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Re: XHTML tab order and Flash

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From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Aug 18, 2009 7:55AM

Having read about and deployed a fair amount of accessible XHTML there is a
big grey area that I see with Flash. I understand using techniques such as
swfobject allow graceful Flash features to be available in place of XHTML,
which is great for screen readers or non-Flash users as they won't need to
know Flash is there (Flash visually pimps what is available to everyone else
in XHTML).

The use of sIFR or other similar replacement techniques can be used successfully and is most easily done so when the goal is just to offer a bunch of text, except in a specific font that isn't normally available.

If you start including interactive elements in the SWF, you absolutely need to ensure that the Flash is keyboard accessible. This is easy to accomplish, but can't be left up to chance - you need to make sure to define the tab order and reading order carefully.

Try the example posted with this blog entry to see how it works from the keyboard for you: http://blogs.adobe.com/accessibility/2009/04/firefox_focus_and_actual_links_1.html

Hope this helps,
AWK


Now, my query is, where do people with mobility difficulties fit into the
picture? Tabbing an XHTML page will skip Flash objects from my experience
... but in my view, people with mobility difficulties are just as likely to
be visually capable as your stereotypical Flash users, thus they would
surely engage with the page using a form of tabbing? And if so, what
advantages does swfobject or other accessible Flash solutions offer these
people? As under these circumstances, they would have to find another way to
engage with a Flash feature, or would they?



I would be very interested in other people's opinions and experiences with
mobility users regarding mixed XHTML/Flash content.



Steven