It is not a full fledged screen reader since it only works
within a browser, but may be sufficient for your testing purposes.

Honestly, my experience is that most developers do not have or make the
time to learn how to use JAWS or WindowEyes like a blind user does or
set up the test procedures to ensure consistent and meaningful results.
If a developer does not have time to do that, I think it makes better
sense to use a tool like HPR, whose output is more geared for sighted
developers -- or better yet, observe people with disabilities using that
content.

I suppose what works best depends on what resources are available to the
developer at the time.

Thanks,
Tim